Valandil in ‘The Rings of Power’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’: Who he really was?

Middle-earth, the vast world imagined by Professor J.R.R. Tolkien, is home to countless characters, each contributing to the grand tapestry of history, war, and magic. Some of these characters are central to the main stories, while others are more obscure, adding depth and richness to the world.

When adaptations come to life, they often alter or reimagine certain aspects of the original material to fit the narrative structure or introduce new characters for dramatic effect (just don’t ask George R.R. Martin). In this case, The Lord of the Rings movies, or Prime Videos’ The Rings of Power series, have made some changes, mainly due to restrictions on the rights to some of the books and stories written by the Tolkien family. One such character that has attracted interest is Valandil, especially given his relatively minor role in Tolkien’s written works compared to his presence in the TV Series.

Who was Valandil in Tolkien’s lore?

In Tolkien’s universe, Valandil is best known as the third son of Isildur, the king who famously cut the One Ring from Sauron’s hand. Born in Rivendell during the last days of the Second Age, he was too young to take part in the War of the Last Alliance. After Isildur’s tragic death in the Gladden Fields, Valandil became king of Arnor, the northern realm of the Dúnedain. While his reign is considered important in the timeline of Middle-earth, it is marked by a slow decline of Arnor’s power, leading to the eventual fragmentation of the kingdom.

Unlike more prominent characters like Isildur or Elendil, Valandil’s story is mostly found in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. He is a character more important for his lineage than for his direct action in the story, acting as a link in the long line of kings that culminates in Aragorn.

Valandil in ‘The Rings of Power’

As mentioned earlier, the Prime Video series ‘The Rings of Power’ has made some changes and adaptations to work with what they have, expanding on characters that are only briefly mentioned in Tolkien’s works while introducing new ones. In the series, Valandil is a Númenórean warrior, a fellow cadet and close friend of Isildur, unlike Tolkien’s version of the character.

In this adaptation, Valandil’s role seems to be reimagined as a comrade-in-arms, adding emotional depth to Isildur’s arc as he wrestles with his destiny. We don’t know, maybe he will be the inspiration for Isildur’s third son’s name, and that will complete the circle. But that will probably be up to the showrunner and the writers.

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