After the end of the 2nd season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, the Amazon series is already looking at season 3 with a (Sauron) eye. Above all, Tolkien fans are looking forward to a new character after he gives us was withheld for two seasons. You probably know the figure as a larger-than-life statue from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
Season 3 of The Rings of Power will introduce Anárion
The Lord of the Rings series has already laid down numerous clues in season 2 that predict the forging of the One Ring in season 3 as well as the arrival of the 9 Nazgûl. The next season will also almost certainly introduce a family member that many expected in season 1: Isildur’s younger brother or Elendil’s second son – Anárion.
Anárion was already mentioned in the Rings of Power in Episode 3 of Season 1 as a sailor, but he remained absent. The next name drop followed in the finale of season 2: The refugee Elendil (Lloyd Owen) went looking for his second son in episode 8 and wanted to find refuge with him in the west of the island of Númenor. Isildur’s (Maxim Baldry) family, which also includes Eärien (Ema Horvath), who was invented by the series, will continue to grow in season 3: “[Anárion] will definitely be part of history”confirmed Baldry in the Moviepilot interview.
For Tolkien fans, Anárion has been one of the most anticipated Lord of the Rings characters since Season 1 that has not yet been introduced. However, a cast has not yet been announced for Lord of the Rings newcomer Anárion: It is still unclear who will play him. Before casting begins, Amazon has to make the third season official anyway “good news” have already been teased before the series extension.
As a statue by the Anduin River: Who is Anárion?
Even Lord of the Rings film fans who are not as familiar with JRR Tolkien’s extensive Middle-earth literary work have seen Anárion’s legacy before: when Frodo, Aragorn and the rest of the Fellowship meet the Anduin centuries after the events of The Rings of Power Paddling down the river, they come to it Argonath royal statues over. And according to Tolkien, these two larger-than-life rock figures are Isildur and his brother Anárion.
In the Middle-earth story of the Second Age, Isildur and Anárion grew up on the east coast of Númenor. Like their father Elendil, they were among the loyalists (aka Elven supporters) who eventually fled the island. They left their homeland with nine ships and the Palantír shortly before the catastrophic loss of Númenor. Unlike Phârazon (Trystan Gravelle), they did not previously fall under Sauron’s whispers.
Homeless, the family sailed to Middle-earth and created their kingdoms there. Elendil brought Arnor into being in the north, Isildur and Anárion founded Gondor in the south. Although Elendil was king of both kingdoms, he left control of Gondor to his sons. While Anárion lived in Minas Anor (later: Minas Tirith), Isildur lived on the eastern bank of Anduin in Minas Ithil (later: Minas Morgul). Osgiliath, in the middle, was the divided capital of the brothers.
When Sauron attacked Gondor from Mordor, Isildur and Anárion were forced to flee north to their father. However, Anárion was able to recapture his homeland. Just like the rest of his family, Anárion fought in the Battle of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men against Sauron. During the siege of Sauron’s fortress of Barad-dûr, Isildur’s brother was finally killed – slain by a boulder thrown from a tower either as rubble or by a catapult. A short time later, Sauron also killed Elendil, and Isildur struck the One Ring from the Dark Lord’s finger.
As a memory of his deceased brother, Isildur planted the previously destroyed one White tree new to Gondor. The royal statues on Gondor’s northern border were only erected to the two Lord of the Rings heroes in the Third Age. However, since the Argonath statue to the right of Isildur’s image in Peter Jackson’s film carries a sword instead of an axe, some argue that, unlike in Tolkien’s original, it does not show Anárion at all, but Elendil. Whether that’s true or not, The Rings of Power should finally bring the prodigal son back in season 3.
Lord of the Rings series podcast: Rings of Power finale and what awaits us in season 3
After 8 episodes, the second season of Amazon’s big fantasy series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has come to an end. Middle-earth fans Esther from Moviepilot and Sebastian from Filmstarts draw conclusions after the grand finale and discuss highlights and missteps of the return.
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