The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is an American fantasy television series developed by J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay for the streaming service Amazon Prime Video. It is based on J. R. R. Tolkien's history of Middle-earth, primarily material from the appendices of the novel The Lord of the Rings (1954–55). The series is set thousands of years before the novel and depicts the major events of Middle-earth's Second Age. It is produced by Amazon MGM Studios in association with New Line Cinema. The series features a large ensemble cast portraying characters from Tolkien's writings as well as original creations for the series.

Background Amazon acquired the global television rights for J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings (1954–55) in November 2017. The company's streaming service, Amazon Prime Video, gave a multi-season commitment to a series based on the novel and its appendices, to be produced by Amazon Studios in association with New Line Cinema and in consultation with the Tolkien Estate. J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay were set as showrunners of the series, titled The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which is set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, thousands of years before Tolkien's The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings. It follows a large cast of characters and covers all the major events of the Second Age from Tolkien's writings: the forging of the Rings of Power, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, the fall of the island kingdom of Númenor, and the last alliance between Elves and Men.

The series was originally expected to be a continuation of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings (2001–2003) and The Hobbit (2012–2014) film trilogies, but Amazon later clarified that their deal with Tolkien's estate required them to keep the series distinct from the films. Despite this, the showrunners intended for it to be visually consistent with the films and wanted any returning characters to look like they could grow up to be their film counterparts. Amazon confirmed in September 2019 that filming for the first season would take place in New Zealand, where Jackson's films were made. Seven of the season's main actors were New Zealanders, with the rest of the cast coming from Australia, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In August 2021, Amazon announced that it was moving production of future seasons to the UK where more than half of the cast was from.

Overview

Starring cast

+ Character Actor Race or people Created by Tolkien Appearances Season 1 Season 2 Season 3 Galadriel Elves colspan="3" Sadoc Burrows Harfoots colspan="2" Marigold Brandyfoot colspan="2" Largo Brandyfoot colspan="2" Nori Brandyfoot colspan="2" Poppy Proudfellow colspan="2" Elrond Elves colspan="3" Gil-galad colspan="3" Arondir colspan="3" Bronwyn Low Men Theo colspan="3" Celebrimbor Elves colspan="2" Gandalf Maiar colspan="3" Durin IV Dwarves colspan="3" Sauron Maiar colspan="3" Disa Dwarves colspan="3" Elendil High Men colspan="3" Míriel colspan="3" Pharazôn colspan="3" Isildur colspan="3" Eärien colspan="2" Kemen colspan="2" Dark Wizard Maiar colspan="2" Durin III Dwarves

Notes:

Supporting and other cast

+ Character Actor Race or people Created by Tolkien Appearances Season 1 Season 2 Season 3 Finrod Elves colspan="2" Thondir colspan="2" Rían colspan="2" Malva Harfoots colspan="2" Vilma colspan="2" Dilly Brandyfoot colspan="2" Waldreg Low Men colspan="2" Tredwill colspan="2" Rowan colspan="2" Médhor Elves colspan="2" Revion colspan="2" Ontamo High Men colspan="2" Valandil colspan="2" Adar Orcs rowspan="2" colspan="2" Tar-Palantir High Men colspan="2" The Nomad Easterlings colspan="2" The Ascetic colspan="2" The Dweller Círdan Elves colspan="2" Diarmid Low Men Mirdania Elves Glûg Orcs Brânk Easterlings Kilta Narvi Dwarves colspan="2" Barduk Belzagar High Men colspan="2" Estrid Low Men High Priest High Men Damrod Trolls Hagen Low Men Tom Bombadil Unknown colspan="2" Snaggleroot Ents Winterbloom Camnir Elves Merimac Stoors Gundabale Earthauler Vorohil Elves Rían Daemor Goldberry Unknown

Notes:

Elves

Created by Tolkien

(portrayed by Morfydd Clark):An Elven warrior who believes evil is returning to Middle-earth, and is deceived by the Dark Lord Sauron in his disguise as the human Halbrand during the first season. Executive producer Lindsey Weber said Galadriel is humbled by her mistakes in the first season and has to evaluate her future. The second season also explores how she is affected by the Ring of Power Nenya. The series shows the character's journey from a warrior to the "elder stateswoman" that she is portrayed as in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. The showrunners based her initial depiction in the series on a letter in which Tolkien described a young Galadriel as being of "Amazon disposition". Based on Tolkien's description of Galadriel's hair being "lit with gold", the wig used for her in the series includes gold-plated and silver-plated strands. Amelie Child-Villiers portrays young Galadriel. (portrayed by Will Fletcher): Galadriel's brother who died hunting Sauron, inspiring her to continue the search (portrayed by Robert Aramayo):A half-Elven politician. Aramayo was interested by the pressure that Elrond faces living up to the legacy of his father, Eärendil, and by Elrond's choice to be immortal compared to his brother Elros whom Elrond had to watch grow old and die. Elrond goes from being optimistic and eager to world-weary and closed-off throughout the series. (portrayed by Benjamin Walker):The High King of the Elves who rules from the realm of Lindon. The character is mentioned in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings in a poem called "The Fall of Gil-galad", and Walker said the series would expand on that. He highlighted the character's "odd gift of foresight. He's prescient, and he's ahead of the curve. He can kind of feel the pulse of evil rising." (portrayed by Charles Edwards):The Elven-smith who forges the Rings of Power, after being deceived by the Dark Lord Sauron. Celebrimbor is the greatest Elvish craftsmen since his grandfather Fëanor who created the famous Silmarils during the First Age. Edwards described the character as vain, ambitious, and desperate to create something that will outshine the Silmarils. He also compared the character to J. Robert Oppenheimer, the "father of the atomic bomb". The showrunners said Celebrimbor was the "principal protagonist" of the second season. (portrayed by Ben Daniels): Known as "Círdan the Shipwright", he is an expert shipwright and the master of the Grey Havens who bears the Ring of Power Narya (portrayed by Jamie Campbell Bower):Galadriel's husband, an Elf lord and warrior. He is reunited with Galadriel in the third season after being presumed dead for much of the series, and Bower said the character has a deep longing and yearning for his wife that has helped him survive until this point. The actor took inspiration from Tolkien's relationship with his wife Edith, and described Celeborn as a "lover-boy".

