Every The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power Character Ranked

Beren and Lúthien, Aragorn and Arwen, Samwise Gamgee and Rosie Cotton — Tolkien's works feature many great romances. However, the half-baked courtship between Kemen and Eärien in Season 1 of "The Rings of Power" is not one of them. Kemen, son of Pharazôn, meets Eärien after one of his father's speeches, prompting the two to go on the Númenórean equivalent of a dinner date.

As they discuss the imminent expedition to Middle-earth, Eärien asks Kemen to convince Pharazôn to prevent the ships from departing for fear of losing Númenórean lives overseas. Kemen fails, decides to blow up a ship instead, gets bailed out by Isildur for some reason, and then promptly vanishes from the story altogether. And that's it. Portrayed by Leon Wadham, Kemen is more or less a total non-entity in "The Rings of Power." His act of sabotage against Elendil's ships indicates some potential for him to be less thoroughly forgettable in Season 2 and beyond — but at this point in time, we're not holding out much hope.

It's easy to see where the writers were going with Bronwyn's teenage son — he's a rebellious youth subjected to troubling influences who ultimately chooses to stand with his family and fight against Adar's forces. He's also enough of a question mark to get fans speculating over his eventual fate and identity. Is he the Witch-King of Angmar? The King of the Dead? A distant ancestor of Eorl the Young, founder of Rohan?

With any luck, Theo will turn out to be none of these people. Portrayed in "The Rings of Power" by Tyroe Muhafidin — who isn't really to blame here — Theo is a staggeringly irritating character, one whose potentially fascinating arc quickly devolves into running around the Southlands calling for his mother.

There are a few aspects to Theo's character that are worth mentioning, such as his cowardice, which is portrayed not as an unheroic defect but as something that is totally understandable in a boy caught up in a brutal war. His relationship with Arondir, and the way their bond grows through hardship, is also believable, if not massively gripping. For a few episodes, it almost looks like his attraction to the mysterious sword hilt might result in a Ring-like obsession, but that goes pretty much nowhere, too. Ah, well.

Maxim Baldry plays Isildur in "The Rings of Power," a version of the character that is very far removed from the hero known and revered by the Men of the Third Age. The intention is clear: Isildur is supposed to be a young, green sailor with scant experience of the world and an uncertain destiny. Unfortunately, the show's attempt to depict Isildur as such takes him slightly too close to outright annoying.

That's nothing against Baldry himself, who gives a perfectly decent performance with what he's got, and who will likely get a lot more to play with in later seasons. Isildur's story in Season 1, however, is hardly endearing. He decides against joining the Sea Guard of Númenor, intentionally sabotages his ship to get himself thrown out (leading to Valandil and Ontamo's expulsion alongside him), worms his way into a place on the Middle-earth expedition using good ol' fashioned nepotism, and then takes a whole house to the head after Orodruin erupts. 

Put it this way — you can't exactly see this guy leading an army into Mordor during the War of the Last Alliance. Still, at least Isildur has four more seasons of character development ahead of him. Perhaps we shouldn't write off this future king of the Dúnedain just yet.

The Mystics made their first appearance in a trailer for "The Rings of Power," sparking plenty of speculation about their origins. After a brief mix-up in which the fan site Fellowship of Fans claimed that their leader was Sauron, most fans' thoughts turned to the east. Sure enough, in the final episode of Season 1, it's mentioned that the Dweller, the Ascetic, and the Nomad — played by Bridie Sisson, Kali Kopae, and Edith Poor, respectively — came from Rhûn, the strange land at the far edge of Middle-earth's map.

Although their costume design is wonderful and the actors involved play their parts with suitable creepiness, the Mystics appear to have no purpose other than look menacing, misidentify the Stranger, and try to kill a handful of Harfoots. In that regard, they're more plot points than actual characters, although they do at least get to showcase some inventive magical abilities. Notably, the Dweller has a curious affinity for fire and the ability to shapeshift, powers that are utilized for maximum spookiness. They get a good send-off, too, in which they reveal their true wraith forms before the Stranger transforms them into moths. 

That's the Mystics in a nutshell, though — cool, but not much else.

Arondir is probably the most important original Elf in "The Rings of Power." Along with a small group of his fellow Silvan Elves, he has spent decades watching over the Men of Tirharad as punishment for their allegiance with Morgoth during the First Age. Over the course of the series, he struggles both with his romantic feelings towards Bronwyn, a mortal, as well as the discovery of a resurgent evil — Adar and his army of Orcs.

Ismael Cruz Córdova's casting as Arondir is inspired — aside from his almost unearthly good looks, Cruz nails the nimble physicality of a Wood Elf. That's a good thing, too, because Arondir's scenes with Bronwyn aren't quite as gripping as they ought to be, and you just can't help but think we've all seen the whole Elf-loves-a-mortal storyline portrayed better elsewhere in the legendarium and its adaptations.

Arondir is instead best placed in a fight, and most of his action scenes — such as his dawn escape through the woods with Theo and Bronwyn or his nail-biting showdown with a massive Orc in Episode 6 — mark high points in the series when it comes to stunts and choreography. Legolas, eat your heart out.

