The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power star Ismael Cruz Córdova revealed that his Elf character, Arondir, almost had longer hair in the show. The Elven archer is one of many prominent Elf characters in the series, with a story focused on the defense of the Southlands from a horde of Orcs led by the mysterious Adar. An original character to The Rings of Power, Arondir was last seen assisting the people of the Southlands after Mount Doom destroyed their homeland, turning it into Mordor.
In an interview with Collider, Córdova revealed that Arondir almost had longer hair in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. He says that while he pushed for Arondir to have longer hair like many other Elves in Middle-earth, it was ultimately decided that short hair worked better for his character. Check out what Córdova had to say below:
There was a moment in which I did test with a wig. I did the wig, and it was unfortunate, I think. The conversation... they were leaning very strongly towards short hair from the beginning. I was one of the people that wanted to have long hair, and then we tested a few things, and it just wasn't really hitting. And as the character developed, just felt more appropriate for him to be short-haired.
What's Next For Arondir In Rings Of Power Season 2?
While it would have been compelling to see what Arondir looked like with long hair, his presence in The Ring of Power isn't lessened by his lack of a wig. Arondir proved himself to be an important part of the conflict between the Southlands and Adar, with the corrupted Elf letting Arondir go after watching his friends die trying to escape his capture. He went on to warn the people of the Southlands that Adar and his Orcish armies were on their way to invade. While Arondir wasn't able to stop the Southlands from transforming into Mordor, he continued to assist injured warriors and displaced citizens following Adar's invasion.
Because of his status as an original character in The Rings of Power, it's unclear where Arondir's story will go in season 2 of the show. Due to his presence in the Southlands, though, it appears that he will continue to assist the people of the nation as they recover from the devastating eruption of Mount Doom. Whether Arondir's help is wanted or not remains to be seen, as his insistence on battling Adar resulted in many casualties. It's possible that, now that they are too weak to fight off the Orcs and Adar, the people of the Southlands will shift their anger toward Arondir instead.
While he may be facing backlash from the people of the Southlands for their collective failure at defending it, Arondir will continue to grow closer to Bronwyn and Theo in season 2. While Sauron's sword being out of Theo's possession leaves his story in season 2 unclear, it's possible that he may accompany Arondir on a mission to reverse the damage done to the Southlands because of the dark weapon. If this is the case, then perhaps Arondir's ultimate purpose in season 2 will be to show audiences the development of Mordor through a hero's eyes. It may be disappointing that Arondir didn't end up with long, luscious hair in The Rings of Power, but such a small aesthetic detail won't take away from his story during season 2.
Source: Collider