Here are the characters confirmed to appear in Amazon's The Lord of the Rings TV series so far. Tolkien's Middle-earth is an impossibly vast world of fantasy locations and fascinating cultures, but The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit only scratch the surface of the author's lore, with a rich fictional history beneath the surface. Indeed, Tolkien's most famous stories take place within Middle-earth's Third Age, leaving thousands of years' worth of material untouched. These older eras provide the setting for The Silmarillion, Beren and Lúthien, and various other writings.
Tolkien in live-action has remained firmly in the most familiar section of the timeline, with Gandalf, the Baggins family, and Sauron at the heart of Peter Jackson's six Middle-earth movies. However, the landscape of on-screen Tolkien is set to change dramatically with the introduction of a TV series set within the Second Age, acting as a prequel to the events of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Ever since this ambitious and expensive project was announced, producers have promised the show will feature big, recognizable names, and while plot details remain scarce, a handful of characters have already been confirmed for Amazon's series.
Production has been halted due to the current pandemic, meaning the Lord of the Rings TV show is still some time away, and this leaves plenty of leeway for further announcements. But as early details begin to emerge, a very interesting selection of Tolkien figures has arisen.
Galadriel
The earliest character announcement for Amazon's The Lord of the Rings TV show was Galadriel, with Morfydd Clark cast as the starlight-haired elf. Given their age-defying properties, the elves of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit were always the most likely candidates to return for Amazon's prequel, and Galadriel is a character with considerable unexplored history. A background presence in Frodo's story, Galadriel aids the Fellowship on their journey to destroy the One Ring, but remains within her realm of Lothlórien, before eventually leaving Middle-earth for the Undying Lands. Despite not appearing in the original book, Cate Blanchett reprises her role as Galadriel in Peter Jackon's The Hobbit trilogy as part of the White Council, fending off the rise of Sauron.
Galadriel is a mystical figure whose personal history is deeply embedded into the wider story of Middle-earth, making her an obvious choice for a prequel series. Revered among her own kind as a figure of beauty and a descendant of Finwë, Galadriel was present when the elves left for Middle-earth, but chose to stay after being offered a return home by the Valar. While others of her house squabbled over territory and entered into lengthy wars with Morgoth, Galadriel accumulated wisdom, and had become an even more noteworthy figure by the beginning of the Second Age.
In the Amazon series, Galadriel could be a lone voice of reason against the treachery of Sauron. Middle-earth's Second Age sees the Dark Lord creates his infamous rings and deceive the elves almost to destruction, with Galadriel one of the few who sees through the disguise. If this story is covered in the upcoming Amazon Lord of the Rings TV show, Galadriel could be a main protagonist, rather than just the mystical source of helpful supplies fans saw in The Lord of the Rings.
Elrond
He may not be as ancient as Galadriel, but Elrond was still an established figure in Middle-earth's Second Age, and could play a significant part in the upcoming Amazon TV series. The lord of Rivendell was memorably played by Hugo Weaving in the Lord of the Rings movies, helping to establish the Fellowship and send them on their way. The elf also fought during the Last Alliance of Elves and Men against Sauron when the villain was first defeated. As with Galadriel, Elrond made an appearance in the The Hobbit movie trilogy, and while he did briefly feature in the original book, Peter Jackson greatly expanded Weaving's part in the tale.
Elrond in Middle-earth's Second Age is very different from the character audiences will be used to. Despite being an ally to Gandalf and the Fellowship, Elrond still possessed the typical elven cold detachment, remaining in Rivendell and then departing Middle-earth alongside Frodo after Sauron's defeat. In the Second Age, Elrond was a captain under another leader, active on the battlefield in the campaign against Sauron and leading the charge to defend his homeland. This younger Elrond is glimpsed in The Fellowship of the Ring's flashback sequence, and Amazon's TV depiction will surely show the elf in a similar light. The series could even make Elrond the "Aragorn" of the new Lord of the Rings story - a battle-hardened warrior with ties to both elves and men, fighting valiantly before ultimately becoming a noble ruler. While Elrond is certainly more active in the Second Age than the Third, the formation of Rivendell could be covered in the Amazon series, allowing viewers to witness Elrond's transition from military leader to a lord among his own kind. Robert Aramayo is set to play Elrond in The Rings of Power.
