Durin III only exists in Durin IV's head
According to the Appendices of The Lord of the Rings, the Dwarves believe that all the Durins are reincarnations of Durin the Deathless, the oldest of the Seven Fathers. With this in mind, it would be odd to have two Durins around at the same time in the show, even with the timeline compression. A potential explanation for this could be that Durin III is actually just a vision that gives advice to his future incarnation, similar to how the Avatar cycle works in Avatar: The Last Airbender. At least so far the previews have only shown Durin III interact with his descendant, never with any other characters, making it a somewhat plausible explanation to the quandary.- Jossed, Durin III meets other characters in episode 7.
The Stranger's Identity Theories
- Sauron. The meteor crater looks like the Eye of Sauron. He has an apple in the poster that might symbolise betrayal. Galadriel comments that fire is zapped away by evil and the Stranger can sustain fire, suggesting he is evil; additionally, the crater is cool to the touch despite being on fire, similar to the One Ring in The Fellowship of the Ring after Gandalf places it in Frodo's fireplace. Showrunner JD Payne said Sauron might appear in an unexpected way, like at a whimsical Harfoot town. Perhaps most tellingly, the subtitles list " whispering in Black Speech" during the meteor's fall, and it coincides with Gil-Galad seeing a leaf become branded with Sauron's mark.
- Jossed. He's an Istari.
- Gandalf, aka the wielder of Flame of Anor. This landing might recontextualise his fondness of Hobbits or the proto Hobbits the Harfoots.
- Adding to the above, he may have been sent early by Eru Illivitar or one of the Valar to ensure the safety of the Harfoots so that they eventually settle in the shire and their descendants can play their key role in Sauron's ultimate defeat.
- He's one of the Blue Wizards. The two Blue Wizards (Alatar and Pallando) were the only ones sent to Middle-earth in the Second Age. In later writings of Tolkien, they were said to arrive roughly the year 1600 of the Second Age, about the same time Sauron completed his One Ring. (And judging from the introduction of Celebrimbor and the title of the series, the forging of the Great Rings is probably going to be a major focus of this series.) Now one problem with this theory might be that this particular wizard in the series is alone without a partner while the earlier works of Tolkien had both Blue Wizards arriving together. Though, personally, I believe any apparent slight discrepancy like that wouldn't be hard to resolve. I think the timing of his arrival coinciding with the soon to come forging of the Great Rings points very strongly to the Stranger being one of the two Blue Wizards.
- Although the fact that the first season ends with him choosing to journey to Rhûn lines up with the blue wizards, who were more active in the east in comparison to the other three Istari. Additionally Gandalf outright says in The Two Towers, "To the East I go not."
- He's Tom Bombadil. Bombadil is a character about whom, all in all, nothing is known, where he came from, who he is, what species he belongs to (he looks like a human, but obviously is not). So he might as well be a "space alien." Bombadil has mysterious powers related to the mastery of nature, like Meteor Man. Bombadil has some connection to the hobbits, although at the time of Lot R they don't know of his existence - he lives near their habitat, and his name and surname sound quite hobbitish, suggesting that it may have been given by hobbits long ago.
- Jossed. Not only is he confirmed to be an Istari, but Tom Bombadil has always existed in Middle-Earth.
- The Stranger is one of the Blue Wizards.... who was manhandled by Sauron prior to the meteor scene. As a result, he got partial amnesia and cannot fully control his powers/ under some sort of a curse. The cold fire, the site of impact resembling the Eye of Sauron and other sinister moments are therefore the results of Sauron's malice haunting the Stranger. It should be noted that when Galadriel banished Sauron in the film, he also involuntary turned into a comet like form.
- Alternatively, the Stranger is actually Saruman. The very first line and seemingly the main theme of the whole show is that “nothing is evil in the beginning”. The purpose of the Stranger’s storyline may be to show that even a villain like Saruman wasn’t evil at first, but was slowly corrupted through the centuries through pride and ambition. The Stranger falling to earth and forming a crater that looks like the eye of Sauron may be a hint of Saruman’s future alliance with Sauron.
Theo's father is Arondir
- They have similar coloring, and we haven't once seen Theo's ears. Also, Arondir says he's told Bronwyn something in "every way but with words" - it's not that far off to presume they had an encounter that resulted in Theo.