An original creation by the writers of "The Rings of Power," Bronwyn is a healer and apothecary who lives in the Southland settlement known as Tirharad. She is also Theo's mother and Arondir's lover, as well as the only Southlander who actually suggests they should consider killing Adar's Orcs rather than fleeing or joining them.

By and large, Bronwyn is a mixed bag. Her motherly relationship with Theo is somewhat frustrated by Theo being Theo, while her romance with Arondir is mostly convincing. Her best moments, however, come in the heat of battle. In Episode 2, she fights and then decapitates an Orc scout before slamming it down in the Tirharad Inn to prove her doubters wrong. Later, she leads the Southlanders against Adar and puts up an impressive fight against the invaders before taking an arrow to the shoulder and essentially bowing out for the rest of the season. 

It's possible that Bronwyn will grow further into her role as a warrior as the show progresses, in the vein of Éowyn in "The Return of the King." If that's the case, then Season 1 did a good job laying the groundwork.

Finrod Felagund only appears briefly in "The Rings of Power," but his presence is felt throughout the series. He dispenses some brotherly advice to Galadriel in the prologue and ships off to war with the rest of his kin before meeting his end during a fateful encounter with Sauron. It's Finrod's death that drives Galadriel's unending desire to hunt down Morgoth's lieutenant and wipe every Orc off the face of the earth.

Considering his lack of screen time, Will Fletcher's portrayal of Finrod is surprisingly memorable. He encapsulates all the kindly grace and wisdom of a Valinorean Elf and, in the space of a single scene, skillfully showcases that loving sibling bond between himself and his younger sister.

This also serves to make Fletcher's return in the season finale absolutely terrifying. Here, Fletcher plays Sauron acting as Finrod inside Galadriel's head. Although their "reunion" takes place in the same setting as the prologue, everything here feels off — Finrod's mannerisms are uncanny, his smile is false, and even his eyes seem devoid of life. Much of this likely comes down to makeup and lighting, but Fletcher's switch from charismatic Elf to disquieting interloper nonetheless makes for a turn worthy of Barad-dûr itself.

Durin III is another of Season 1's underused characters, although what little we see of him is nothing less than mesmerizing. Portrayed by Peter Mullan, King Durin is everything you would imagine a great Dwarf-king to be. He's as stubborn as a rock, as fierce as flame, and loyal to a fault — until he is wronged, that is.

For much of Season 1, Durin III mostly just hints at the existence of mithril and frustrates Prince Durin's attempts to mine it. Later on, though, Mullan is given a few scenes more worthy of his talent as an actor. His surprisingly tender heart-to-heart with his son is one example, but the flip side of that moment of forgiveness, in which he angrily strips Prince Durin of his collar, gives him a chance to really strut his stuff. This scene does much more than illustrate the increasingly strained relationship between the two Durins in Season 2 — and who wouldn't love to see Khazad-dûm embroiled in intrigue and unrest? It is also an important opportunity for Durin III to establish himself as one of the show's strongest characters.

You wouldn't necessarily know it from the first season of "The Rings of Power," but Pharazôn will one day be one of the show's foremost characters. In the books, this Númenórean statesman seizes power in the late Second Age and rules the island kingdom as Ar-Pharazôn the Golden. Before long, however, he succumbs to the temptation of evil and pulls Númenor into oblivion.

In Season 1, Pharazôn is the chancellor of Númenor, a mere aide to Queen Regent Míriel. The show offers a number of hints towards his later story, however. There is his deft politicking in the court, for example, as well as his popularity with the common Númenóreans and clear distaste for the ways of the Elves. He is portrayed by Trystan Gravelle, who demonstrates a clear grasp of Pharazôn's purpose at this stage in the story — to provide a quiet and seemingly benign influence on life in Númenor, "mastering the current" rather than kicking against it. 

Don't expect it to stay that way for long, however. When last we see him, Pharazôn is deep in thought beside Tar-Palantir's lifeless body, pondering his next move. With Miriel blinded and public opinion sure to turn against the Elves in the wake of the disastrous Middle-earth expedition, you can make a safe bet that Season 2 will see Pharazôn step ever closer to his terrible destiny.

Of all the major players in the events of the Second Age, Elendil is among the most important. Beginning the series as a mere Númenórean lord, Elendil is destined to become the leader of the political faction known as the Faithful, a sworn enemy of both Ar-Pharazôn and Sauron. Eventually, he becomes the first high king of Gondor and Arnor. In short, he's a pretty big deal.

Luckily, Lloyd Owen's turn as Elendil is a highlight of the Númenor storyline in "The Rings of Power." His Elendil is as stern and strong as you would expect from a captain of the Sea Guard, but the show also takes great pains to portray him as a loyal father to his children. As such, there's a geniality to Owen's performance that, while not immediately reminiscent of Viggo Mortensen's Aragorn, certainly lends something to their distant familial relationship.

