Maxim Baldry Is All In On This Rings Of Power Fan Theory
Since it was announced in 2017, Amazon's "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" has been inspiring all kinds of fan theories, and that has continued since the show finally premiered this month. For fans of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, one of the biggest draws is seeing how the show will fit into the established lore.
As a reminder, the show is set during the Second Age. "Rings of Power's" source material is "The Hobbit," the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, and the appendices. However, the show doesn't have the rights to other Middle Earth books, like "The Silmarillion," "Unfinished Tales," or "History of Middle Earth." This means that "Rings of Power" will have some amount of leeway to fill in the gaps in Middle Earth's chronology.
One of many examples is the character of Halbrand (Charlie Vickers). An original character created for the TV series, he's a man stranded on a raft that rescues Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), and he continues to help her on her quest to locate Sauron.
Recently, in a video for Vanity Fair, cast members Maxim Baldry (Isildur), Ema Horvath (Eärien) and Owain Arthur (Durin) reacted to various fan theories found online, including one about Halbrand and Galadriel. This theory would be bonkers if it happened, and Baldry is all for it.
According to this theory, Halbrand is going to become a Ringwraith
According to the theory, Halbrand is going to fall in love with Galadriel. She won't reciprocate his feelings, but he'll become obsessed. Since she's an immortal elf and he's a mortal man, Halbrand will try to attain immortality. He'll do this by acquiring one of the fabled Rings of Power, which will then turn him into one of the canonical Numenorian Nazgul, or the Ringwraiths.
All three performers were impressed with the idea. All three agreed that there's definitely chemistry between Galadriel and Halbrand. Baldry called it the Ringwraith theory an "absolutely banging" idea for a storyline.
So, would this fit into the established canon? As Tolkien diehards know well, the Ringwraiths arose during the Second Age, when "Rings of Power" takes place. Sauron created the Rings of Power and gave nine of them to nine mortal men, who eventually became corrupted and turned into Nazgul.
Not much is known about who these men were prior to receiving the rings. In "The Silmarillion," it's revealed that three of them were previously great lords from Númenor. So, given Halbrand's humble background, it's possible he could be one of the remaining six.
"The Silmarillion" also says that "Those who used the Nine Rings became mighty in their day, kings, sorcerers, and warriors of old. They obtained glory and great wealth, yet it turned to their undoing." It never mentions one or more of them seeking the ring out of unrequited love. Still, given how many gaps there are in the original canon, it's entirely possible (via Tolkien Gateway).