Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power episode 3The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power episode 3 is now available on Amazon Prime, and with it comes a whole batch of new characters and actors for the series. The first two episodes of the show established what is likely to be the main cast of characters, from Galadriel, Arondil, and Elrond of the elves to Durin of the dwarves and Halbrand and Bronwyn of the humans. However, as the show's cast can certainly be described as a massive ensemble, these are but a few of The Rings of Power's cast members, with even more being introduced in the third episode.
The Rings of Power episode 3 continues where the second left off, with Galadriel and Halbrand aboard the boat that found them adrift at sea. This boat is revealed to belong to Númenor, the kingdom founded by the Men of Edain who assisted the elves of Valinor in the War of Wrath at the end of the First Age. Meanwhile, Arondil finds himself enslaved by orcs in the Southlands and forced to dig tunnels beneath the ground, as Nori Brandyfoot and her family continue to deal with the stranger who fell from the sky in The Rings of Power episode 1.
It is in the first two of these subplots that the major new additions to The Rings of Power come in terms of cast members and their respective characters. Namely, it is predominantly through the kingdom of Númenor wherein The Rings of Power's new characters are introduced that will undoubtedly affect the series itself and Middle-earth's futures. That being said, some other characters are introduced outside the kingdom of men, and here is a comprehensive list of every new character and actor in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power episode 3.
Elendil - Lloyd Owen
Arguably the most prominent new character in The Rings of Power episode 3 was Elendil of Númenor. Elendil is a name that will be familiar to fans of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, as he is a prominent figure in the world of men in the Second Age. In The Rings of Power though, Elendil is introduced as a sailor in the Númenórean fleet and the father of three children, Isildur from Lord of the Rings, Eärien, and Anárion. He is shown in the series as a friend to the elves, differing from many of his kin, and someone who speaks elvish. Elendil is played by Lloyd Owen in The Rings of Power. Owen is prominently known for his minor role in The Originals as Ansel, Apollo 18 as Nathan Walker, and Miss Potter as William Heelis. Owen is expected to have a starring role in the series from this point on, as are the actors who play his son and daughter...
Isildur - Maxim Baldry
The son of Elendil, Isildur, is introduced in The Rings of Power episode 3. Isildur's name is even more well known in the lord of Middle-earth than his father's as he goes on to found the kingdom of Gondor late in the Second Age. In The Rings of Power, however, Isildur is shown to be a mere sailor like his father. Isildur is still in training to become part of the Sea Guard, Númenor's fleet and is nine days out from participating in the Sea Trial to see this a reality. The show, though, depicts Isildur as having doubts about joining the Sea Guard as he yearns to explore further than Númenor's shores. Isildur is portrayed by Maxim Baldry, a British actor known for his roles in Hollyoaks, a British soap opera, Rome, and film roles in Mr. Bean's Holiday and, more recently, Last Christmas.
Eärien - Ema Horvath
Eärien is the sister of Isildur and the daughter of Elendil. Unlike Isildur and Elendil, Eärien was created for the show and wasn't part of Tolkien's works. In The Rings of Power, Eärien is shown to be very close to Isildur who knows of his intentions to defer from the Sea Guard. However, the show also shows her as dealing with a lot herself and reveals that she was granted the role of an apprentice in the Builder's Guild. Similarly, Isildur convinced his sister to reapply to the Guild after she was initially rejected, again showing their close bond. Ema Horvath is the actress who portrays Eärien and is known for her roles in horror films such as The Gallows Act II and What Lies Below.
Tar-Míriel - Cynthia Addai-Robinson
One of the other prominent characters of Númenor is Míriel, named Tar-Míriel, as she is the queen regent of the kingdom. Like the rest of her kingdom, Míriel is shown to be distrusting of elves, tasking Elendil with keeping a close eye on Galadriel (and Halbrand to an extent) while they are guests of Númenor. Also, she is shown to be expecting Galadriel's appearance, later saying to her father that the moment they've feared is here and that the elf has arrived. The queen regent is played by Cynthia Addai-Robinson known for her roles as Amanda Waller in Arrow, Naevia in Spartacus, and Nadine in Shooter, to name but a few.
Pharazôn - Trystan Gravelle
Pharazôn is an advisor to the queen regent of Númenor in The Rings of Power. Similarly to his superior, and the rest of the population, he seems distrustful of elves. The show portrays Pharazôn as holding a lot of influence in the decisions of the Númenórean royalty due to his orders being swiftly heeded by the guards of the throne room with little to no challenge from the queen regent herself in The Rings of Power episode 3. Trystan Gravelle plays Pharazôn and is mostly known for his work in Mr. Selfridge, The Terror, and A Discovery of Witches.
Adar - Joseph Mawle
Adar is a character briefly introduced at the very end of The Rings of Power episode 3 and lends his name to the title of the episode. While the character doesn't have any dialogue in the episode or even an in-focus shot, it is clear from the way the orcs revere him that Adar is the leader of the orcs of the Southlands. In the episode, Arondir notes that Adar means father in elvish, with Adar leading the orcs or being their "father". Rumors of Adar's role in The Rings of Power have been circulating, hinting that he will be the main villain of season 1 of the show and the orc general who conducts Sauron's orders. If the rumors turn out to be true, then Adar will be played by Joseph Mawle, best known for playing Benjen Stark in Game of Thrones. While it remains to be seen if Adar will be the main villain, and the same one from Tolkien's lore, it is clear The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is setting him up as a prominent character by lending his name to the title of episode 3 as well as ending the episode with his presence.
Episodes of Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power air Thursdays/Fridays on Amazon Prime
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