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TL;DR:

  • The Rings of Power Episode 3 introduces Elendil, a new ally for Galadriel.
  • Elendil is Isildur’s father, making him an ancestor of The Lord of the Rings’ Aragorn.
  • Elendil and Isildur’s storylines could set up Aragorn’s arc in The Lord of the Rings.
Lloyd Owen as Elendil in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.' His hair is blowing in the wind, and he's wearing golden armor.
Lloyd Owen as Elendil | Prime Video

[Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Rings of Power Episode 3, “Adar.”]

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power brought Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and Halbrand (Charlie Vickers) to Númenor, but most of the people living there aren’t thrilled with their arrival. The one exception is Elendil (Lloyd Owen), who is later revealed to be Aragorn’s ancestor. But with The Rings of Power set so long before The Lord of the Rings trilogy, how is Elendil related to Aragorn?

‘The Rings of Power’ Episode 3 introduces Aragorn’s ancestor Elendil

The Rings of Power Episode 3 reveals who saved Galadriel and Halbrand at the end of episode 2. Captain Elendil from Númenor came to their rescue, though that decision could come back to bite him. When he brings the pair to his kingdom, Queen Regent Miriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) and her advisor, Ar-Pharazon (Trystan Gravelle) aren’t pleased. Miriel puts the responsibility of Galadriel on Elendil, tasking him with babysitting the Elf while they consider her request for passage back to Middle-earth.

And the episode reveals more about Elendil as he spends time with Galadriel. Most notably, The Rings of Power tells us that Elendil is Isildur’s (Maxim Baldry) father. That makes him an ancestor of fan-favorite Lord of the Rings character Aragorn. So, precisely how are the two related?

That’s right, The Rings of Power is introducing viewers to Aragorn’s ancestors. And Elendil will prove an important piece in Aragorn’s story, as he paves the way for him to become king. In J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings, Elendil is the one who establishes Gondor. As one of his descendants, Aragorn has a claim to the kingdom’s throne.

Of course, the The Lord of the Rings movies don’t really mention Elendil. Instead, they repeatedly remind us that Aragorn is Isildur’s heir. The films don’t dive too deeply into the lineage of the character. But according to The Cinemaholic, he’s Isildur’s 39th direct descendant. That would make him about 40 generations removed from Elendil.

And as The One Wiki to Rule Them All notes, Aragorn is the final descendant of both of Elendel’s sons. Because an ancestor from Isildur’s line wed one of Anárion’s descendants, Aragorn has the blood of both brothers. But despite being the last of their lines, The Silmarillion claims that Aragorn is “more like Elendil than any before him.”

Will Aragorn appear in ‘The Rings of Power’?

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‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ Adds Another New Character — Who Is Adar?

Although The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will set the stage for Aragorn’s character arc through Elendil and Isildur, it’s unlikely we’ll actually see Strider in the show.

The Rings of Power is set thousands of years before The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The Dúnedain — the race of men that Aragorn and his ancestors hail from — have long life spans, but they’re hardly enough to warrant him showing up during the Second Age. It’s possible later seasons could offer a flash-forward to the time period of the original trilogy. But there’d be little reason for that beyond fan service.

With that in mind, it seems we’ll be following Aragorn’s ancestors in the Amazon series — and we can’t complain about that. Both Elendil and Isildur are considered heroes of Middle-earth. And J.R.R. Tolkien’s notes on both characters suggest they’ll have fascinating journeys moving forward.

New episodes of The Rings of Power stream every Friday on Prime Video.

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