TROP Season 2 Rumor Suggests We Might See A Tougher Side Of Gil-Galad
Contains potential spoilers for "The Rings of Power" Season 2
Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker), one of the primary Elven leaders on J.R.R. Tolkien's central continent, is an important character on Amazon Prime's "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power." He was also largely underused in Season 1.
This isn't surprising, since there are a lot of faces soaking up screen time in the initial season, and Gil-galad's role doesn't come into focus until later in the story. However, a less fortunate aspect of the character's role so far on the show is that he's come across as a bit lackluster. We've seen him reciting speeches Elrond (Robert Aramayo) wrote for him and tricking Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) into leaving Middle-earth. He's plotted and schemed with Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) to source Silmaril-infused mithril from the Dwarves for a noncanonical effort to save the Elves by bathing in the light of the hallowed mineral. Taken altogether, Gil-galad's presence on the show hasn't stood out much so far, and when it did, it wasn't great. Fortunately, it seems there's a chance that will finally change heading into Season 2.
A new exclusive scoop from the fansite Fellowship of Fans claims, "Actors present at the battle sets at Shottesbrooke [P]ark include Robert Aramayo (Elrond) Ben Walker (Gil-Galad), Sam Hazeldine (Adar) Selina Lo (Elf) Morfydd Clark (Galadriel)." The report adds, "In one battle scene Gil-Galad rides up and speaks to the [O]rcs." It seems the Elven leader may be stepping into the limelight a bit more as the show's five-season story arc moves into its second act — and that's a good thing, even if, at this point, it's only loosely based on the source material.
Gil-galad's role in Tolkien's world
Gil-galad is the last High King of the Ñoldor. A unique and prestigious role, this makes him one of the primary figureheads in the early struggles with the Dark Lord Sauron — long before the War of the Ring, which is the central story of "The Lord of the Rings." While he's briefly seen in his final moments during the opening sequence of Peter Jackson's "The Fellowship of the Ring," Gil-galad has taken on a much larger role on Amazon Prime's "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" series, and his importance and screen time should increase as the show develops.
In the source material, Gil-galad is very busy during the Second Age — busy but rarely actively on the scene. At one point, he sends an army led by Elrond to help fight Sauron. At another point, he coordinates with the Númenóreans to send soldiers to help the beleaguered Elves.
During these times, it doesn't say much about his own actions. However, that by no means indicates that he's a coward or that he doesn't specialize in warfare. On the contrary, by the end of the Second Age, it becomes clear that he excels at it. Gil-galad becomes one of the two main military leaders who form the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. He leads a massive army east and south, right into the heart of Mordor, where he personally confronts Sauron on the slopes of Mount Doom itself.
The tougher side of Gil-galad
In the "Fellowship of the Ring" book, Elrond explains the War of the Last Alliance, saying, "I was at the Battle of Dagorlad before the Black Gate of Mordor, where we had the mastery: for the Spear of Gil-galad and the Sword of Elendil, Aiglos and Narsil, none could withstand. I beheld the last combat on the slopes of Orodruin, where Gil-galad died, and Elendil fell, and Narsil broke beneath him."
Gil-galad's bravery in the Battle of Dagorlad is reflective of his personality as a whole. He may be a wise king who spends most of his time tending to administrative and political duties, but when push comes to shove, he can get his hands dirty — and he has a reputation for doing so with bravery. Even 3,000 years after his death, Samwise Gamgee, of all people, is still singing his praises. At another point in the "Fellowship of the Ring" book, the Hobbit gardener recites a poem about Gil-galad, the first two stanzas of which read, "Gil-galad was an Elven-king. / Of him the harpers sadly sing: / the last whose realm was fair and free / between the Mountains and the Sea. / His sword was long, his lance was keen, / his shining helm afar was seen; / the countless stars of heaven's field / were mirrored in his silver shield."
Gil-galad is not just a High King in J.R.R. Tolkien's mind. He's also clearly a renowned warrior who deserves respect and honor. Based on the recent news from the fansite — where Benjamin Walker has been spotted on battle sets — it appears that we'll be seeing more of the character's aggressive side, and he'll be doing some pretty brave stuff out there on the war front too.
What is Gil-galad talking to Orcs about?
The real head-scratcher in all of this is why Gil-galad could be chatting it up on a battlefield with Orcs. The second part of the leak specifically reads that he rides up and speaks to them. The idea that the High King of the Elves of the West and leader of the Elven realm of Lindon is going to be riding close up to his enemy's battle lines to have a conversation is equal parts confusing and interesting. Could this be a moment where Gil-galad passionately pleads with the Orcs, appealing to their warped and perverted Elven origins? Is he trying to convince them not to attack the Elves? Is he speaking to them as captives after the fighting? Is he distracting them?
Whatever his motivation is, one thing is clear: This doesn't come from the source material. This is part of the written story where Gil-galad is generally underdeveloped, and J.R.R. Tolkien leaves him on the periphery of the main narrative. He's involved; he's just not doing specific things like fighting in battles and interacting with Orcs. So if the leak really is accurate, there's no knowing where showrunners John D. Payne and Patrick McKay could choose to go with it.
We already know from Season 1 that they're willing to fill in and even deviate from the books, especially when it helps them tell a more complete story. Perhaps we're seeing them address some of Gil-galad's story arc gaps so that they can encourage viewers to become emotionally invested in the character before we get to the big climax on the slopes of Mount Doom. Just like the rumor, though, that's just speculation. Nothing will be certain until Season 2 comes out.