In the series The Rings of Power, two well-known and powerful characters from Tolkien’s universe undergo various changes. This may not seem severe at first glance, but it could have significant impacts on Middle-earth.
Which characters are involved? Galadriel and Elrond are certainly among the most powerful characters in Middle-earth. Both belong to the race of Elves and possessed one of the powerful rings.
In Peter Jackson’s films, which deal directly with the book adaptation The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, Galadriel is portrayed by Cate Blanchett. Elrond, on the other hand, is played by Hugo Weaving, who himself is not interested in the new series.
In the series The Rings of Power by Amazon, we see significantly younger versions of the two characters. They are played here by Morfydd Clark and Robert Aramayo.
And although it is not a bad thing that the series is taking its own path and not slavishly adhering to Jackson’s film universe, it does take liberties when it comes to Tolkien’s source material. This leads to the point where the balance of Middle-earth is at risk.
Currently, the 2nd season of the Amazon series is running – watch the trailer here:
Galadriel and Elrond are different from what you know
Where are the differences? Fans of the books may have furrowed their brows while watching the series. Especially regarding the relationship between Galadriel and Elrond, The Rings of Power makes several changes.
In the series, Galadriel is not yet the exalted and mystical Elf as portrayed by Cate Blanchett. She is younger, a ruthless warrior, and driven by revenge.
Their relationship is marked by conflicts. And this is exactly where the problem lies: The conflictual confrontations between the two may be exciting and dramatic – but they do not belong to the source material.
Elrond loses significance as a character and is mainly there to bear conflicts. The tension between him and Galadriel is also accompanied by strange romantic undertones – this too is far from Tolkien’s original work.
Why is this a problem? If Elrond and Galadriel were merely insignificant supporting characters, all this would not be a big issue. However, they belong to the most powerful characters in Middle-earth. The conflict between them can have consequences for the entire world and jeopardize the alliances between the peoples and tribes.
This contradicts the starting situation at the beginning of The Lord of the Rings. There, the relationship between Elrond and Galadriel is different. It is characterized by long-standing mutual respect. How this is supposed to fit together is known only to the showrunners of The Rings of Power. On MeinMMO, you can find a power ranking of the 9 companions from The Lord of the Rings – feel free to stop by and let us know your opinion.
