‘Rings of Power’ season 2 will bring some of Middle-earth’s oldest residents to the screen

It’s time to ring in the arrival of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2. It continues the tale of the forging of the Great Rings during the Second Age in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth, the deception of the elves, and the resulting War of the Elves and Sauron.

At the end of Rings of Power season 1, it was revealed that Halbrand (Charlie Vickers) was none other than Sauron, who had managed to fool even Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) of the Golden House of Finarfin and Commander of the Northern Armies, by posing as the king of the Southlands who had lost his kingdom. We witnessed for the first time onscreen, the island city of Númenor, the Dwarven city of Khazad-dûm in all its glory, the elven kingdom of Lindon, and the formation of Mordor, which—okay, goosebumps! And we met a myriad of creatures and figures from Tolkien’s legendarium—from orcs to Harfoots, and even female dwarves!

With season 2, it only gets better. We go further onto the story of Sauron becoming the lord of the rings. The first season ended with Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) forging the three elven rings Vilya, Narya, and Nenya. It would be wise to understand that while the Second Age in Tolkien’s writings spanned three and a half millennia, the timeline of Rings of Power kind of smooshes the events together to create a timeline that brings together several characters that might’ve existing even a thousand years apart, for better storytelling. So yes, Elendil (Lloyd Owen) and Míriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) were born some 1500 years after the passing of Celebrimbor in the lore, but that isn’t valid criticism of a show that’s adapting its own timeline and bringing it together beautifully. 

The new season will take us to hitherto unexplored lands in Middle-earth, like the deserts of Rhûn, where The Stranger (Daniel Weyman) will journey with Nori (Marcella Kavenagh). The series also adds a bunch of new characters to its already expansive cast that should get any Tolkien nerd excited, especially since some of these characters are some of the oldest to exist in Middle-earth and continued to live during the Third Age of The Lord of The Rings but were excluded from the Peter Jackson adaptation, like Tom Bombadil and Círdan! And some fascinating creatures, familiar and new, like Ungoliant’s baby girl Shelob, await us as well!

So before the new season arrives, let’s take a peek at the cast and characters that are confirmed to show up in The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power season 2!

Every major character in The The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power season 2

Charlie Vickers as Sauron/Annatar

Never thought I’d say this but the Sauron / Halbrand portrayed by Charlie Vickers is giving off major high fantasy dark book boyfriend energy! If season 1 dealt with Galadriel’s inner tempest, season 2 will be about how Sauron, the corrupted Maia (a lesser class of angels), after the fall of Morgoth, started off with a mission to restore beauty and perfection to heal Arda, but his purpose was eventually corrupted. 

This season, we will see him take on the fair, elven form of Annatar, the Lord of Gifts, an emissary of the Valar, to trick Celebrimbor into forging the rings of power. His true form, as seen in the trailers, will be revealed towards the end of the season, when Sauron will lead an army to destroy Eregion in the War of the Elves against him. 

Morfydd Clark as Galadriel

You know her. You love her. She’s the greatest of the Noldor elves, barring Fëanor, and a total badass. If you’ve read The Silmarillion or Unfinished Tales, you know of her commanding stature, when she was not yet the very demure, very mindful lady of Lothlórien that we see her eventually in the movies. At the end of season 1, after learning of Sauron’s deception and refusing to become his queen, Galadriel still encourages Lord Celebrimbor to forge the three elven rings. This season, as she tries to put right that which she fumbled in her blind quest for vengeance, she will face suspicion and doubt from High King Gil-galad and her friend, Elrond.

Robert Aramayo as Elrond 

Who was Elrond Peredhel, a herald in the court of Noldor High King Gil-galad, before he established Imladris and became Lord Elrond of Rivendell, bearer of the ring of power Vilya? It’s fascinating to see the forging of this iconic Lord of the Rings character! This season, it looks like Elrond is going to to narc on Galadriel and will fight to keep anyone from wearing and using the rings of power, since despite Galadriel’s hiding of the truth, Elrond seems to have figured out something is amiss. Elrond will lead Gil-galad’s army into battle during the siege of Eregion, and his sword is going to be a glorious homage to his lineage!

Benjamin Walker as High King Gil-galad/the voice of Damrod (the hill troll)

A man of many titles, such as the High King of the Noldor in fair Lindon and Lord of Eriador, Gil-galad, played by the statuesque Benjamin Walker, is one imposing figure (you can thank his lineage for it!). And boy, can he sing in elventongue, as proven by his impromptu rendition on stage at Hall H during The Rings of Power SDCC panel this year! Gil-galad is not yet aware of what has happened between Galadriel and Sauron. He wants to find a way to stop the fading of the elves and their realm. He will resist Annatar’s deception (as per lore), and is wary of the rings of power, but the fear of fading is in his heart too, which will motivate his actions and bring him to lead the war against Sauron’s armies.