Sauron
Unless the story is very limited in scope, it would be tricky for Amazon to make a Lord of the Rings TV series set within the Second Age and not include the Dark Lord himself in some capacity. As such, it's not a huge surprise to see Sauron included alongside Elrond in the latest list of names. The Lord of the Rings' entire premise is based around Frodo's LotR quest to prevent Sauron from returning to prominence in Middle-earth, but the villain himself only appears as a giant roving eye of fire. The natural question to ask, then, is what happened when Sauron was in his pomp? Why is this figure of evil so feared within Middle-earth, and how did he become so powerful? In essence, why does Frodo bother going through all that trouble?
Sauron's story primarily takes place within the Second Age, and the fact that Amazon's TV series is set within the same era probably isn't a coincidence. Showing Sauron at the very height of his power is something that will interest both hardcore Lord of the Rings fans and the casual audience who are only familiar with the movie trilogies, and would adapt an area of Tolkien lore that has been largely neglected in adaptations. The Fellowship of the Ring flashes back to Sauron's defeat by Isildur, and offers glimpses at the forging of the rings, but there's so much more to his rise, such as infiltrating the elves, bringing about the downfall of Aragorn's ancestors and, of course, crafting the One Ring. Despite the prominence of The Lord of the Rings in pop culture, Sauron commits far more evil in the Second Age than he does in the Third.
Sauron's appearance in the Amazon Lord of the Rings series places the story between 500 and 1000 years deep into the Second Age, as this is when Morgoth's former servant begins his comeback tour of Middle-earth. Another interesting facet to Sauron's casting is how the character will finally get a live action depiction with a proper personality and appearance, rather than merely being a monster without true form.
Will Any Other LOTR Characters Return?
Because Amazon Prime's The Rings of Power is a distant prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, it's highly unlikely that most of the films' protagonists will appear, as they won't have been born yet. The returning characters that are already known (Galadriel, Elrond, and Sauron) can only appear because they are thousands of years old. It's possible that some other ancient characters mentioned or featured in Lord of the Rings could make it into The Rings of Power, although none have yet been named. The Amazon series does feature a familiar Balrog, however, and could also have Galdriel's brother Finrod.
Original Characters In Amazon's Lord Of The Rings TV Series
A host of actors and actresses have been announced for Amazon's Lord of the Rings TV show, but the vast majority of their character names are yet to be confirmed. Fortunately, there are a few breadcrumbs to follow, although the following citizens of Middle-earth don't appear to derive from Tolkien's works.
- Oren - Played by Joseph Mawle (Benjen Stark in Game of Thrones), Oren is said to be the show's main villain. Likely an agent of Sauron, Oren's presence suggests the big man in black himself won't be the main antagonist, at least in the first season.
- Beldor - Was originally going to be played by Will Poulter until the actor dropped out. Said to be the main protagonist.
- Tyra - Markella Kavenagh has been cast as Tyra, another new character to Lord of the Rings lore. Unlike Oren, Tyra's name doesn't exactly scream "Tolkien," especially if the woman is an elf, as suggested. Many suspect this could be an alias to cover salient plot details.
- Trevyn - Reportedly Simon Merrell's character. Very few details here, and could potentially be another code name. Some fans are theorizing Cirdan the shipwright as a possibility.
- Halbrand - Not much is known yet about Charlie Vickers’ character, but he seems to have a dark past he's trying to escape and will likely be an ally of Galadriel.
- Arondir - Ismael Cruz Córdova plays an elven hunter from the Second Age. As with Aragorn and Arwen, he has a forbidden romance with a human, Bronwyn.
- Bronwyn - A human woman in love with the Silvan elf Arondir. She's played by Nazanin Boniadi.
- Disa - A dwarven princess of the Second Age, shown decked out in gold in preview footage. She's played by Sophia Nomvete.
- Hennah - Another character supposedly in the Amazon series. Could be a nod to Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings movie art director Dan Hennah, and therefore, another likely alias.
- Other touted names include May and Elden, but no further details are known.
Further trailers and story details will likely confirm more character details as the show draws nearer.