‘Rings of Power’ Stars Break Down 2 Major Deaths in Prime Video’s Lord of the Rings Series

Published Nov 15, 2026, 11:00 AM EST The first batch of episodes include two major character deaths Rings of Power stars discuss the latest character deaths: 'I always knew what was coming' The first batch of episodes include two major character deaths Image: Amazon MGM Studios The stakes are higher than ever in season 3 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Sauron (Charlie Vickers) is working on forging the One Ring that will bring all of Middle-earth under his control, recruiting powerful Ring-servants to lead his orc armies. Númenor is on the brink of civil war between the new king Pharazôn (Trystan Gravelle) and the Faithful loyal to the deposed queen Míriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson). Showrunners J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay made it clear that no one is safe this season by killing off two characters who have been part of the series from the beginning. Polygon spoke to the actors about their last moments on set and their time in Middle-earth. This article contains major spoilers for the first four episodes of The Rings of Power season 3. “I always knew what was coming” The story in Númenor has involved a lot of family drama. Captain Elendil (Lloyd Owen) is one of the leaders of the Faithful, a Númenórean group who believes in preserving the kingdom’s connection to the Elves and the Valar. His daughter Eärien (Ema Horvath) allied herself with Pharazôn and his son, Kemen (Leon Wadham), encouraging her father to renounce his faith and pledge loyalty to the new king. She participated in the arrest of the Faithful’s leaders, though she helped her father escape. Image: Prime Video Five years pass between the season 2 finale and the start of season 3, and they haven’t been kind to Eärien. “In season 1, I hope you get more of a sense of youth and hope,” Horvath said. “This season, you start to feel her age and shame creeping in about what she's done, what she's been involved in.” Eärien seems to be loyal to Pharazôn, and is even called in to help interrogate a man who tried to assassinate the king. But she actually helped the Faithful plan the attack, and she kills the captive to save him from being tortured and potentially revealing her secret. “The idea that even small actions matter is a pretty big theme in Tolkien, and even though she's done some pretty horrible things, the way she's trying to right the ship still matters in this last episode, or in the last few years that she's been helping the Faithful,” Horvath said. “I think she’s an imperfect heroine.” Leon Wadham as Kemen; Trystan Gravelle as PharazônPhoto: Ross Ferguson/Prime Video Pharazôn’s chief advisor Belzagar catches Eärien sneaking into his room so she can send a message to her father, and he lays a trap that winds up with Elendil being captured by Kemen. When Pharazôn confronts her with the truth, Eärien leaps out a window to avoid being interrogated. “That's probably my favorite day that I've ever had on this job,” Horvath said. “It's the first time I got to deliver lines to Trystan, who plays Pharazôn. He's always been the most important person in the room for her, and we've been in scenes together, but we've never gotten to really spar. I was really excited about that scene. I always knew what was coming. I knew that she was going to die on the island, and I knew what her political leanings were going to be.” “I think he’s a badass” The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3Photo: Prime Video The tragic story of the Wood Elf Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova) began in the first episode of The Rings of Power. A soldier guarding a village of men who are descended from allies of the Dark Lord Morgoth, Arondir fell in love with the human healer Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi). Bronwyn’s own son Theo (Nazanin Boniadi) was partially responsible for the destruction of their home after he discovered a magic sword hilt that led to the creation of Mordor. Bronwyn died offscreen from poison delivered by an Orc arrow, which prompted Arondir to dedicate himself to fighting the Orcs alongside Galadriel (Morfydd Clark). In season 3, Arondir wants to leave the fight to take care of Theo, who took refuge in the Númenórean colony of Pelargir. He puts off their reconciliation to go on a dangerous mission with Galadriel to infiltrate the infamous prison of Gundabad. In the meantime, Theo responds to Sauron’s call for Ring-servants and becomes a Nazgnagôl. The two finally meet again at Gundabad, where Arondir tries to persuade Theo to take off his ring and leave with him. Theo seems to be on the brink of accepting the help, but when Sauron appears and compels him to kill Arondir. “He's appealing to the last bit of hope of his son, knowing that he's been quite corrupted,” Córdova said. “Sauron is extremely powerful, and once he corrupts anything, it's very hard to fight against it. It's a testament to Arondir. He's like, ‘I'm still going to face you. I'm still not going to let my light be taken by the shadow, by the darkness.’ I think he's a badass. Until the last second, he's going to try to lead with love.” Image: Prime Video The dramatic scene was shot over the course of a week, though Córdova said he’d been preparing for it for months. “It was very emotional, but I felt quite supported by my castmates and by the crew,” he said. “I was going through a personal loss of a very dear loved one that same week, so the whole thing was quite charged, but I felt like I was in great hands. I knew what our director Sanaa Hamri had in store, and I trust her blindly, so I knew that the character was going to be honored in the way that he needed.” Arondir leaves behind his surrogate son, Theo, and his pet dog, who stayed in Rivendell. “He's just the most beautiful dog,” Córdova said. “He was a pain in the ass, but he was such a lovely dog to shoot with. Elves love and revere nature and all living things, so I think he'll be very well taken care of.” Córdova loved shooting with the dog so much that he went to some extreme lengths to get him in more shots. “He did not want to stay still,” he said. “He did not want to do what he needed to do. But I really wanted him to be there so I said, ‘Bring the tube of chicken paste we're using, and I'll just make it work. Just shoot me from this side.’ They did and I smeared my entire face and my neck on that side with the paste that he loved. He was a little pain in the butt, but I loved him. He was such a cutie.”