Ben Walker will also be voicing Damrod the hill troll.

Charles Edwards as Lord Celebrimbor

The way your heart is going to break over what happens to Lord Celebrimbor! He is the lord of Eregion, a descendent of Fëanor who wrought the Silmarils, and one of the greatest elven smiths since his ancestor. While Galadriel and Gil-galad turn away Sauron’s Annatar form, Celebrimbor, who aspires to greatness and beauty, falls for his deception, and forges the rings of power. We already saw Halbrand’s meeting with Celebrimbor and how he knew just the right amount of flattery to reel the elven smith into his wicked plan. The trailers have given us a glimpse of how Sauron messes with Celebrimbor’s head, and what happens when the latter realises what has been done through him.

Owain Arthur as Prince Durin IV

Elrond’s bestie, the show’s comic relief, and one of the fan favourite characters, Durin IV is a dwarven prince dying to prove his mettle, but compelled to live under the iron thumb of his ageing father. At the end of season 1, Durin was caught mining mithril in secret by his father who forbade it, and was stripped of his royal title. We also caught a glimpse of the Balrog, Durin’s Bane, the threat of which Sauron could use to trick the dwarves into falling for his plans. In the trailers, Durin can be seen addressing either an army of dwarven smiths to mine or dwarves to battle against Sauron in Eregion.

Sophia Nomvete as Princess Disa

Princess Disa is Durin’s wife, and a great supporter of her husband’s ambition and his desire to help his friend Elrond. She is the one who detects mithril first, and when the king bans its mining, assures Durin that they and their children will eventually mine mithril and nothing will be able to stop them. It’s going to be interesting to see how she factors in shaping the dwarves’ part in this great yet tragic tale.

Peter Mullen as King Durin III

The king of the Khazad-dûm dwarves and father to Prince Durin IV, he is against the mining of mithril. And yet, in the season 2 snippets, we’ve seen him holding one of the rings of power. Interesting, isn’t it, how that’ll come to pass?

Marcella Kavenagh as Elanor ‘Nori’ Brandyfoot

A Harfoot (ancestors of the hobbits of the Shire), Nori is the one who finds and helps The Stranger. And now, much like Bilbo and Frodo, she has set out on her own adventure to help a tall wizard in the unknown world. Their journey will take them to the lands of Rhûn, where they will encounter another kind of hobbit ancestors, the Stoors. Their story will impact Sauron’s plans in the most covert way, because Sauron cannot yet know of hobbits as that’s the whole reason they slip past him until the events of Lord of the Rings.

Megan Richards as Poppy Proudfellow

Poppy is the Sam to Nori’s Frodo, a loyal friend who helps Nori help the Stranger. While unlike Sam, she doesn’t join Nori on her adventure, she assures Nora that she will look after her people, for as long as home is safe, Nori can focus on her mission of traversing Middle-earth into the unknown to help her wizard friend.

Daniel Weyman as The Stranger/The Wizard

Is he Gandalf? Is he Saruman? Is he one of the Blue Wizards, maybe Alatar? Who is The Stranger after all? Didn’t he just say an iconic Gandalf dialogue to Nori in the last episode that should confirm it’s him? Showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay have said that by the end of season 2, we will know for sure the Stranger’s identity, and honestly I can’t wait. He seems to have the powers of a Maiar, some control over fire, and uses the staff of the Ascetics to dispatch them into the Unseen World. He has gotten some of his memories back and realises he has to go to Rhûn to find answers, which could lead him to cross paths with the Stoors, and a new character called just the Dark Wizard.

Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Queen Regent Míriel

Last season Queen Regent Míriel of Númenor cut a formidable figure. But now that she has lost her eyesight, lost people in her army, and her father King Tar-Palantir, she is a queen with a weakness that those thirsting for her power at court could exploit. In the snippets from the trailer, we see her getting close to Elendil, whom she begins to trust after the battle in the Southlands, and perhaps fighting a sea-monster, maybe some kind of a test before her ascension? The lore ascribes a tragic doom for her but how will the show tackle it. We shall see!

Trystan Gravelle as Chancellor Pharazôn

Chancellor Pharazôn of Númenor is a charismatic politician with many games afoot at court. He despises the elves and their supporters, the Faithful, and he’s likely to blame what happened to Míriel on the elves, further inciting the people of Númenor against them. Let’s not forget that Míriel has vowed to return to Middle-earth for revenge. Pharazôn is a man who desires power and wealth and his eye will soon turn to the shores of Middle-earth, while solidifying his position in Númenor. Pharazôn is a major character in the tragic tale of Númenor, so play close attention!

