The The Rings of Power appears to include a pivotal character from the books that the movie versions left out. Glorfindel, one of the most powerful elves in the history of Middle-earth, was instrumental during the events of Lord of the Rings, particularly The Fellowship of the Ring. But much to the chagrin of fans of the J. R. R. Tolkien books, he was missing from both the 2001 and 1978 films. However, judging by the newly released character posters for the series on Prime Video, Glorfindel looks to be finally getting the on-screen introduction he deserves.
Avid readers of Tolkien literature know Glorfindel as the mighty elf who fought and defeated awesome yet terrible villains while defending his allies. His is one of the greatest stories of all of Tolkien’s tales because he nobly sacrificed his own life in battle and was eventually resurrected into an even more powerful being centuries later (not unlike the memorable character arc movie-goers saw Gandalf the Grey endure to become Gandalf the White). Glorfindel's role during the goings-on of The Fellowship of the Ring was pivotal in that he rescued a mortally wounded Frodo Baggins from the pursuing Black Riders, but viewers of the 2001 film version of this story saw the elf Arwen (Liv Tyler) act as Frodo’s savior. Glorfindel’s omission from the films is widely seen as one of the most disappointing of all the page-to-screen changes.
When the character posters for The Rings of Power were released, fans of the Tolkien books were ecstatic to see one of them portraying an armored character gripping a sword. Eagle-eyed aficionados noticed a rayed sun on the character’s chest plate as well as on the pommel of the sword and just below its cross-guard. As Glorfindel was the lord of the House of the Golden Flower, whose symbol is that of a rayed sun, it seems quite likely this character is indeed him, suggesting The Rings of Power will finally fix the movie injustice.
For years, Tolkien enthusiasts have been speculating about what stories a Lord of the Rings TV show would include. When it was announced the epic series would be a prequel taking place during Middle-earth’s Second Age, fans were delighted. In Tolkien’s literature, the Second Age of Middle-earth saw the rise to prominence and eventual defeat of Sauron, the titular villain in The Lord of the Rings franchise, and the creation of the rings he helped forge and then hoped to master. During this time in Tolkien’s lore, Glorfindel was resurrected from death as one of the most powerful beings in Middle-earth and was instrumental in fighting with his elven brethren against Sauron’s forces. Seeing him portrayed as such a magnificent hero would be an apt righting of the wrong his character was done in the movies.
The Lord of the Rings movies may have neglected to include Glorfindel, but he was arguably more accomplished and displayed more power during the years before the events of those films. Fighting alongside elves and men during the War of the Elves and Sauron was key to Sauron’s defeat. Though once overlooked and left out, it seems Glorfindel is about to enter Middle-earth in grand fashion. The Rings of Power is the perfect opportunity for readers of Tolkien's works to see an iconic character's story brought back to life.