Summary
Despite Amazon pouring all its might intoThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerseries, most of the fandom still upholds Peter Jackson’s trilogy as the ultimate screen adaptation of author J.R.R. Tolkien’s work. But there’s yet a card thatRings of Powercan play to try and tilt the balance a little in their favor. More specifically, an elf.
One of the biggest criticisms of the Amazon series is that it is not a faithful adaptation of Tolkien’s work and tampers with the lore. Well, movie fans who haven’t read the books might not know this, but the Peter Jackson films have also deviated from the lore. One major change was made to the character of Glorfindel, a legendary elf in Tolkien canon, whose part in the story was snatched and given to another elf in the film. IfRings of Powergave fans Glorfindel in all his glory, it would score a huge brownie point for the series over the films.
Who Is Glorfindel In J.R.R. Tolkien’sThe Lord of the RingsSaga?
InThe Lord of the Ringsbooks, Tolkien writes of Glorfindel, a beautiful and mighty elven prince who was born in Valinor and related to Galadriel. When the elves came to Middle-earth, Glorfindel lived as a beloved member of a noble house in the mighty (but hidden) elven city of Gondolin. However, Morgoth sent forth a massive army to besiege Gondolin in the First Age, and the city fell. Glorfindel managed to flee the destruction, leading some of the survivors to a pass in the mountains. However, it is here that he met his end. Glorfindel’s death is the stuff of legend, and, in fact, eerily similar to Gandalf’s inThe Fellowship of the Ring.
The lore so goes that as Glorfindel was helping his people fleethe fallen Gondolin, they were attacked by a force of Orcs, led by a Balrog of Morgoth. After a grueling battle atop a peak, the brave elven prince slayed the Balrog. But just as we saw Gandalf fall and get pulled down by his foe’s whip in The Fellowship of the Ring, Glorfindel too, got pulled into the abyss by his defeated enemy. According to stories, his broken body was retrieved by Thorondir, the King of the Eagles, who had come to join the fight. Glorfindel was eventually laid to rest atop a hill. But turns out, that wasn’t the end of his story. What happens next makes Glorfindel a truly special elf.
Why Is Glorfindel So Special In J.R.R. Tolkien’sThe Lord of the RingsSaga?
In Tolkien’s works, death and immortality are central themes. In his earlier drafts, Tolkien played around with the idea that elves who died in battle would be reincarnated—their souls would pass through the halls of the Gods and, eventually, they’d be re-embodied. But this process was supposed to take a long, long time. However, later, Tolkien almost abandoned this idea and only ever employed it twice throughout the books. And both times, he kind of sped up the process.
Gandalf isn’t the only one who is brought back from the dead in the books. Before him, there was Glorfindel. He was already a great and powerful elf in life. But due to the valorous, self-sacrificing circumstances of his death,the Valar (Gods in Tolkien’s universe), in a rare move, quickly re-embodied Glorfindel’s soul and sent him back to Middle-earth as their emissary in the Second Age. His purpose in this new life was the same as that of the Istari, aka the Wizards. And to help him on, the Valar not only preserved his memories from his past life but also granted Glorfindel powers similar to the Maiar (angelic beings).
In the books, the powerful Glorfindel, who supposedly returns to Middle-earth around the forging of the One Ring, has much to do in the war against Sauron before the events ofThe Fellowship of the Ring. It was Glorfindel who prophesied about the Witch-King of Angmar “… not by the hand of man will he fall,” which might indicate he had some foresight. However, not many of his feats are talked about since, just like Gandalf, Glorfindel rarely displayed the full might of his power.
InThe Fellowship of the Ringbook, once Gandalf discovers that the One Ring is in the Shire, Glorfindel is tasked by Elrond to search for Frodo and his company when they’re on their way to Rivendell. And it is Glorfindel who drives away the Nazgûl, puts Frodo on his horse when he’s wounded by the Nazgûl blade, and leads Aragorn and the other hobbits to Rivendell.When the Council of Elrond meets, Glorfindel advises on what to do with the One Ring. At one point, he is almost considered for the Fellowship, but this notion is later revoked. The Fellowship had to be cloaked in secrecy. But if an elf of Glorfindel’s power made the journey, he would most likely blow their cover and attract all sorts of danger, especially the eye of Sauron. The last mention of Glorfindel in the books is in the appendices, where it is mentioned that he was present at the coronation of Aragorn as King Elessar.
