The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Your Ultimate Guide to the Cast and Characters

The wait is finally over. The new Prime Video series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has arrived. Boasting a season one budget of $465 million to produce, this epic fantasy is one of the most expensive and highly anticipated television series ever made.

The Rings of Power will be focused in the second age of the J.R.R Tolkein’s Middle-Earth universe, an age that has not been explored, and of which little is known beyond the stories of legends heard in the previously adapted series.

Audiences are going to be introduced to a world set thousands of years before the events of the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings trilogy.

This series will feature both well-known characters at a previously unexplored stage of their lives, as well as a diverse array of new characters.

Here’s your guide to the talented new cast and the characters they are bringing to life.

Galadriel – Morfydd Clark

Galadriel is a name that will be recognised by fans of the original trilogy. In The Rings of Power the golden-haired elf, previously played by Cate Blanchett, is far from being the wise and powerful leader of the elves of Lothlórien. This Galadriel is fighting for peace after the atrocities that occurred within the first age, sensing a darkness on the horizon and doing whatever she needs to protect Middle-Earth.

Galadriel will be played by the Swedish-born Welsh actress, Morfydd Clark, who is a fan favourite in Saint Maud and His Dark Materials. She has also had roles in Crawl, The Personal History of David Copperfield and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

Elrond – Robert Aramayo

Here is another familiar name from the original Peter Jackson trilogy. Elrond, originally played by Hugo Weaving, was crucial in the formation of the Fellowship of the Ring. This group of companions from across Middle Earth, led by the Hobbit Frodo Baggins, were tasked to destroy the One Ring at Mount Doom.

The Elrond we will see in The Rings of Power is much younger than the fierce leader represented in the trilogy. Elrond is not yet an Elf lord and is fighting to live up to the mythical legacy left by his father Eärendil from the first age.

English actor Robert Aramayo will be taking the mantle of Elrond. He is perfectly suited, as Aramayo is no stranger to big-budget fantasy playing the young Ned Stark in Game of Thrones. He has also had roles in The King’s Man, The Empty Man and Antebellum.

Míriel – Cynthia Addai-Robinson

Fans of the Tolkien universe may recognise the name of the ancient island kingdom, Númenor. This kingdom, which we will get our first on screen look at in The Rings of Power, is ruled by the strong-willed Queen Regent Míriel. The series will follow her fight for peace as tensions arise within her homeland, threatening everything.

English born actress Cynthia Addai-Robinson will be taking the role of Miriel, and she is best known for her roles as Amanda Waller in CW’s TV series Arrow and Naevia in Spartacus. She has also had appeared in The Vampire Diaries and The Accountant.

Elanor “Nori” Brandyfoot – Markella Kavenagh

We’ve come to expect to find Hobbits in the tales of Middle Earth but within Tolkein’s second age Hobbits didn’t exist yet. In The Rings of Power we will be introduced to the Harfoots, considered to be the ancestors to the peaceful Hobbits of the Shire. The Harfoots are instead a nomadic race who traverse Middle-Earth avoiding the “Big Folk” and searching for a home.

There is one Harfoot who seeks more adventure and is willing to leave the safety of the group. This sounds very similar to a couple of well-known Baggins’. Elanor “Nori” Brandyfoot comes across a mysterious man who seems to fall from the sky and must decide if he is trustworthy. Will her thirst for adventure put everything she’s ever cared about at risk?

“Nori” will be played by Australian actress Markella Kavenagh, who is known for her roles in My First Summer and Picnic at Hanging Rock. Kavenagh has also had roles in titles such as The Gloaming, The Cry and The True History of the Kelly Gang.

Durin IV – Owain Arthur 

In The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring we follow Frodo and party as they cut through the abandoned and battle-decimated caves of Khazad-dûm. In The Rings of Power Khazad-dûm is a flourishing and thriving Dwarf kingdom ruled by the fiery, passionate and proud Durin IV, loyal to his kingdom and devoted to his wife Disa.