Lloyd Owen as Elendil

Elendil, whose name means elf-friend, is another Lord of the Rings legend in the making. For now, in the SA, he is a naval captain in service of Númenor, and is secretly one of The Faithful, a group of Westernesse men who are still loyal to the elves. He is father to Isildur, Eärien, and Anárion (exists, but we haven’t met him yet), and we know what part he will go on to play in the War of the Ring, forming the Last Alliance with Elven king Gil-galad against Sauron. But for now, Elendil is Queen Míriel’s support, and is dealing with losing his son who went missing in the Southlands, while his daughter stirs her own turmoil in the waters back home in Númenor.

Emma Horvath as Eärien

There’s no mention of Elendil’s daughter and Isildur’s sister in the lore. However, in The Rings of Power, we have Eärien, a builder’s guild apprentice. Unlike her father, who is one of the Faithfuls, Eärien is enraptured by Pharazôn’s speech against the elves, and could be representing a faction of Númenoreans that were known in the books as the King’s Men. Last season, we saw Tar-Palantir mistake her for his daughter, Míriel, and urge her to look into the palantír. We don’t see what happens afterwards, but the Elendil and Míriel return to Númenor to find the king has died. It sure looks like this season, Eärien is set to play a major part in the politics of Númenor, or perhaps, its downfall? 

Leon Wadham as Kemen

Kemen is the son of Chancellor Pharazôn, and quite a smooth flirt, if you’ve seen him talk to Eärien in season 1! But on a serious note, he lives under his dynamic father’s shadow, and becomes aware of what his father’s true ambition is. Between that and his feelings for Eärien, it’ll be interesting to see what his character does in season 2, and whether he is loyal to his father’s cause or becomes one of the Faithful.

Maxim Baldry as Isildur

He’s the guy who could’ve ended it all but instead gave us an epic Lord of the Rings trilogy because he refused to throw the One Ring into the fires of Mount of Doom. In The Rings of Power season 1, we see Isildur feel the mysterious pull of Middle-earth. But once he lands there, to fight in the Southlands, it doesn’t quite go well for him. He has lost one of his best friends, Ontamo, in the explosion of Orodruin. And he is believed to be lost or dead and therefore left behind by his father and the Númenoreans. But don’t you worry, Berek (his horse) has got him! Isildur’s path will cross with another major character, Arondir, and he will also meet someone special?

Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir 

Another character created just for the series, Arondir is a Silvan (woodland) elf who was stationed in the Southlands to watch over the descendants of the men that served Morgoth. In the first season, he is in love with Bronwyn, a healer, and cares for her son, Theo. He gets captured by Adar’s orcs, and is forced to help build what will eventually become Mordor. This season, after undergoing two tragedies, we will see Arondir’s arc intersect with Isildur’s, as seen in the featurette. And as per the newest trailer, Arondir will also be at the siege of Eregion, fighting the hill-troll Damrod!

Tyroe Muhafidin as Theo

Theo, a character created for The Rings of Power, is a Southlander, the son of Bronwyn the healer, who comes into possession of a dark sword hilt crafted by Morgoth that Adar has his orcs searching for to create Mordor. After the eruption of Mount Doom, Theo gets stuck in the ashen wastes along with Galadriel, until the two finally reunite with their people. He is headed to Pelargir with the other Southlanders, where his story is likely to intersect with Arondir and Isildur. Theo has shown leanings towards the darkness that corrupts men, so it will be interesting to see where his arc goes this season. Especially after a tragedy strikes early on in season 2.

Sam Hazeldine as Adar

Adar, or the ‘father’ of the orcs, has been recast for season 2. Earlier played by Joseph Mawle, who made quite the impression, Sam Hazeldine has some major shoes to fill. Adar is a fascinating, perhaps one of the strongest characters of season 1 because of his tragic origin story. The showrunners have adapted the version of orcs that were elves taken upon their awakening and corrupted by Morgoth. In The Rings of Power, they stand for creatures who are also creations of the same god that created the elves and men, and therefore, also deserve a place in his world, which is the sentiment that drives Adar. Season 2 will show us what happened between Sauron and Adar that got the former cast out, and the orcs to be so fiercely loyal to Adar. 

Jack Lowden as an earlier form of Sauron

It has been revealed in the most recent featurette and confirmed by Sauron actor Charlie Vickers himself that Benediction actor Jack Lowden will be reprising an earlier version of the character in season 2.

Rory Kinnear as Tom Bombadil 

Tolkein nerds won’t stop talking about Tom Bombadil, and rightfully so because he doesn’t fit any of the moulds of living beings in Tolkien’s Legendarium and has spawned fascinating philosophical theories about what he stands for. He is simply the Eldest, having existed since forever. His job is just tending to things that grow of God’s green earth, and loving his wife, the River-woman’s daughter, Goldberry. This is a character that the hobbits encounter on their way to Rivendell but was excluded from the Lord of the Rings movies so this is a pretty big deal to have Bombadil on our screens, and see what other parts he might’ve played in the war against evil.

