The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Poweris based on writing by fantasy author J.R.R. Tolkien and includes some of Tolkien’s magical characters, who vary wildly in age. Set inthe Second Age,The Rings of Poweralso has numerous original charactersof various races described by Tolkien - Elves, Dwarves, Harfoots, and Men. These characters also range in age from ancient to teenage. With diverse Tolkien creatures coming into play gradually, the variety in the show is steadily increasing.
The Rings of Powerseason 2will explore the intricate power balances between its many characters, offering detailed psychological portraits of some of them. As power dynamics shift throughout the season, character age differences may start to become more apparent. As magical beings from Tolkien’s world,characters inThe Rings of Powermay well not seem their age.Races like Elves, Dwarves, and Harfoots were blessed with far longer lifespans than the average human.
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13Sauron
The Great Deceiver
Sauron has been around"since before the breaking of the first silence,“as he said to Galadriel inThe Rings of Powerseason 1 finale. He was referring to having been created by the one Eru Ilúvatar before the music of the Ainur, which sang Eä itself into being - Eä being the whole world Middle-earth is contained in. Time only came into being inLord of the Ringsonce the world was made.
Before the world was made, Sauron and the other Ainur and Eru Ilúvatar lived in the Timeless Halls, outside of time. As such, on the show, all Ainur are older than Elves, Men, Dwarves, or Harfoots.Sauron has been around since before the official start of time, currently at an age that is unknowable by its very definition.
12The Stranger
The Istar
The Stranger may be Gandalf, as has been implied by the show numerous times, and if so,the Stranger is the same ageless race as Sauron. InThe Rings of Powerseason 2, the Stranger slammed a staff into the ground, summoning power that swirled dust into the air, stirring the physical world. This was just the latest intimation of the Stranger’s identity as the classic Tolkien character, Gandalf, who had a similar moment with his staff inLord of the Rings.
Gandalf is an Ainur, like Sauron. Sauron and Gandalf are in the same order as Ainur as well, Maiar - less powerful thanthe 15 Valarthat are the demi-gods of Tolkien’s world.Gandalf and Sauron were both around in the Timeless Hallsbefore the creation of Eä and time itself. Season 1 confirmed the Stranger as an Istar - a Wizard, like Gandalf. The Stranger could be a different Istar, but all Istar are Maiar.
11Adar
The Moriondor
Adar the Uruk is signaled by Galadriel inThe Rings of Powerseason 1 to be a “Moriondor,” which would make him one of the oldest Elves.The Moriondor were some of the first Elves to awakenin Cuiviénen after being created from the Flame Imperishable by Eru Ilúvatar. Some of these were stolen by Morgoth and twisted into the first Orcs, according to some versions ofTolkien’s Orc origin story.
This would mean thatAdar is older than the other Elf noblesinThe Rings of Power, who are also very old. Adar neither confirmed nor denied his Moriondor status when speaking to Galadriel, but his appearance corroborates Galadriel’s theory. He looks like an Elf that has been gradually corrupted, still sporting dark hair, which was common to Noldor Elves.
10Galadriel
The High Elf
High Elf Galadriel was born in the Year of the Trees in 1362. The Years of the Trees were before the First Age began, defined by Arda being lit by two great trees with glowing dew. Morgoth destroyed these trees with Ungoliant, creating the need for Middle-earth’s next light source, the sun and moon.Galadriel is one of the oldest Elvesin Middle-earth.
By the time ofThe Lord of the Rings,Galadriel was about 8000 years old, which would make her about 5000 years old at the time ofThe Rings of Power.The High Elves were the Elves that migrated from Middle-earth to Valinor- the High Elves in Middle-earth had all returned. These are the oldest of the Elves on Middle-earth, also known as the Eldar.
9Celebrimbor
The Noldo
Master smith in Eregion,Celebrimbor was probably born in the Years of the Trees or the First Age, based on what is known about his timeline. The son of Curufin, who was a son of Fëanor, Celebrimbor was likely about one generation younger than Galadriel. Celebrimbor was a High Elf like Galadriel, but 100% Noldor, whereas Galadriel had a mixed heritage, in terms of the three great Elvish families.