Why Galadriel and Elrond get so much focus
- At first it seems weird that they chose to focus so much on these two characters from the beginning (aside from the obvious nostalgia factor of featuring characters who appeared in the Lord of the Rings), even making Galadriel specifically into a very different character in some ways. But then again, they have one thing that ties them intrinsically to the series' main plot: they're the final wielders of two of the three elven rings. The series will likely skip the initial wielders of each ring and give them straight to the final ones. Which brings us to the third ring, which in the Third Age is worn by Gandalf. This adds fuel to the theory that the Stranger is indeed him.
Theo becomes a Nazgûl
- Likewise, the human settlement subplot will most likely end with the rise of one of the Nazgûl, most likely with Theo becoming the future Witch-king.
Halbrand is Sauron in Disguise
The actor is handsome enough to play a human form of Sauron, one of his first lines is looks can be deceiving and he appears perceptive you don't have the look of someone whom things happen to by accident possibly foreshadowing he is ironically the person she is hunting but doesn't realise, and he won't reveal where his home is, adding an air of mystery to him.- Episode 3 places a great deal of emphasis on Halbrand's smooth talking and diplomatic skill, yet while he appears to be helping Galadriel several of choices 'consenting to be a borderline prisoner' and encouraging Galadriel to give up her quest against evil despite his own people supposedly being under attack by Orcs hint at darker motives. Also during the episode he repeatably resorts to manipulation and theft to get his way and when attacked displays terrifying rage and almost superhuman strength, demolishing four armed attackers and seeming to take glee in the violence.
- In the same episode he also proves to be quite interested in blacksmithing, and gaining access to a forge, claiming to be very adept at it, and claims to have gotten the amulet he wears off a dead man when confronted by Galadriel about it, which she merely takes as a sardonic joke.
- In episode 6 he becomes enraged when he sees Adar for undisclosed reasons, in the same episode Adar reveals he betrayed and believes he slew Sauron. Adar asks him who he is when they are alone, though his name has been said in his presence, and Halbrand remains enigmatically silent. He also makes reference to binding something to his very being, reminiscent of what Sauron ends up doing with the ring. This revelation may be foreshadowed by Gil-Gadal's foresight "She might have inadvertly kept alive the very evil she sought to defeat" and Halbrand says he didn't think he could let go of what's weighing him down without her influence, before embracing his destiny as a true king, which might mean the true lord of Mordor. Constant emphasis is placed on his pouch, which could be misleading characters to verify his incorrect identity, like Bronwyn going along with an assumption he's a true king she doesn't recognise who will unite them.
- Confirmed in the season 1 finale. Halbrand is Sauron.
Halbrand is the Witch King of Angmar
- So far we don't know where he is from exactly, though he says that his people have no king. He also has something of a jaded nature about him, which could make him easy pickings for Sauron's manipulations. He could be given one of the nine rings of men and with it become his people's king, but succumb to the influence Sauron has over the nine rings and become the wraith.
- Episode 3 adds fuel to the fire by revealing that he is apparently descended from a royal line that began when his ancestor made a blood oath to Morgoth. Galadriel thinks he can reedmen his bloodline by uniting his people against Sauron ala Aragon but it's possible he will end up with one of the Rings and become corrupted, ending up in a similar position to his ancestor.
Gil-Galad and Celebrimbor are already aware of Sauron's return
- There's the secret talks, "for elf-lords only", and Gil-Galad's vague comment that Galadriel might incite the very disaster she's trying to prevent. And Celebrimbor is in an extreme hurry for some reason, trying to get his unprecedented tower forge ready in the matter of few months, which makes little sense for an immortal Elf, unless he has reason to suspect that he'll need it very soon.
- Jossed, Sauron is Halbrand.
Halbrand is the King of Ered Nimrais
- He will seek to atone for his people's service to the Enemy, but will refuse the call to war after Numenor's downfall, leading Isildur to curse Halbrand and all his folk. They will fade into obscurity, their spirits unable to pass beyond Middle-earth until finally at the end of the Third Age, Aragorn walks the Paths of the Dead under the Dwimorberg and bids them redeem their oath, so they can finally be at peace.
- Jossed, Sauron is Halbrand.
