Every LOTR Movie Character Returning In The Rings Of Power

Which characters seen in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy could reappear in Amazon's upcoming TV series, The Rings of Power? Based on J.R.R. Tolkien's most famous work of fantasy, Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy adapts The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King, bringing (almost) all of the characters introduced by those novels into live-action. Jackson then did it all over again with The Hobbit, translating Tolkien's first Middle-earth story into a further trio of blockbuster outings.

Our next visit to Middle-earth switches Hollywood for the ever-growing world of streaming. Purchasing the TV adaptation license from the Tolkien Estate, Amazon is throwing big bucks toward Prime Video's Lord of the Rings series, now officially titled The Rings of Power. The story is set in Tolkien's Second Age, thousands of years prior to The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, and though The Rings of Power has been swathed in cloak and dagger during its lengthy production, new images confirm a few members of the sizable ensemble.

As revealed by Vanity Fair, Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power debuts a great many faces who are entirely new to Tolkien's mythology, but those hoping to reunite with old favorites from Peter Jackson's movies haven't been forsaken. Here's every Tolkien character in the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy currently confirmed for The Rings of Power - as well as some stragglers that could be joining the fantasy fun.

Morfydd Clark as Galadriel

Cate Blanchett made an unforgettable impression as Galadriel in 2001's The Fellowship of the Ring. As the Elven ruler of Lothlórien, Galadriel was equal parts fantastical and fearsome - simultaneously the most beautiful sight any Fellowship member had ever beheld, and the person they'd least want to anger throughout all of Middle-earth. Blanchett then returned for Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy, which adapted the White Council's attack on Dol Guldur - fortress of a resurgent Sauron. Here, Galadriel showcased more of her magical prowess, pushing back the Dark Lord alongside Gandalf, Elrond and a soon-to-screw-everyone-over Saruman.

When Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power begins, Galadriel is on a crusade to vanquish the last remaining servants of Morgoth, who was defeated in the final days of the First Age. She senses that Morgoth's greatest follower - the one and only Sauron - may be gathering his strength in secret, but finds little support for her grim omen. Sometime around this period, Galadriel and husband Celeborn also established and ruled over the Elven realm of Eregion, before upping sticks and moving to Lothlórien several hundred years later, where Galadriel protected Narya, one of three Elven Rings of Power. Morfydd Clark's Galadriel is more of an outright warrior than her Lord of the Rings counterpart, donning a sword and armor, rather than fighting as a ghostly sorceress. The elf embarks on an epic journey across water, fields and ice, as the shadow she perceives over Middle-earth grows steadily larger.

Robert Aramayo as Elrond

Elrond, like Galadriel, represents an authoritative Elven presence in The Lord of the Rings. Played by Hugo Weaving, Elrond assembles the Fellowship of the Ring at Rivendell, which he rules over in much the same way Galadriel leads Lothlórien. Both Elves also depart Middle-earth for the Undying Lands in the wake of Sauron's final defeat, carry one of the three Elven Rings of Power, and return for Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy as a member of the White Council. One major difference between Elrond and Galadriel, however, is how Lord of the Rings' flashbacks only show the former during the Last Alliance of Elves & Men. Given how Morfydd Clark's character is being presented in The Rings of Power, perhaps we'll soon learn Galadriel was there also, marginally out of shot...

As Elrond, Robert Aramayo is described as playing an "ambitious politician" in Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. That's likely because when the First Age ended, Elrond was made to choose between his human and Elven heritage. Preferring to keep his immortality, Elrond began working under High King Gil-Galad in the capitol of Lindon, and doesn't establish Rivendell until halfway through the Second Age. Elrond is shown to have a friendly relationship with Galadriel, and since he eventually marries her daughter, keeping the mother-in-law happy is probably wise. The Rings of Power describes Elrond as an architect - an aspect of the character not shown in The Lord of the Rings, but fits well enough, since he helps build Rivendell.