Celebrimbor’s exact date of birth was not confirmed. Celebrimbor’s authority in Eregion, or the actor that portrays him inRings of Power, may make him seem older than Galadriel. However,Elves didn’t age at the same rate as humansand many retained an ageless appearance for a long time, with their wisdom shining through in their eyes.
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8Elrond
The Half-Elven
Elrond Half-elven is another High Elf inThe Rings of Power, making him very old. Elrond was born, along with his brother, Elros, in the Havens of Sirion, which was invaded by the Sons of Fëanor when he was six. As such,Elrond’s age is reasonably clear- he was born in the year 532 of the First Age and would be about 1500 in the show. Elrond is younger than Galadriel but older than most characters.
Elrond’s youthful appearance belies his age and wisdom. Elrond was played by Hugo Weaving in Peter Jackson’sLord of the Ringsmovies, evincing an older appearance that spoke of his position as one of the most ancient Eldar still in Middle-earth.Robert Aramayo’s Elrond is thousands of years younger than Hugo Weaving’sbut is still older than most characters inRings of Power.
7Arondir
The Silvan Elf
Arondir is a Silvan Elf inThe Rings of Powerand is likely hundreds or thousands of years old. Arondir is one ofThe Rings of Power’soriginal characters, so his age can’t be assessed from Tolkien books. Nor is Arondir’s age given in the show. However, it is known thatSilvan Elves have been inhabiting woodlands since the Elves' first migration west, and Arondir could have been born at any point in their history.
Arondir has a position of authority in the Elvish militaryin the show, assigned the post of watching over the Southlanders inThe Rings of Powerseason 1. Arondir is not one of the highest-up in the Elvish army but is not one of the youngest or most inexperienced of its members either. It stands to reason that Arondir is an Elf of at least a few hundred years.
6Durin
The Prince
Durin IV is a Dwarf inRings of Power, enjoying a far longer lifespan than humans, and indeed,Durin is one of the older characters on the show. Dwarves' lifespans were not as long as Elves', which resulted in a rift between Elrond and Durin when Elrond neglected to visit him for years, as suggested inThe Rings of Powerseason 1.
Durin IV’s age was not clearly definedin J.R.R. Tolkien’s work, and the lack of a clear timeframe in the show obscures Durin’s age further. Dwarves have an average lifespan of 250 - 350 years, so Durin isn’t as old as the oldest Elves on the show and maybe younger than Arondir. Durin’s age and wisdom come through in his strong leadership, which will become more important in season 2.
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5Míriel
The Queen Regent
Míriel’s birth year was set at the year 3117of the Second Age in writing Tolkien never published while alive, which listed Elendil and Ar-Pharazôn as a similar age. As Queen Regent of Númenór in the show, Míriel presides over the island kingdom. However, Ar-Pharazôn’s power is rising and destabilizing Míriel’s authority inThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerseason 2.
Cynthia Addai-Robinson is doing a great job of portraying Míriel’s worldly wisdom in the show. Míriel does seem to be operating on a roughly equal level to Elendil and Ar-Pharazôn, despite their differing roles in Númenór. If lore is anything to go by,Míriel will continue to face a challenging trajectory, with all the years of wisdom in the world not enough to protect her from the danger coming.
4Ar-Pharazôn
The Politician
Ar-Pharazôn was a Númenórean leader and had a longer lifespan than non-Númenórean humansin Tolkien’s world, backing up his position as one of the older human characters in the show. Númenóreans were blessed with long life due to Elvish blood in their heritage from generations previous. Ar-Pharazôn and other Númenórean humans inThe Lord of the Ringslived to be hundreds of years old.
From Tolkien’s work, it seems thatAr-Pharazôn was born in the year 3118of the Second Age, making him roughly the same age as Elendil and Míriel. Trystan Gravelle’s Pharazôn may have been designed to look older than Elendil to give him an air of authority in the court of Númenór. As one of the older humans on the show, Pharazôn was in a position to heavily influence the future of Númenór.
