Editor’s be aware: The under accommodates spoilers for Episodes 1-5 of The Rings of Energy and Tolkien’s Center-earth lore.Whereas Episode 5 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Energy launched a mithril backstory and subplot that performed quick and free with canonical materials, it additionally developed quite a lot of storylines, including gas to the hearth of the varied completely different theories about characters, identities, and origin tales.
The wild implications of the mithril story, the id of Adar (Joseph Mawle) and the Stranger (Daniel Weyman), and the trace of darker machinations at work have made Episode 5 probably the most puzzling and head-scratching of the entire sequence; because of this, the episode has given rise to a complete new host of theories, in addition to enjoying into some preexisting concepts. Listed here are a few of the largest questions and potential theories raised by Episode 5.
Who Is Adar?
In Episode 4, Adar reminisced with Arondir (Ismael Cruz Cordova) concerning the river Sirion in Beleriand, hinting at a previous that stretches far again into the First Age. He may doubtlessly be one of many elves who as soon as guarded the fortress of Minas Tirith on the river Sirion in a time passed by, however the enigmas of his character level in a number of completely different instructions if viewers attempt to determine him.
One idea claims that he’s Maglor, the final of the sons of Fëanor whose destiny is unknown on the finish of The Silmarillion. However, some have claimed that he’s not Maglor however his brother, Maedhros, who leapt right into a fiery pit within the depths of the earth in Tolkien’s tales, clutching a burning Silmaril in his hand. This is able to clarify the obvious burns on Adar’s face, in addition to his single gloved hand, which could possibly be masking the burns he obtained from holding the jewel (or alternately could possibly be concealing the stump of Maedhros’ severed hand from one other Silmarillion story).
Maybe the strangest and most tantalizing trace is current in one other of Adar’s adornments, nevertheless. He wears an armored collar with some form of sinuous river sample etched into it. This similar design seems on Gil-galad’s (Benjamin Walker’s) ceremonial collar, virtually necessitating a connection between the 2 elves. However what is that connection? The design, if certainly it depicts a river, could possibly be some reference to the Mouths of the Sirion which have been positioned on the delta of the river, which at one level was a haven from Morgoth for the elves. Gil-galad remained there for a few years, and it was later attacked by Maedhros and Maglor, so quite a lot of potential Adar-candidates collide on this similar place all through Tolkien’s historical past.
One other curious factor about Adar is his response to being known as “Sauron” within the episode. Whereas his response would appear to point that he’s not, in reality, Sauron, he may merely be taking offense to the identify itself. The identify “Sauron” is Quenya, and means “The Abhorred.” It was a reputation given to him by the elves, and a reputation he forbade his servants from utilizing. His violent response, then, may nonetheless point out that he’s Sauron, however that he’s additionally taking offense on the identify itself.
However, Adar appears to have a powerful emotional connection to the orcs, which doesn’t appear to be a really “Sauron” attribute, as he appears to be truly involved for his or her survival. He could be some lieutenant of Sauron and even one who needs to set himself up as a rival to Sauron himself ultimately.
For the Love of the Valar, Who Is the Stranger?
At this level, it looks like the sequence is simply toying with the viewers relating to the Stranger’s id. Theories abound, figuring out him as every part from Gandalf or a Blue Wizard to Sauron (or, for some purpose, Tom Bombadil). Whereas earlier encounters have pointed in a “wizardly” path, Episode 5 simply stirred the pot much more. The unusual white-robed cultists are clearly looking for him, however why? Is he Sauron, and they’re coming to assist him? Is he a wizard who they’re chasing on the orders of Sauron?
It appears each one of many main theories was given a second that supported its personal identification within the episode. When he was therapeutic himself, the stranger spoke Quenya, which may level to him being a wizard. He was additionally seen staring wistfully up on the moon, which may lend credence to the concept that he’s truly Tilion, or the fabled Man within the Moon from Center-earth poems. Lastly, his final shot within the episode was backed by the rising sounds of Bear McCreary’s Sauron theme within the background, which factors in but one other path.
Is the Balrog THAT Balrog?
When “The Roots of the Hithaeglir” is said by Elrond (Robert Aramayo), he tells the story of an elf, a tree, a balrog, and a Silmaril, all of which collide on the high of the misty mountains. The story itself is, as Elrond says, “apocryphal,” however whereas the story could also be known as into query, it really works conveniently sufficient as an origin story for the balrog that later awoke and destroyed Khazad-dûm. Whereas the remainder of the story may transform an embellishment, it’s extremely seemingly that the balrog of the story is at the moment peacefully snoozing beneath the misty mountains.
And if That is True, Who Is the Elf?
Whereas the balrog identification appears an apparent conclusion, it does result in an fascinating follow-up implication: if the balrog is in hibernation and can get up later to disastrous impact, what concerning the elf? It could not be stunning to see each the balrog and the elf returning to the stage ultimately, but when that occurs, who will the elf find yourself being?