Introduced in the first season (portrayed by Fabian McCallum): An Elf hunting for Sauron with Galadriel (portrayed by Kip Chapman): An Elf hunting for Sauron with Galadriel (portrayed by Ismael Cruz Córdova):A Wood Elf with a forbidden love for the human healer Bronwyn, similar to Tolkien's love stories about Beren and Lúthien and Aragorn and Arwen. Arondir is a frontline soldier rather than the "royal and regal" Elves that are traditionally focused on in Tolkien's stories. Córdova, who is Puerto Rican, was proud to be the first non-white actor to portray an Elf in a Tolkien adaptation despite facing racist comments about his casting. Because of these responses, Córdova felt he needed to be "undeniable... the most Elven Elf that I could be". He trained in martial arts such as wushu, kung fu, and capoeira for the character's action sequences. (portrayed by Augustus Prew): An Elf serving with Arondir in the Southlands who is killed by Orcs (portrayed by Simon Merrells): The Elven Watchwarden of the Southlands who is killed by Orcs

Introduced in the second season (portrayed by Amelia Kenworthy): A protégée of Celebrimbor, who is manipulated by Sauron. The latter pushes Mirdania from the walls of Eregion to her death and blames Celebrimbor. (portrayed by Calam Lynch): An Elven map-maker and navigation expert who joins Elrond's band of warrior-elves. He is shot by an Orc and healed by Galadriel using Nenya. (portrayed by Charlie Rix): An Elven swordsman who joins Elrond's band of warrior-elves (portrayed by Selina Lo): One of the greatest archers from Lindon who joins Elrond's band of warrior-elves, and dies during the Siege of Eregion (portrayed by Oliver Alvin-Wilson): An Elven swordsman who joins Elrond's band of warrior-elves and is killed by the Barrow-wights

Dwarves

Created by Tolkien

(portrayed by Owain Arthur):The prince of Khazad-dûm, who has a close relationship with Elrond. Arthur attributed the characters' onscreen relationship to the real friendship he developed with Aramayo. Durin IV is disowned by his father at the end of the first season and watches the king descend into darkness in the second. Arthur's beard, hair, and facial prosthetics took two-and-a-half hours to apply each day. The beard, which came in 16 pieces, included strands of real copper. It was supported by a hook on Arthur's costume due to its weight. (portrayed by Peter Mullan):The king of Khazad-dûm, who falls into madness in the second season after being given a Ring of Power. His actions awaken the Balrog that lives below Khazad-dûm, endangering the kingdom, until he sacrifices himself to trap the creature again. This event was originally intended for the end of the first season but could not be included then due to budgetary restrictions, which allowed the relationships between Durin IV, Disa, and Durin III to be further developed in the second season before the latter's death. (portrayed by Kevin Eldon): A great craftsman and architect who serves as an advisor to the king

Introduced in the first season (portrayed by Sophia Nomvete):Durin IV's wife and the princess of Khazad-dûm. Arthur described the two characters as "the power couple of Middle-earth". Nomvete said Disa wants to support her husband and kingdom, but she also has her own ambitions similar to the character Lady Macbeth from William Shakespeare's play Macbeth. The character's costumes have more flowy designs than other Dwarves', taking inspiration from water running over rocks. The female Dwarves in the series were expected to have beards like the males, but the producers did not want them to lose their femininity so opted for more subtle facial hair rather than heavy beards.

Introduced in the second season (portrayed by Stuart Bowman): A Dwarven miner who fights with Durin IV

Introduced in the third season (portrayed by Eddie Marsan): The brother of Durin IV (portrayed by Amber Mendez-Martin): The teenage daughter of Durin and Disa (portrayed by Lee Braithwaite): The teenage son of Durin and Disa

Low Men

Introduced in the first season

(portrayed by Geoff Morrell): A Tirharad villager who joins the Orcs. He is killed by a Warg, under the command of Sauron, in the second season. (portrayed by Peter Tait): A Tirharad villager. Tait previously portrayed an Orc in the Lord of the Rings films. (portrayed by Ian Blackburn): A Tirharad villager who is killed by Waldreg as proof of the latter's loyalty to the Orcs