Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power — Every Major Player Introduced in the Premiere

This post contains spoiler for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. If you're not caught up yet, check out our Rings of Power premiere review.

After months of waiting and over a century of passionate fandom, Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has arrived. The expansive and immersive first two episodes will feel familiar to those who found Lord of the Rings via Peter Jackson's beloved movies, or people who first fell in love with Middle Earth in the pages of Tolkien's iconic books. Intricate production design and gorgeous worldbuilding make this a truly immersive experience, but it's also one filled with an abundance of many, many characters to follow as you journey across Middle Earth. So we're here to break down all the major players, some of whom you'll know and others you won't.

Galadriel – Morfydd Clark

A brave elven warrior with a thirst for vengeance burning in her heart, Galadriel is a powerful fighter and determined leader. Though she longs for peace, she's driven by a greater purpose, one that goes back to a terrible loss. Her impressive combat skills make her a force to be feared, but it's her self belief and confidence that make her a true force to be reckoned with. These first two episodes reveal a new side to the enigmatic character fans first met in Fellowship of the Ring. These are the years and the fight that shaped who she would become.

Finrod – Will Fletcher

With The Rings of Power set in Tolkien's Second Age, fans have long been wondering whether we'd see anything predating that era. And in the first two episodes we did. The premier introduces the First Age and Finrod, one of Galadriel's brothers. It's clear that the pair were deeply connected since childhood, but tragically we see Finrod killed in battle by Orcs. It's this brutal death that sets Galadriel on her mission to destroy Sauron. It's a vital expansion on the lore of Galadriel's family and the loss that ultimately drove her to go against her own people.

Sadoc Burrows – Sir Lenny Henry

Harfoots have long been a part of Tolkien canon, appearing in both the Lord of the Rings prologue and appendix, but we've never seen them brought to life on screen. Sadoc Burrows is an elder of the Harfoot community that we're introduced to in the first two episodes. He seems to be able to read prophecies, and he leads the Harfoots on their migration. While he appears short tempered it's clear that the safety of his community comes first.

Nori Brandyfoot – Markella Kavenaugh

Another new character created for The Rings of Power is a young Harfoot, Nori Brandyfoot. Her inquisitive nature can cause problems as she dreams of exploring the outside world. Her best friend is Poppy, who she regularly drags into her adventures. Nori's compelling curiosity draws her into the path of the fallen comet and ultimately the Stranger. But her innate kind-hearted Harfoot nature means she can't leave the odd new arrival to survive on his own. It seems likely that their unconventional friendship will play a major role in the show as the series moves forward.

Poppy Proudfellow – Megan Richards

Nori's closest confidante and a fellow Harfoot, Poppy is a sweet and chilled soul who's happy to live within the safety of the Harfoot community. She's generous and brave, though she's often reluctant to break the rules with Nori. It'll be interesting to see where her story goes now that she's crossed paths with the Stranger. While Poppy is another non-canon addition, she feels very much in the tradition of classical Hobbits as we know them. The big question is will she venture out with Nori and the Stranger or will she stick close to the Harfoots as they migrate?

Largo Brandyfoot – Dylan Smith

Nori's father is a sweet and kind man who encourages his daughter's unusual curiosity. After his accident it's unclear whether he's going to be able to join the Harfoots on their migration, but it seems highly unlikely that his brave daughter and loving community will leave him behind.

Marigold Brandyfoot – Sara Zwangobani

From what we see of Marigold it's clear that she has a close relationship with Nori, though she would likely rather that the young Harfoot wasn't so desperate to leave her home. It's through Marigold that we learn that the community sticks together and travels together in order to stay safe. They don't venture out, they don't seek out more, and that's how they survive.

High King Gil-Galad – Ben Walker

We don't learn much about High King Gil-Galad in these episodes, but it's clear that he considers the dark days of war to be over and will do anything to keep it that way. Though his role in the books hints that will change sooner rather than later, for now he's just keen for Galadriel to stop telling people that Sauron lives and sends her off to Valinor for safekeeping.