Of course, Elendil's life is more tragic than his descendant's, having lost his wife to the sea and his son to Mordor — or so he believes — and that pain, while not overplayed, never seems particularly far away. This is a character whose faith is constantly tested throughout his life, as it will be as the show's story continues. That his return to that faith is so convincing, especially in Season 1's final episode, is a testament to Owen's skill as an actor.

Galadriel's journey lies at the forefront of the story of "The Rings of Power." Her quest to discover and destroy Sauron, thus avenging the death of her brother, seems like a simple foundation upon which the rest of the show can be built, and it would have been easy to leave it at that. Galadriel is an obvious choice of hero and Sauron is a clear villain.

"The Rings of Power" does so much more with Galadriel, however. Her relentless pursuit is not depicted as a matter of heroism but of obsession and a number of characters outright tell her that seeking out so much death will only bring about more death. Even Adar tells Galadriel that her search for Morgoth's successor "should have ended in [her] own mirror." She isn't exactly vindicated at the end of the season, either, as it's revealed that Galadriel's endless warring has inadvertently spurred the return of the Dark Lord himself.

Evidently, there's a long way to go before this Galadriel will become the wise and powerful Lady of Lothlórien. That's the brilliance of it, though. The show's writers have managed to personify all the worst excesses of the Noldor in Galadriel — pride, passion, and hotheadedness — and afford her a character arc that is hinted at but never fully developed in Tolkien's books. Morfydd Clark's darkly ethereal performance, both reminiscent of and distinct from Cate Blanchett in the Peter Jackson films, is just the icing on the lembas.

Princess Disa is a character unlike any we've ever seen in Middle-earth. It's not just that Sophia Nomvete is the first woman and the first Black person to have played a noteworthy Dwarf in a Tolkien adaptation — although that is an achievement in itself. 

What makes Disa so remarkable in "The Rings of Power" is that she exudes a kind of boisterous warmth that is rarely found in "The Lord of the Rings" or "The Hobbit" movies. Hobbits live cozy lives, but they're often insular and suspicious of outsiders. The Elves are welcoming and (mostly) good-natured, but they're also haughty and prone to arrogance. Even the other Dwarves tend to be so caught up in their quests and their excavations that they forget the importance of all the comforts of home.

Disa, however, has it all. From the moment she greets Elrond with a massive hug and an invitation to dinner, this princess of Khazad-dûm shines. Disa's down-to-earth nature makes her fascinating to watch as she tells off her kids, bickers or flirts with her husband, and enjoys a good drink as much as anyone else. In a world populated by mythical heroes and terrible monsters, Disa is the most human, and perhaps the most relatable, character in all of "The Rings of Power."

Still, that's not to say there isn't room for Disa to walk a more sinister path in future seasons of "The Rings of Power." Her final scene in Season 1, in which she convinces Durin that they, not Durin's father, will one day rule the mountain and that they are the rightful owners of the mithril that lies within, suggests that Princess Disa is far more than a hug and a kind smile.

At first, nothing about the Stranger is certain. He is a wild, ragged man who arrives in Middle-earth in a crash of rock and a burst of flame. He is also a kind-eyed giant who stares at the stars and gives life with his touch. The Stranger fights wraiths yet kills fireflies. He is both "good" and "peril." Even Bear McCreary's theme for the Stranger is somehow both sinister and beautiful.

A man who falls to Middle-earth from the sky is not an idea without precedent in Tolkien's writing, and the Stranger's mystical quest to discover himself feels like it has been lifted straight from the author's poems. At the same time, his journey into Rhûn in Season 2 will likely take the series quite literally off the edge of the map, far beyond anything the author ever wrote.

Maybe that's the true duality of the Stranger's character. He is ostensibly an original character, or at least a very early iteration of one we already know, who inhabits an entirely original storyline, and yet it all feels so faithful to Tolkien's spirit. Much of that comes down to Daniel Weyman's superb portrayal of the Stranger, which captures the warmth and power that defines the nobler Istari later in Middle-earth's history. Still, credit should also be given to the showrunners for coming up with this storyline in the first place. By all rights, it shouldn't even be here — but we're truly glad that it is.

"He was as noble and fair as an elf-lord, as strong as a warrior, as wise as a wizard, as venerable as a king of dwarves, and as kind as summer."

That's how Elrond Half-elven is described by Tolkien in "The Hobbit," and it's an apt description — Elrond is not only one of the most prolific characters in the history of Middle-earth, but also one of the bravest and the warmest. He's an Elf who can lead whole armies against the darkness of Mordor and yet also provide a home for an elderly Hobbit, who rallies his people for thousands of years despite the unspeakable tragedies that afflict his own life.

It's not an easy role to fill, especially considering Hugo Weaving cemented himself as Elrond so firmly in the public consciousness after Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" trilogies. Somehow, though, Robert Aramayo more than pulls it off. Bolstered by a wonderful story arc revolving around his wavering friendship with Prince Durin, Aramayo's performance as Elrond can be counted among the show's greatest strengths. He's affable yet shrewd, wise yet eager to learn, and an utter joy to watch from the get-go. As the seasons draw on, it's quite easy to imagine that this portrayal of the Lord of Imladris will become the definitive version of the character.