Maxim Baldry as Isildur

During The Lord of the Rings' Last Alliance of Elves & Men, Elrond fails to convince his human comrade that the One Ring should be cast into Mount Doom. That human comrade is Isildur, son of Elendil and brother of Arnor - the mortal trio who escaped Númenor's destruction, and arrived in Middle-earth to establish human strongholds such as Gondor. In Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings, Isildur is played by Harry Sinclair, and is shown cutting the One Ring from Sauron's finger, then being a jerk about wanting to keep it, condemning future generations to untold misery.

Though we don't yet have an official image for Isildur, the Vanity Fair article confirms his presence in The Rings of Power, referring to the character as a sailor. That's entirely expected from the sea-faring Númenoreans, and Isildur was confident enough on the water to escape Sauron's assault on Minas Ithil by sailing successfully to Arnor. Isildur's inclusion in The Ring of Power does, however, create a timeline wrinkle. If Galadriel and Elrond's stories are set before they rule over Lothlórien and Rivendell, respectively, that puts The Rings of Power somewhere before year 1500 of the Second Age. Isildur, due to that pesky human mortality, can't show up for almost another 2000 years. Are we looking at The Rings of Power employing multiple timelines?

Sauron

Will Sauron appear in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power or won't he? Given his importance to both the Second Age and the Rings of Power's creation, one would expect the Dark Lord to have a major impact upon Amazon's forthcoming TV series. Strange, then, how the character isn't revealed in the current batch of images, and the "black gauntlet" poster may or may not depict the hand of Sauron. Casting further doubt upon his involvement, reports from late 2021 suggested Tolkien's iconic Lord of the Rings villain wouldn't appear until The Rings of Power season 2.

Vanity Fair confirms Sauron's presence is alluded to in The Rings of Power's opening episodes, but stops short of revealing whether that presence is physical, or as an ominous whisper secretly pulling strings in the background. Assuming Sauron does eventually take up main villain duties in The Rings of Power, he'll be completely different to the version seen in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies. Rather than a giant fire-eye or a black ghost, Sauron will (depending on the century) either wear the dark, heavy armor seen during the Last Alliance of Elves & Men, or he'll be disguised as Annatar, the charming Elf-friend of Eregion.

Other LOTR Characters Who Could Appear In The Rings Of Power

Ian McKellen as Gandalf in Amazon Lord of the Rings

The above quartet proudly represent the Lord of the Rings' movie alumni in Amazon's The Rings of Power, but who else from Jackson's trilogies could potentially feature in the Second Age narrative? Since Galadriel looks to be among The Rings of Power's lead protagonists, expect her husband, Celeborn (played by Marton Csokas in The Fellowship of the Ring), to be involved in some capacity, since the pair stay together through much of the Second Age. High King of the Noldor, Gil-Galad, is another probable pointy-eared addition. The Elf-king is shown during The Lord of the Rings' flashback sequences, played by Mark Ferguson, but his reign spans The Rings of Power's entire timeline. The only other notable elf to potentially straddle both Lord of the Rings and The Rings of Power is Círdan the shipwright, glimpsed for a split-second when Jackson's movies recount the Rings' creation, played by an uncredited Michael Elsworth. Círdan ranks among the oldest elves in Middle-earth at this point, and perhaps should factor into The Rings of Power somehow.

If Isildur appears in The Rings of Power, it's only natural his father, Elendil, be included also. The original King of Gondor charged into battle alongside Gil-Galad and Elrond during Peter Jackson's Last Alliance of Elves & Men flashback, where he was portrayed by Peter McKenzie. Finally, the wizards could give Amazon's writing team a conundrum. Gandalf's crew didn't arrive in Middle-earth until the Third Age, seemingly ruling the characters out of contention. On the other hand, the wizards do exist during the Second Age, dwelling as Maiar in the Undying Lands. There is a small chance The Rings of Power shows Gandalf, Saruman, Radagast, etc. in their original forms.