Elrond – Robert Aramayo

A major returning character is Elrond, who in the show is a close confidante of Galadriel's. Though he's looking far more spritely than when we saw him in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, he's still well over 1000 years old during the events of The Rings of Power. Living in peace alongside High King Gal-Galad, Elrond doesn't believe Galadriel's warnings that Sauron still lives. In fact, he encourages her to go to the undying lands of Valinor. Elrond calls Prince Durin IV a close friend… though that's something that his Dwarf compatriot may not agree with. And as was teased in these episodes, he's connected to Celebrimbor, which means we'll likely see Elrond play his famous part in the forging of the Rings of Power.

Prince Durin IV – Owain Arthur

The heir to the Dwarf kingdom of Khazad'dum, Prince Durin IV is proud of the booming mines of his home and his lovely family. He's less happy about his old pal Elrond showing up out of the blue demanding it's time to catch up. But as Tolkien fans will know, these two have a large part to play in the coming events of The Rings of Power so you can expect to see a lot more of them.

Princess Disa – Sofia Nomvete

The first female Dwarf we've seen in the world of Lord of the Rings, Disa is the love of Durin's life and the mother of his children. She's also the peacemaker between her husband and his absentee bestie, Elrond. That makes her one of the most pivotal players here as it's Disa who convinces Durin IV to hear out his friend and make his case to his father King Durin III.

King Durin III – Peter Mullen

The father of Durin IV, the current Dwarf king will eventually be the bearer of one of The Rings of Power but we're yet to see just how involved he'll be in their forging. You might have also briefly glimpsed King Durin III in a flashback during Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring.

Arondir – Ismael Cruz Cordova

A warrior elf with a talent for archery, Arondir is a new character for The Rings of Power. Though his role is that of a fighter, it's clear he's a thoughtful and compassionate man. He shows mercy on those who would hurt him and has found an unexpected reason to keep the peace on his rounds. While on duty in the village of Tirharad, Arondir grows close to a human woman known as Bronwyn, in what seems to be a very controversial pairing in the world of Rings of Power. After the Elves declaring peace, Arondir is called home but soon he and Bronwyn discover that someone has been terrorizing and razing towns, realizing something something is amiss.

Bronwyn – Nazanin Bonadi

Speaking of Bronwyn, she's another non-canon character that the series introduces. A strong-willed single mother, she can wield an ax as well as she can heal a wound. We see her passionate connection with Arondir come across here, as well as her brutal fighting skills. She'll do anything to protect her son and she kills an Orc in mere minutes. Her reputation in her community seems to have been sullied by her friendship with Arondir, but she doesn't care.

Theo – Tyroe Muhafidin

Another new creation for The Rings of Power is Theo, Bronwyn's son. While we don't know much about him, we did see him discover a very gnarly looking sword that seems to be connected to Sauron. And unfortunately for Theo it seems to now have been awakened by his blood. So that can't mean anything good. After an Orc came to recover the weapon, Theo was saved by Bronwyn and now the pair are headed towards safety and likely Arondir.

Celebrimbor – Charles Edwards

One of the biggest canon characters introduced in the premiere episodes was Celebrimbor. In Tolkien lore, the famous elvish artificer plays a major part in the forging of the Rings of Power. We meet him here as an ally to Elrond and part of the plan that will put the creation of the rings into motion. How much of his journey we'll see is a big question. It's particularly interesting as he was one of the few people in his homeland Eregion who saw through Sauron's ruse when he posed as Annatar or the Lord of Gifts. We could definitely see that conflict come into play in later episodes this season as the trailer potentially teased the arrival of Sauron / Annatar.

The Stranger – Daniel Weyman

One of the most intriguing additions to The Rings of Power is Weyman's mysterious figure. Falling from the sky at the end of Episode 1, the Stranger emerges out of a meteorite. His connection to Nori will likely be key to his journey but the biggest question is how will he play into the show? He clearly has a connection to nature and can control it with his emotions, and he's also looking for a certain constellation. So could he be Sauron reborn? One of Lord of the Rings' famous wizards like Gandalf? (Though canonically they wouldn't have shown up yet). We'll have to wait and see just how the Stranger fits into the larger landscape of The Rings of Power.