Why Was Glorfindel Not In Peter Jackson’sThe Lord of the RingsMovies?
Well, actually, he was. InThe Fellowship of the Ring, actor Jarl Benzon is credited as the elf Glorfindel. However, he doesn’t have much to do but sit pretty at Elrond’s table like one of the many elves with non-speaking parts. He also appears beside Elrond inThe Return of the Kingduring Aragorn’s coronation. Since Glorfindel didn’t have a bigger role to play in the War of the Ring, the makers decided to let him sit this one out and use bits of his story to give Arwen a rousing introduction in the first film. It sets her up as a main character, establishes her relationship with Aragorn, andties Arwen’s fate to the One Ring more closely.
In many ways, it makes sense to skip Glorfindel entirely in the movies, because non-readers would question the inaction of such a powerful elf, much like they question the arrival of the eagles as a ‘deus ex machina’ in Return of the King. And yet, sinceRings of Poweris tackling the Second Age timeline, which ties closely to Glorfindel’s return to Middle-earth, it’s only fair for fans to hope for some wish fulfilment.
Isn’t Glorfindel Technically Already InThe Rings of PowerShow?
This legendary elven hero has already appeared inThe Rings of Power, albeit in animation. Remember the apocryphal story that Gil-galad reminds Elrond of, about the elf who fought a Balrog atop a peak, and the lightning strike that created the veins of mithril in the Khazad-dûm mountains? Fans speculate this could beCeleborn, Galadriel’s missing husband. But lore masters suspect the story could be a sneaky nod to the elusive Glorfindel.
The Rings of Powerseason 2 ended with the siege of Eregion and the death of the elven smith Celebrimbor, after he forged the nine rings for men. Sauron is on his way to forge the One Ring, and that final shot of Gil-Galad, Elrond, and Galadriel standing in the familiar-looking valley of Imladris (Rivendell) indicates that the War of the Elves and Sauron has begun. With a time jump planned for season 3, it is the perfect time, in keeping with canon, for Glorfindel to return to Middle-earth and finally make a speaking debut on the big screen.
What’s more, theRings of Powershowrunners, J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, have cryptically alluded to the possibility during the show’s 2024 Hall H panel at San Diego Comic Con. Payne and McKay said that plenty of hours of TV are still left to film for the show, and that leaves space for a lot of surprising characters. Moreover, fans strongly feel that even though Glorfindel is a First Age elf, a period that the Amazon series can’t explicitly tap into because they don’t have the rights, he is as much a Second and Third Age character as Celeborn or Gandalf. So the chances of Glorfindel appearing look good.
Who Could Play Glorfindel InThe Rings of Power?
Already, casting news for new characters forRings of Powerseason 3 has been making waves. In February 2025, it was reported that Eddie Marsan and Jamie Campbell Bower had joined the cast, with Bower set to play a handsome, high-born knight. WithBower alluding that he wants a departure from villainous roleslike Vecna onStranger Things, there are strong chances that he could either be Galadriel’s MIA husband, Celeborn, or, as excited fans speculate, Glorfindel.
But here’s another option worth considering.Outlanderactor Sam Heughan has also expressed keen interest in joiningThe Rings of Power. He revealed that he was named after Frodo’s faithful sidekick and gardener, Samwise Gamgee. Fans are rooting for him to be cast as Celeborn, a worthy foil to the shipping of Charlie Vickers’ Halbrand with Morfydd Clark’s Galadriel, Celeborn’s wife. But with his experience in the fantasy genre and playing a Highland warrior, Heughan would be an astute casting choice to play a hero who slays epic monsters and has odes written about his valor.
No matter who is ultimately cast, there’s no doubt that bringing in Glorfindel would be a definite way forThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerto one-up movies and give Tolkien fans a character they’ve been dying to see on screen for an age.
