The expensive Prime Video series made a splash with Season 1, and The Rings of Power cast will expand its reach in Season 2.
The Lord of the Rings show features characters we know as well as original creations made for the adaptation. From Galadriel to Sauron and the Stranger, The Rings of Power is full of important figures and complex lore.
The Rings of Power Season 2 brings the regulars back into the fray while bringing book characters like Bombadil along.
Now, here’s your warning: some backstories will be revealed, so slight spoilers ahead!
Characters we’ve seen so far
Galadriel – Morfydd Clark
Who Galadriel is: You all know Galadriel from Lord of The Rings, but here you get to see her in a new light. With her brother’s death still hanging over her, Galadriel vows to track down and kill Sauron, despite no one else believing that the villain is still out there. Galadriel is compassionate and brave, but her quest can lead her to make rash decisions.
Where you’ve seen Clark before: Clark acted in Saint Maud, The Personal History of David Copperfield, and Love & Friendship.
Elrond – Robert Aramayo
Who Elrond is: Elrond, who is friends with Galadriel, is a young and hopeful scientific elf. He has close relationships with the Dwarfs, and he is happily willing to partake in other race’s pastimes. He has a friendliness to him that allows him to be a very good diplomat. Though of course, if you’ve seen Lord of the Rings, you know that this demeanor will not last forever.
Where you’ve seen Aramayo before: Aramayo has appeared in Game of Thrones, Behind Her Eyes, and Mindhunter.
Arondir – Ismael Cruz Córdova
Who Arondir is: Arondir is a series creation, an elven warrior who has been stationed amongst humans for some time. The work isn’t easy, but he’s fallen in love with a human healer, Bronwyn. When danger arises, he takes it upon himself to figure out what’s going on.
Where you’ve seen Córdova before: Córdova has been in The Undoing, Ray Donovan, and Sesame Street.
Bronwyn – Nazanin Boniadi
Who Bronwyn is: Bronwyn is a reserved yet mighty human healer, who is hiding a relationship with Arondir from her whole village. Including her son. She isn’t afraid to fight off orcs when it comes to saving people she loves, and she is able to rally the town to evacuate when danger looms over them.
Where you’ve seen Boniadi before: Boniadi has appeared in Homeland, How I Met Your Mother, and Scandal.
Theo – Tyroe Muhafidin
Who Theo is: Theo is Bronwyn’s son and a somewhat rambunctious lad. He keeps getting into fights with rats under the floorboards, and he harbors a deep hatred for elves. He also has a broken sword with Sauron’s seal on it. So things clearly aren’t looking good for Theo.
Where you’ve seen Muhafidin before: Muhafidin’s previous work includes Caravan.
Celebrimbor – Charles Edwards
Who Celebrimbor is: As stated by Edwards to Variety, “He’s a Lord of Eregion. He is also the most famed jewelsmith of his time,” which makes it seem like he will be the creator of The One Ring. Thankfully he doesn’t seem evil, rather he has shown a calm and passive temperament so far.
Where you’ve seen Edwards before: Edwards has previously performed in The Crown, The Terror, and Downton Abbey.
Gil-galad – Benjamin Walker
Who Gil-Galad is: Already existing in Tolkien mythology, Gil-Galad is the High King of the Elves. He too wishes to see that Sauron no longer exists, and for Galadriel to move on from Sauron and enjoy her life. He seems to be a loving leader, but we’ll see how that continues as the series goes on.
Where you’ve seen Walker before: Walker can be seen in The Underground Railroad, Jessica Jones, and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.
Durin IV – Owain Arthur
Who Durin is: Durin is a Prince of the Dwarves. He is brutish and blunt but has a heart hidden under that beard. He has – or rather, had – a close friendship with Elrond, and he also has a loving wife and family. In Episode 2, we see them hold a dinner together which is particularly heart-warming.
Where you’ve seen Arthur before: Arthur has been on The One and Only Ivan, A Confession, and Casualty.
Disa – Sophia Nomvete
Who Disa is: Disa is Prince Durin’s wife and is a very passionate woman. She wears her heart on her sleeve, managing to be tough and no-nonsense, but also warm and caring. Her relationship with her husband seems very strong, and she seems a fine Princess of the dwarves. She is also the first featured female dwarf in the world of Tolkien!
Where you’ve seen Nomvete before: Nomvete has performed onscreen in Swashbuckle, and onstage in The Color Purple.
Elanor “Nori” Brandyfoot – Markella Kavenagh
Who Nori is: Nori is a young Harfoot, which is a type of hobbit. She is adventurous and free-spirited, but also compassionate, and reacts to danger with a wish to create understanding. This makes her the perfect person to find the Stranger when he appears on top of a meteor that crash-landed near Nori’s home.
Where you’ve seen Kavenagh before: Projects you may have seen Kavenagh in before include Romper Stomper, Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Cry, and My First Summer.
Poppy Proudfellow – Megan Richards
Who Poppy is: Poppy is Nori’s best friend, and so far seems to be the Samwise Gamgee to Nori’s Frodo. She is much more cautious and goofy than Nori but agrees to help her hide the Stranger and figure out who he really is. Overall, the pair feel like very funny and close friends whenever they are together.
Where you’ve seen Richards before: Richards has played roles in Wanderlust, Doctors, and Pan Tau.
Halbrand – Charlie Vickers
Who Halbrand is: Halbrand is a human who inhabits a raft that Galadriel boards. The pair are the only survivors of a monster attack, despite appearing at odds with one another. He’s from the Southlands, and his people are being punished for fighting on the wrong side of the war at the end of the First Age.