Adar is Maeglin
- https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Maeglin
was a infamous elf traitor who betrayed the city of Gondolin to Morgoth. He had a particularly bloody feud with Elrond's father (who is discussed in the very episode Adar gets to talk) and traveled through the same lands Adar mentions having travelled through when speaking to Arondir. In the books continuity Maeglin was killed during the fall of Gondolin but the city fell to Morgoth and one of Sauron's titles was the Necromancer ......... Adar being Maeglin either acting as prototype version of the Ring -Wraiths aka a not quite alive being in the service of Sauron or as a independent leader of dark forces who is coopting one of Sauron's contingency plans to try and step into the void left by Morgoth's defeat is possible.- In addition Maeglin was heavily associated with digging and underground imagery, being a member of the House of the Mole and having history with the Dwarves. This lines up eerily well with Adar's operation being Orc's spreading via tunnel networks. Plus Maeglin has personal connections to just about every major player and plotline spread through the Rings of Power narrative. Assuming he's Adar then he's leading the attack on the Southlands which Arondir/Bronwyn/Theo are directly involved in, Galadriel is both invested in warring against the forces of darkness and struggling with her own darkness so pitting her against one of the few Elves to ever sign on with Morgoth works, as noted Maeglin had a blood feud with Elrond's father and had history with the Dwarves so Elrond who whose plotline so far has been focused on A) his friendship with the Dwarves and B) the legacy of his father would have personal feelings about Maeglin being around.
- Jossed. He's a prototype orc, which would mean he predates Maeglin by at least three generations.
Alternatively, Adar is Maglor
- https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Maglor, like the rest of Fëanor's family did some rather dark things during the First Age.
- Evidence in favor:
- His gauntlet could be hiding the burns from touching a Silmaril.
- His armor shows three gem figures on one shoulder, representing the three Silmarils.
- The other shoulder has a total of eight gems, representing each of the elves who swore the Oath of Fëanor.
- Jossed. See above.
Sauron is exploiting Adar to gain the Elves' trust in the future
- Currently it seems like Adar is the primary source of evil in the land, leading orcs to enslave people and conquer territory in the Southlands, and some even assume him to be Sauron himself. But this opens an opportunity for the real Dark Lord to show up in disguise to help the Elves and/or Númenorians to vanquish this threat when things seem direst. And what better way to declare yourself as an emissary of the Valar and helper and ally to the free peoples of Middle-Earth?
Sauron is already in Eregion as Annatar
- Additionally or alternately to above, Sauron might already be in Eregion as Celebrimbor's guest, under his guise of Annatar. Something has inspired Celebrimbor to build this tower forge that will undoubtedly be used to forge the Rings of Power in the future. Could it be that the Dark Lord has already infiltrated the elvish kingdom, but choosing to stay incognito to avoid Gil-Galad's attention?
- The plot of episode 5 supports this theory, as mithril being a device to prevent the fading of the elves as proposed by Gil-galad and Celebrimbor in the episode isn’t at all supported by canon and it would make a great deal of sense if this turns out to be nothing more than a lie created by Sauron in his guise of Annatar and fed to Celebrimbor to manipulate the elves and dwarves into mining the precious metal further. It’s likely that Sauron knows what horror dwells in the deep of Khazad-dûm (the Balrog that ends up being known as Durin’s Bane), and it’s also likely that Sauron knows that the elves taking mithril from the dwarves could result in a break down of the fragile good relationship between the elves of Lindon and Eregion and the dwarves of Khazad-dûm, helping him to divide and conquer.
- Nope. In this continuity, Sauron and Celebrimbor had no contact prior to the events of the show. Sauron still advises Celebrimbor on the forging of the Rings, but as Halbrand, not Annatar.
The Balrog from the trailer is sleeping under Orodruin
- A lot of people assume that the trailer's Balrog would be Durin's Bane, but that would put him an entire Age ahead of his time, and rob Amazon the chance to use him in some future spinoff adaptation. So better to assume that this is a different Balrog also hiding underground, biding his time. His awakening could cause the future Mount Doom to erupt and turn the lush Southlands into the dismal plain of Gorgoroth that it's eventually destined to become. Perhaps Adar is intending to rouse him as a weapon or ally, or maybe Sauron himself will awaken him at the right moment?
- Jossed. The Balrog is under Khazad-dûm, meaning he's Durin's Bane.
The Balrog is sealed in Theo's sword
- Alternately, the Balrog is actually trapped in the evil sword hilt that Theo currently carries. It seems to be alive, its growing and receding blade consisting of shadow and flame, just like a Balrog, and its original owner, Waldreg the barkeep, called it a "beautiful servant".
- Jossed. The Balrog is hiding beneath Middle Earth and the sword is just a key to activate Mount Doom.