Halbrand – Charlie Vickers

A new pal for old Galadriel, Halbrand is not from the Tolkien canon and is currently rather enigmatic. After Galadriel abandoned her ship to Valinor, she came across a wrecked ship and along with Halbrand was the only survivor of the sea creature known as the worm. He has a mysterious background that he has no interest in sharing, although we do know that, like Galadriel, he lost loved ones to the Orcs. His loss was far more recent, confirming Galadriel's theory that the Orcs are still alive and are back on the warpath once again.

Morgoth

In the age before Sauron there was Morgoth, the most powerful of the Ainur, he split from the omnipotent primordial spirits in an act of rebellion that would change the world forever. Originally known as Melkor, he was the first Dark Lord and would become mentor to Sauron. Though he only features as a brief part of the story of the war of the First Age in the premier episodes his impact is massive and sets Galadriel on her path for vengeance as well as introducing Sauron. So will Morgoth be featured in other First Age flashbacks? That's a big question going forward.

Sauron

Speaking of Sauron, he is at the heart of the first two episodes though we never see him. His dark powers played a huge part in the devastating war that was eventually "won" by the elves. But as Galadriel tells anyone who will listen, she believes he's still out there. And from the first two episodes it seems like she's right. Timeline wise it feels most likely that we'll see Sauron appear in his Annatar guise, but that's not set in stone. As we mentioned above it's also a possibility that the Stranger could be Sauron reborn before he takes on his disguise. But with the events set in motion for the rings to be forged, seeing Sauron as Annatar feels more likely.

Characters We Expect to See Soon:

Queen Regent Miriel – Cynthia Addai-Robinson

Some major characters we didn't yet meet are the Númenóreans. The rightful heir to the throne is Queen Regent Miriel, so it'll be interesting to see how her rule is portrayed here as in the Tolkien lore her story is defined by her usurper husband (and cousin) Ar-Pharazôn.

Ar-Pharazôn – Trystan Gravelle

Speaking of Miriel's cousin-turned spouse, Ar-Pharazôn is another major player we've yet to see come into the fold. His role is a vital one as the power he wields is immense but so is his greed and arrogance. Though this season is only eight episodes long–with five seasons already set–Tolkien fans will already know that Ar-Pharazôn and Sauron have a lengthy intertwined history that we will definitely see play out in some way during the series.

Elendil – Lloyd Owen

Elendil, also known as "The Elf-friend" in Quenya, is another major character from Númenor. His role in the books and the battle against Sauron is legendary, but in The Rings of Power we can expect to see him in earlier years when he's just a man trying to protect his family. Whether or not we'll see him become the first King of Gondor depends on how far the show reaches into the future of Tolkien's realm. But one of the most interesting things about Elendil, is that he will feature in the show with his son Isildur, who's tragic fate Lord of the Rings fans already know.

Isildur – Maxim Baldry

One of the most tragic and famed characters in Lord of the Rings canon, Isildur was–in the Jackson movies and partially in the books–the man who cut the Ring of Power from Sauron's finger. Though that should have been a happy ending the ring eventually corrupted him. In The Rings of Power though we'll see him as a young man with his whole life ahead of him.

Eärien – Ema Horvath

Our final new creation for the series, Eärien is the sister of Isildur and daughter of Elendil. While we don't know much of what to expect from her or how she'll fare throughout the series, if her family lineage is anything to go by it likely doesn't bode well for the young woman.

Rosie Knight is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything from anime to comic books to kaiju to kids movies to horror flicks. She has over half a decade of experience in entertainment journalism with bylines at Nerdist, Den of Geek, Polygon, and more. Rosie is a published comics author who has written titles including Godzilla Rivals vs. Battra and The Haunted High-Tops. She co-hosts the weekly Crooked Media pop-culture podcast X-Ray Vision.