‘Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power’ Season 3 is adding a long-missing piece to Elrond’s past
Elrond has endured a quiet grief for two seasons, and Season 3 looks set to change that. ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ will delve into the life of Elrond’s twin brother Elros for the first time. In a First Age flashback, Robert Aramayo (Elrond) will play Elros himself. Up until now, Elros has been little more than an Easter egg in the series. He appeared in Season 1 as the subject of a Númenor tapestry, for those paying close attention to the detail. But that changes in Season 3, which sees a flashback of Elros telling his brother he has chosen the “Fate of Men,” before eventually becoming the first king of Númenor.
Speaking with Polygon, co-showrunner J.D. Payne said, “Elros makes this decision that’s so different from Elrond’s. He chose to be an elf. He chose immortality, and his brother chose mortality — and chose Númenor.” That choice was crucial to Elros’ story. Elros and Elrond, twin brothers both half-elves, each had the choice of which race to be counted among: Elves or Men. While Elrond chose the fate of the Elves, Elros chose the Gift of Men and accepted mortality. He became the first King of Númenor and ruled for 410 years before passing away at the age of 500. His bloodline continued through the line of kings and the noble families of Númenor and led to Aragorn, which makes Elros a direct ancestor of the King of Gondor.
J.R.R. Tolkien himself has not stated that Elrond and Elros were identical twins, just that they were twins, and ‘The Rings of Power’ is now making them look the same by casting Robert Aramayo as both of the brothers. That definitely heightens the tragedy. Aramayo’s Elrond has his own journey and arc to get into this season. “This season is an interesting one,” Aramayo said, as per Pocket Magazine. “Elrond’s got his own little gaff now.” That “gaff” is Rivendell, which the Elves found at the end of Season 2 after the fall of Eregion.
Elrond now has a home and has become a leader, and the Elros flashback allows the series to delve into the brothers’ shared past and the decision that led to their wildly different lives. Showrunners Payne and Patrick McKay have been tight-lipped about most other details. Neither of them has revealed where in the season the flashback will occur or how much of Elros’ time in Númenor viewers will get to see. What is known, however, is the emotional beat of it all. Elrond, who is in the middle of a war with Sauron, looks back on the brother he lost not to a battle but to mortality. The ‘Rings of Power’ Season 3 debuts on Prime Video on November 11, with the first four episodes premiering together, followed by two more on November 18, and the final two on November 25. The show has spent two seasons teasing Elrond’s family history without revealing it. So Elros’ arrival finally fills in one of the most significant gaps in Elrond’s past.