Galadriel will inadvertently be the cause of the downfall of Halbrand
- Halbrand isn’t Sauron, but will be corrupted by Sauron after being crowned as the King of the Southlands, and will end up becoming an important villain in the mythos, either as one of the future Nazgul (maybe even the Witch-king himself who was never named in canon) or alternatively the future King of Ered Nimrais (a.k.a. the King of the Dead) as suggested above, but the start of his downfall and turn to darkness will inadvertently be caused by Galadriel herself. So far in the series, Halbrand and Galadriel seem to be forging quite a strong bond, with a lot of Ship Tease thrown in to boot, and the chemistry between the two characters may be a deliberate choice by the writers to hint that a romantic connection will indeed develop, but it will ultimately be one-sided. Halbrand will fall in love with Galadriel but will be ultimately rejected by her (and Galadriel will end up meeting and marrying Celeborn to keep somewhat with canon - Galadriel has to marry Celeborn or there is no Celebrian and resultantly no Arwen after all) and the resulting bitterness of heartbreak and rejection makes him an easy mark for Sauron to then influence and manipulate to darkness.
- Semi-jossed. Halbrand fell long ago and Galadriel is in no mood to hear his redemption speech.
The Downfall of Khazad-dûm
- Durin's obsession with mining mithril in the old mines will be what awakens the Balrog in this continuity.
- Confirmed. Durin's obsession over the mithril is what awakens the Balrog.
Bronwyn is related to Halbrand/Will become a Nazgûl
- Halbrand is a Red Herring, but Bronwyn is related to him, making her a lord of Men, and will eventually receive a ring from Sauron. She is shown to have leadership skills, at least some fighting ability, but also a willingness to sacrifice her morals to preserve her people.
- Jossed. They have no relation to each other.
Galadriel is actually Sauron
- Most likely from after she jumped off the boat. Galadriel got weirdly cold and genocidal towards the Uruk-Hai for a supposed a hero and has been causing trouble for the Numenoreans. She was also somehow aware that a battle was going to happen to arrive in time.
- Jossed. Halbrand is Sauron.
The Forging of the One Ring
- In parallel to how Galadriel sacrificed her brother's dagger to forge the three Elven Rings, Sauron will sacrifice the dark sword Morgoth forged for him in order to forge the One Ring.
Theories on Galadriel's Daughter Celebrian
- She should already exist by this point, but Galadriel's obsession with hunting down Sauron has estranged the two. If she does appear, her arc will involve learning to forgive her mother.
Theories on Theo's father
- Arondir is Theo's biological father and he's a half-elf. We conspicuously don't see Theo's ears, except for one brief shot where they look round in episode seven that might be a mistake, and Arondir and Bronwyn clearly have some history. The hug Theo gives Arondir in Episode 7 at the very least indicate there's a paternal dynamic between them.
- Theo's father is actually a lost heir to the Southlands and he will grow up to be the witch-king. This seem a little unlikely given the broken line of the kings in Southlands, but his father could be someone important enough that Theo could grow up and take power.
Sauron isn't done in Eregion yet and Annatar will make an appearance in the series
- Only the Three Elven Rings have been forged, the other rings will still need to be forged by Celebrimbor. As Season 1 ends with Galadriel and maybe Elrond being aware of Halbrand's true identity. This could lead to Sauron to take advantage of Celebrimbor not being aware of what really went on and again infiltrating Eregion as Annatar for the forging of the other rings. Galadriel being suspicious of Annatar would be a result of her being somewhat aware that it's Sauron back to manipulate things even further.
Theo is Ohtar, Isildur's squire who brings Narsil to Rivendell
- Though Ohtar is said in supplemental material to have been Isildur's kinsman, this is not included in the Appendices, which is what the show has rights to. Theo has already been sword-bearer twice, once carrying a broken sword for a "promised king", and once for Galadriel (who refers to him as "Soldier", notably what the title "Ohtar" is said to translate to). Furthermore, with Isildur presumed dead but currently trapped in the Southlands, it seems likely that they will encounter each other in Season 2, and form a friendship that could lead to Theo becoming Isildur's squire later down the line.
Bronwyn is one of the Blue Wizards.
- Bronwyn is frequently seen wearing blue, an unusual color in her village.
- Tolkien said that the Blue Wizards went east and south, into enemy-occupied lands, as missionaries. Bronwyn lives in the Southlands, among the descendants of Sauron's followers, and helps to rally them against both Adar and Sauron.
