Who is this mysterious drifter? After the release of the first two episodes of Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, a huge question has arisen is: who really is Halbrand?
The lore that Tolkien wrote for the Second Age of Middle Earth is vast and extremely deep with fascinating characters, breath-taking places and settings, inspiring stories, songs, and poems, and legendary weapons, which has been (somewhat) translated into the Rings of Power universe.
Many of these characters, such as Galadriel, Elrond, Finrod, Sauron, High King Gil-Galad, Celebrimbor, and King Durin III, have already been introduced in the show, with many of Tolkien’s noteworthy Numenorean characters to come in later episodes.
Yet, despite Tolkien writing an uncountable number of characters, Halbrand is an entirely new person created solely by the show runners.
Obviously, that makes me question who this person really is? Evidently, he must be important as the showrunners found him interesting enough to include in the show. But who?
I have three theories as to who the mysterious Halbrand actually is/who he will become.
Okay, starting off with my first and most boring theory, Halbrand might actually be….Halbrand.
Yes, Halbrand might end up being just some insignificant, petty criminal that Galadriel just so happens to run into during her travels to hunt Sauron.
Maybe he’ll change because of Galadriel and save her in some manner down the line, or maybe he’ll betray her for Sauron because he is a rogue at heart. Hopefully, this isn’t the case as that would just be boring.
Anyway, my second theory is that Halbrand is actually Sauron in disguise.
Currently, Sauron is hiding his true identity after his master’s, Morgoth, defeat at the hands of the Elves and Valar in the War of Wrath, while also secretly amassing the strength of his former master’s army and preparing for another invasion of Middle Earth.
It only makes sense that he would take on the appearance of a person who would be least suspected of being the Dark Lord by the Elves but is also important enough to wreak havoc on the race that possess the largest threat to his invasion.
Who better to be than a mysterious rogue/drifter that may or may not be the son of a king (it’s not really clear)?
Plus, in the Second Age Lore, Sauron eventually takes the elf form of the ‘Lord of Gifts’ to trick Celebrimbor into making the rings of power for him, though that won’t be show for a while. So, he’s obviously masquerading as someone.
Also, wouldn’t it be super ironic for Galadriel to trust (and maybe fall in love, if the show goes in that direction; which it might, judging by the early interaction between the two) and inadvertently protect the one being in all of Middle Earth that’s she determined to destroy? I think so.
The only problem I have with this theory, which you probably already noticed, is that Sauron took the form of an elf while being the ‘Lord of Gifts’, while Halbrand is most certainly a man.
Unless the Dark Lord changes into the ‘Lord of Gifts’ after being Halbrand, I don’t think this theory is that accurate.
My third and final prediction is that Halbrand is/will become one of the Nazgul/Ring Wraiths. According to the lore, the nine kings of men (who were only warriors/wizards at the time) were given the nine rings of power during this era.
I could see the story playing out where Galadriel helps Halbrand recover his kingdom, which was overrun by Orcs, and said people of said kingdom make Halbrand their king due to his role in its uprising.
However, Sauron, as the ‘Lord of Gifts’ will come sulking about and convince Halbrand into taking one of the rings of power, thus dooming his fate as Nazgul and devoted servant to Sauron.
If Galadriel and Halbrand form some sort of close bond, whether it be platonic or romantic during their storyline, it could be quite dramatic to have to watch Galadriel fight against her one-time friend/romantic interest as a Nazgul.
(Amazon-Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power-Official Trailer)
Another point that could help legitimatize this theory is that the identities of the Nazgul, apart from the Witch King and an Easterling called Khamul, are unknown. Thus, the show has the flexibility as to who becomes the Nazgul.
Maybe one of these theories are right, or maybe they are all completely wrong. We’ll see as the show goes on, but if I had to pick one, I’d want the Nazgul theory to come true.
Images Source: Featured Image: (Amazon) (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power – Main Teaser | Prime Video – YouTube)
In Text Image 1: (Amazon) (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power – Official Trailer | Prime Video – YouTube)