Where you’ve seen Vickers before: Vickers has appeared in Palm Beach and Medici: Masters of Florence.
The Stranger – Daniel Weyman
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Who The Stranger is: The Stranger is, as you can probably tell by the name, a mysterious figure whose true identity is not known yet. He appears on top of a crashed meteor, where Nori finds him and vows to help him. He has somewhat aggressive magical powers, but will clearly play a part in the magic of the story.
Where you’ve seen Weyman before: Weyman has performed in Where Hands Touch, The Happy Prince, and Gentleman Jack.
Elendil – Lloyd Owen
Who Elendil is: Elendil is a Captain of Númenor, and accompanies Galadriel as she attempts to find out more about what Sauron might be planning. He appears good-natured and heroic, though he also seems to have a strained relationship with his children.
Where you’ve seen Owen before: Owen has acted in Miss Potter, Thugs of Hindostan, Apollo 18
Marigold Brandyfoot – Sara Zwangobani
Who Marigold is: Marigold is Nori’s mother, and the matriarch of the family. She can be strict and no-nonsense, but it’s clearly because she cares about the safety of her family, as they are going through a rather stressful time with their migration.
Where you’ve seen Zwangobani before: Zwangobani has appeared in Disgrace, Merchant of Fairness, Doctor Doctor, Home and Away, and The Starter Wife.
Sadoc Burrows – Lenny Henry
Who Sadoc Burrows is: Sadoc Burrows is a wise leader of the Harfoots, and manages to be both authoritative and fun to watch. He is a character solely created for the series and is definitely a welcome addition.
Where you’ve seen Henry before: Lenny Henry is a staple of British TV, and he has also featured in My Name is Leon, and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
Isildur – Maxim Baldry
Who Isildur is: Isildur is a rebel without a cause, a skilled sea cadet but a daydreamer, and who wishes to defect from his duties. He appears to be a good and brave person, but those who know of the franchise’s lore know that he is about to become very infamous for a certain event that scars the elvish opinion of humans forever.
Where you’ve seen Baldry before: Baldry can be spotted in Mr. Bean’s Holiday, Doctor Who, and Last Christmas.
Eärien – Ema Horvath
Who Eärien is: Eärien is Isildur’s little sister, and the pair seem to have a close relationship, while their levels of ambition differ from one another. Eärien gets accepted to a special academy during her first episode, so it’s clear that she has a level of smarts that can be admired.
Where you’ve seen Horvath before: Horvath has appeared in The Gallows 2, and The Mortuary Collection.
Míriel – Cynthia Addai-Robinson
Who Míriel is: Míriel is the current Queen Regent of Númenor, after her father has been bedridden with illness. Míriel appears to be a kind but steady-hearted leader, showing compassion for her people but also a wariness of outside forces. She is also carrying a terrifying prophecy about the future of her kingdom, a future which she hopes to rewrite.
Where you’ve seen Addai-Robinson before: Addai-Robinson can be spotted in The Accountant, Shooter, and Always and Forever.
Adar – Joseph Mawle (season 1)/Sam Hazeldine (Season 2)
Who is Adar: Adar is still a mysterious figure, but he is definitely antagonistic. He rules over a group of orcs like a father and is playing a role in the overtaking of the Southlands. He clearly has big plans – plans that involve Sauron – and we can only wait and see what those plans are.
Where you’ve seen Mawle before: Mawle is best known for his role as Benjen Stark in Game of Thrones. He has also appeared in The Passion, Ripper Street, Birdsong, and Troy: Fall of a City.
Where you’ve seen Hazeldine before: Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, Weekender, The Raven, Grimsby, and The Last Duel.
Pharazôn – Trystan Gravelle
Who Pharazôn is: Pharazôn is Míriel’s cousin, and the Chancellor of Númenor. He’s a peacekeeper and can calm down mobs and squabbles alike. He holds a deep love for his people and wants to keep the kingdom improving throughout all of its arising troubles.
Where you’ve seen Gravelle before: Gravelle appears in A Discovery of Witches, The Terror, and Mr. Selfridge.
Kemen – Leon Wadham
Who Kemen is: Kemen is the son of Pharazôn, and he also seems to have a budding friendship with Eärien. He’s witty and clever, and keen to follow in the political footsteps of his father, but currently lacks the experience, getting by solely on his charm.
Where you’ve seen Wadham before: Wadham can be seen in Go Girl, Power Rangers Beast Morphers, and Roman Empire.
Who’s coming in Season 2?
Ciaran Hinds, Rory Kinnear, and Tanya Moodie, and Ben Daniels have joined the Rings of Power cast in recurring roles. Of the four, Amazon has only revealed Kinnear and Daniels’ characters.
Sam Hazeldine replaces Joseph Mawle as Adar, as the latter chose to exit the show to pursue other projects.
Rory Kinnear – Tom Bombadil
Who Tom Bombadil is: He briefly appeared in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring book to save the hobbits early on, but then never returns. He saved Merry and Pippin by singing ‘Old Man Willow’ in the forest, sheltering the Hobbits for the evening. Bombadil also briefly handled the One Ring, which had no effect on him.
Where you’ve seen Kinnear before: Men, Penny Dreadful, The Diplomat, Skyfall.
Ben Daniels – Círdan the Shipwright
Who Círdan is: Círdan is one of the most elderly and wisest elves. He is later gifted one of the Rings of Power. He’s also a shipbuilder who oversees the Grey Havens, a Lindon harbor that facilitates the transportation of elves to the Undying Lands of Valinor.
Where you’ve seen Daniels before: Interview with the Vampire, Foundation, The Crown.
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