Ben Daniels as Círdan

Okay, step aside everyone, the real Daddy is here! Círdan, Lord of the Falathrim (elves who live in the Bay of Belfalas), Master of the Grey Havens, whose Sindarin name means ‘shipwright’, is the oldest, wisest, best elf on Eru Ilúvatar’s green earth. And I mean none of these adjectives lightly. By the time we meet him this season, he is already around 8000 years old (older than Galadriel)! Since he is the eldest and the wisest, and as per lore, kind of a foster-father to High King Gil-galad, he will be brought in to counsel on the matter of the rings, and even bear one of them.

Just, please, don’t call him Círdan the Shipwright, okay? Only Círdan is fine. IYKYK.

Kevin Eldon as Narvi

If you are a true-blue Lord of the Rings fan, you already know who Narvi is. He is the dwarf who made the Doors of Durin at the West gate of Khazad-dûm which eventually became Moria; and his name is carved on it. In season 1, we see Elrond and Celebrimbor use the East-gate to enter Khazad-dûm. However, after the working relationship is established between the elves of Eregion and the dwarves, a West-gate is used. Narvi and Celebrimbor are going to be work besties, with Narvi making the Doors and Celebrimbor carving on them, in Feanorian letters using Ithildin (a type of inlay work using mithril that can be enchanted to reflect starlight or moonlight). Speak friend, and enter to see Narvi first time on screen!

Amelia Kenworthy as Mirdania 

Speaking of talented people, there’s a new character called Mirdania, who seems to be one of the elven smiths of the Gwaith-i-Mírdain, the group of Noldorian elves lead by Celebrimbor that work on the rings of power in Ost-in-Edhil, the chief city of Eregion. Her character is a bit of a mystery for now, so we’re going to have to wait and see what part she plays.

Tanya Moodie as Gundabel

Gundabel is a leader of the Stoors, distant cousins of the Harfoots, and another type of habbit ancestors. The Stoors live in the desert of Rhûn, a hitherto unexplored region from Tolkien’s works. And this puts them in the path of The Stranger and Nori, who are headed there to understand more about The Stranger’s purpose.

Gavi Singh Chera as Merimac

Merimac is a Stoor too, and though not much is seen of them in the trailers, we know that The Stranger, Nori, and Poppy will be hanging out with them. The Stoors have an interesting connection with a major The Lord of The Rings character!

Ciarán Hinds as unnamed dark wizard in Rhûn

To have cast an actor like Ciarán Hinds for this mysterious role, there’s sure to be something important about him, right? If the mushed timelines mean The Stranger is perhaps Gandalf or Saruman, then could this wizard in Rhûn be one of the Blue Wizards, who were rumoured to have started religious cults and spread magic in the east as part of their mission to thwart the influence of Sauron? Were those three evil-looking cult people sent by him? We’re about to find out!

Calum Lynch as Camnir

From a printer’s apprentice in Bridgerton’s London to an elf and expert map-maker of Lindon in The Rings of Power, it’s nice to see Calum Lynch in Middle-earth! When his casting was announced, many fans speculated that he would play the younger Celeborn because he looked the part. But Lynch will play Camnir, whose job it is to find an alt route to Eregion as part of Elrond’s band of warrior-elves, who will also encounter those scary barrow-wights we saw in the trailer!

Selina Lo as Rìan

Camnir’s teammate and fellow Lindon elf Rìan is an expert archer, who will join Elrond on his fight for Eregion. She will be played by Boss Level and Hellraiser actor Selina Lo.

Nia Towle as Estrid 

You’ve seen her in the season 2 photos in a seemingly romantic pose with Isildur. And in the recent featurette, she is once against spotted with Isildur, his horse bestie Berek, and Arondir. She could be a Southlander that Isildur meets and falls in love with. Whether she goes on to be Isildur’s wife is something we cannot confirm since Tolkien doesn’t mention her name. 

Jim Broadbent as the ent Snaggleroot and Olivia Williams as Winterblossom

Can we even talk about Tolkien’s Middle-earth without the trees and their shepherds, the ents, who’ve been there since before everyone else? The beloved creatures from Lord of the Rings movies had a blink-and-miss appearance in The Rings of Power season 1 (when the meteor falls), but will play an active part in season 2. And you’ve got none other than veteran British actor Jim Broadbent voicing Snaggleroot, one of the ents! 

But here’s something interesting. Fans of the extended editions of The Lord of the Rings movies have only heard of the entwives mentioned in passing. But The Rings of Power brings them to the screen for the first time. Olivia Williams will be voicing Winterblossom, which totally sounds like an entwives’ name!

The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 will drop its first three episodes on August 29, 2024, with the remaining five episodes premiering weekly until October 3, 2024.