A few tantalizing potentialities current themselves right here: whereas the story of the elf and the balrog has no supply in Tolkien’s writings, it’s much like one other encounter in The Silmarillion. Through the fall of the elven metropolis of Gondolin, a bunch of refugees fleeing town was confronted by a balrog, and a duel adopted between the balrog and the elf Glorfindel, by which each of them plunged to their deaths. The fascinating twist to the story is that Glorfindel’s spirit is later reincarnated, and he returns to Center-earth throughout the Second Age, even making an look in The Lord of the Rings. Glorfindel’s presence within the e book has all the time been neglected in movie variations: his journey to avoid wasting Frodo and produce him to Rivendell was rewritten and changed with Arwen in Peter Jackson’s movies, and within the Bakshi movie he was changed by Legolas. Even within the unmade John Boorman movie he was changed, this time by Sam, of all individuals.
The chance that this offers the present, although, is simply too compelling to miss: Glorfindel has by no means been given his due in any movie adaptation, and the Second Age storyline affords the present ample alternative to write down Glorfindel again into the story and provides him his simply deserts.
The opposite potentialities are much less seemingly, however some are fascinating sufficient to deserve a point out: one of many notable non-entities within the story thus far, for instance, has been Celeborn, the elf who will ultimately marry Galadriel. Whereas a duel with a balrog over a misplaced Silmaril is just not a part of his canonical story, it will be stunning if he makes no look in any respect within the sequence, and he’s prone to grow to be part of the story by some means. A closing chance is that the elf would possibly truly be Adar. The unusual fusion of fine and evil and the forces of sunshine and darkness within the “Hithaeglir” story may maybe type some form of twisted conflicted elf character which may ultimately be revealed because the darkish elf’s backstory. This can be very unlikely, however an fascinating chance nonetheless.
However on the similar time…
Is the Story Even True within the First Place?
There are a variety of purple flags concerning the story that instantly name into query how plausible it’s purported to be: to start with, it’s revealed in Episode 5 that Gil-galad and Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) have been manipulating and deceiving Elrond for a while already, so it’s hardly unattainable for the story of the “Roots of the Hithaeglir” to be an extra manipulation. Elrond himself even provides the disclaimer that it’s “apocryphal,” so it’s actually meant to be taken with a grain of salt. However the largest purpose for questioning this entire state of affairs is…
That is Virtually Definitely a Plot Planted by Sauron
As a lot of a furor within the Tolkien fanbase as was brought on by the obvious canon modifications in Episode 5, there may be a particularly compelling purpose to assume that there’s way more at work than merely a rewrite of the canonical materials. The seemingly ridiculous thought of elves injecting themselves with 100 ccs of mithril gentle by spring (I’m assuming) is extraordinarily misplaced and is actually tough to swallow. However a number of components in play point out that there’s way more occurring than meets the attention. For one factor, it’s curious that the timeline for the elves “bathing within the gentle” of mithril is strictly the identical as that by which Celebrimbor’s forge must be accomplished: “by spring.”
The introduction of the spring deadline for the forge in Episode 2 within the first place was a unusually quick timeframe for immortal elves, and even on the time a number of have been theorizing that Sauron’s affect is likely to be behind it: canonically, Sauron labored in Eregion in disguise, and it was along with his affect and information that Celebrimbor ended up making the Rings of Energy within the first place. This necessity for giant portions of mithril by spring is nearly actually associated to the eventual forging of the Rings of Energy, and the entire disaster is consequently seemingly planted by Sauron. The poisoning of the tree in Lindon may effectively have been achieved by Sauron, and Tolkien does be aware in The Lord of the Rings that Sauron was notably all the time desirous of mithril. The concept of making a disaster to push Celebrimbor into creating the Rings and incomes a large rating of mithril on the similar time is strictly the sort of deception that Sauron can be able to creating.
Maybe probably the most indicative piece of proof supporting this, although, is an involuntary slip-up on the a part of Celebrimbor. For context, if the “apocryphal” story is true, then the lightning-struck Silmaril tree is the origin of mithril, which has only recently been found by dwarves. It’s a carefully guarded dwarven secret that almost all dwarves themselves appear to be unaware of, a lot much less any outsiders. And but, although Elrond is seemingly the one non-dwarf to have came upon about mithril, Celebrimbor says that he has already examined and labored with it and is aware of all about its properties. The one potentialities appear to be that both Celebrimbor is mendacity, or that he has come throughout mithril another manner or has been knowledgeable about it by some individual (*cough cough* Sauron *cough cough*) who was capable of present him what its properties have been.
Briefly, if the story and the disaster appear fishy, it’s most likely as a result of they’re. Don’t be shocked, then, if it does prove that Sauron is finally behind your entire elvish mithril disaster along with the creation of the Rings. Whereas loads of compelling theories are on the market claiming that the Stranger or Halbrand (Charlie Vickers) or Adar is Sauron, it might be that Sauron hasn’t even appeared on-screen but, however is reasonably quietly pulling strings behind the scene in Eregion, but to make his presence identified.
In fact, this week’s episode might blow all of this fully out of the water. However then, after all, we are going to little doubt have even extra theories to cope with.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Energy premieres new episodes weekly each Friday on Prime Video.
