Amazon Prime’s upcoming Lord of the Rings series, The Rings of Power, will bring back some familiar Lord of the Rings characters from JRR Tolkien’s literary epic, as it dives into the extended lore of Middle-earth. Any hardcore Lord of the Rings fan knows the name Gil-galad – the elven king who both Sam Wise Gamgee and Aragorn mention in the fantasy movie, The Fellowship of the Ring.
Now Benjamin Walker, who portrays Gil-galad in The Rings of Power, has revealed that fans will get to see the character in full action mentoring none other than fellow elf Elrond. Gil-galad is the High King of the Noldor who chose to remain in Middle-earth after the First Age rather than depart for the Undying Lands.
During the Second Age, in which Amazon’s series is set, he establishes a realm in Lindon with a young Elrond by his side. Elrond (portrayed by Hugo Weaving in Peter Jackson’s trilogy) is the Lord of Rivendell, who both the hobbits Bilbo and Frodo Baggins meet on their adventures, and is a stable figure in the franchise.
We are used to seeing a wise and authoritative Elrond. However, in The Rings of Power, the character is only a few thousand years old ( that’s nothing in elf immortality years) and will be looking to Gil-galad for guidance. Speaking with the Nerdist, Walker elaborated on what the dynamic between the two elves will be.
“Gil-galad is going to encourage him to take the first steps and the journey towards his ultimate destiny,” Walker explained. “But he does it in the way a loving parent would, which is to allow them to make their own mistakes or to encourage them to do things and convince them that it was their idea in the first place.”
We are excited to see an Elrond with some adolescent qualities in The Rings of Power. We are also excited to see Gil-galad’s story come to life. He is a major part in of the Dark Lord, Sauron’s defeat in the second age, and was one of the three Elves who first held rings of power.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is set to premiere on Prime Video on September 2, 2022.