‘The Rings of Power’ Reveals the Origin of What Saved Frodo’s Life in ‘The Lord of the Rings’
TL;DR:
- The Rings of Power Episode 4 reveals the origin of Mithril.
- Mithril saved Frodo Baggins’ life in The Lord of the Rings movies.
- It’s unclear what role Mithril will play in The Rings of Power, but it seems important.
The Rings of Power contains many references to The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and episode 4 reveals the origin of something that once saved Frodo Baggins’ (Elijah Wood) life: Mithril. It’s unclear what role the rare metal will play in Prime Video’s series, but Frodo can thank Durin (Owain Arthur) and his fellow Dwarves for mining it.
[Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Rings of Power Episode 4, “The Great Wave.”]
Mithril saves Frodo’s life in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’
The Rings of Power Episode 4 brings viewers back to Khazad-dûm, where Durin is hiding something from Elrond (Robert Aramayo) — and this week, we find out what it is. After Elrond follows his friend down to the old mines, he learns that the Dwarves have discovered a new metal: Mithril.
Those who have watched The Lord of the Rings movies will recall that Frodo receives a shirt made of Mithril from Bilbo (Ian Holm). It saves his life during The Fellowship of the Ring, when a Cave Troll attacks him in the Mines of Moria. Although the troll stabs Frodo in the chest with a spear, the Mithril shirt prevents him from being fatally wounded.
But what exactly is Mithril, and how will it factor into The Rings of Power‘s story?
What is Mithril?
When Elrond discovers that Durin is mining Mithril in secret, the Drawf gives his friend — and those watching The Rings of Power — the lowdown on what this metal is.
Calling it “a new ore,” Durin reveals that Mithril is “lighter than silk,” “harder than iron,” and “maybe dearer than gold.” Bilbo shares a similar sentiment about Mithril’s weight and strength in The Fellowship of the Ring. And that explains why Frodo’s shirt is easy to wear under his clothes, even if it’s powerful enough to block the damage from something like a spear.
In J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings, Mithril is a rare commodity — at least by the time the Third Age rolls around. With The Rings of Power set during the Second Age, viewers are poised to see how its discovery impacts Middle-earth. They may also find out why it’s so hard to come by later on.
Why Mithril is so important in ‘The Rings of Power’
It’s not entirely clear what role Mithril will play in The Rings of Power, but the Prime Video series took the time to emphasize it — so, clearly, it’s important.
In J.R.R. Tolkien’s lore, Mithril eventually becomes difficult to come by. As The One Wiki to Rule Them All points out, the Dwarves dig too deeply into the mines for it. In doing so, they inadvertently unleash the Balrog, making it near impossible to obtain the metal afterward.
As such, The Rings of Power could delve into the origin of the beast that kills Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It would be interesting to learn more about the Balrog — though Moria’s fall takes place during the Third Age, so it’s hard to say if the series will get this far.
Another reason Mithril could be important to The Rings of Power is to drive a bigger wedge between the Dwarves and the Elves. Tensions are already high between both groups. And despite Elrond’s promise that he won’t speak of the precious metal, Amazon’s preview for The Rings of Power Episode 5 shows Celebrimbor admiring the Mithril Durin gave Elrond. In Tolkien’s writings, the Elves and Men manage to get their hands on Mithril — meaning Elrond’s actions could shoot down Durin’s hopes of using the metal to make the Dwarves prosper.
We’ll have to wait and see if that’s where the Amazon series takes things, but it’s probably no coincidence this falls into Celebrimbor’s hands as he’s attempting to build a mine of his own.
New episodes of The Rings of Power debut every Friday on Prime Video.