Welsh actor Owain Arthur will be taking the crown (and beard) of Durin IV. Owain Arthur is know for his roles in The Palace, The Patrol and The One and Only Ivan. He also has extensive experience in theatre, such as landing a role in Romeo and Juliet for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Arondir – Ismael Cruz Córdova

Another new character in The Rings of Power is Arondir. While much of the spotlight is placed on powerful elves with strong family lineages, Arondir is just a simple foot solider sent to the Southlands to keep watch over the humans that reside there. It is here that he finds himself in a forbidden love with a human Bronwyn, though a darkness looms on the horizon that he must prepare himself for.

Arondir will be played by Puerto Rico born actor Ismael Crus Córdova, known for his roles in Mary Queen of Scots and In the Blood. He has also had starred in Miss Bala, The Catch, The Undoing and Ray Donovan.

Bronwyn – Nazanin Boniadi

Bronwyn is a human that resides in the town of Tirharad in the Southlands. Not much is known about the Southlands even from Tolkien’s writings, so this area will be newly explored territory. Bronwyn is a human healer who develops a romantic relationship with the Silvan elf Arondir despite the prejudices of her people. With her new love interest she investigates the mysterious happenings occurring in her homeland.

Nazanin Boniadi, an Iranian-born, British actress, is known for her roles in Homeland and How I Met Your Mother. Nazanin has an impressive list of credits including other roles in Hotel Mumbai, Counterpart and Ben-Hur.

Gil-galad – Benjamin Walker

There is a poem recited by Samwise Gamgee in the original Lord of the Rings, “The Fall of Gil-galad”, which tells the story of the death of the last great Elf-King, Gil-galad. This occurred at the end of the War of the Last Alliance, where elves and men fought alongside one another against Sauron. In The Rings of Power we get to see Gil-galad at his most powerful as he fights to protect his people from the unknown encroaching darkness.

The legendary High Elf-King will be played by Benjamin Walker, known mostly for his roles in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Jessica Jones. He has also had roles in The Choice, In the Heart of the Sea and Flags of our Fathers.

Halbrand – Charlie Vickers 

One of the more mysterious new characters that we have been introduced to is Halbrand. He is found by Galadriel and chooses to accompany her to the island of Númenor. Not much is known about his past, but we can expect it to be a crucial part to Halbrand’s development as he comes to terms with who he is.

English actor Charlie Vickers will be taking the role of the human Halbrand. Vickers’ most prominent roles are in the series Medici, and film Palm Beach.

Isildur – Maxim Baldry

Isildur is a legendary hero whose tale is well known in The Lord of the Rings, as he is the one that cut the One Ring from Sauron’s hand in the War of the Last Alliance. His refusal to destroy the ring is what allowed Sauron’s spirit to endure. His greed results in him eventually losing the ring, which is then found by Smeagol A.K.A Gollum, before eventually coming into the hands of the one and only Bilbo Baggins.

Isildur is also a direct descendant of the well known character, Aragorn, portrayed in the trilogy by Viggo Mortensen. Though in The Rings of Power Isildur is far from the mythical and tragic hero that we know from these later tales, but an aspiring sea captain who is forced to follow in the footsteps of his father while trying to find his place in the world.

The legendary hero will be played by English actor Maxim Baldry. Baldry is mainly known for his roles in Mr. Bean’s Holiday & Rome. He has also had roles in Years and Years, Last Christmas and Lake Placid: Legacy.

Celebrimbor – Charles Edwards

Celebrimbor is the one who was responsible for forging the three rings of power for the elven lords as seen in the prologue of The Lord of the Rings. Celebrimbor is a brilliant artisan gifted in the use of forge and fire, and not only a legendary craftsmen amongst his fellow Elves but known all throughout Middle-Earth, especially with the dwarves of Khazad-dûm.

English actor Charles Edwards will be taking the role of the talented Celebrimbor. Mainly known for his roles in The Duke and The Crown, he also has an extensive list of credits having roles in such titles as Downton Abbey, Under the Vines and The Witches.