Unless you’re a hardcore Tolkienian, but even then, forgetfulness can happen, the most frequently asked question when you watch The Rings of Power and come across a new character is probably “Was this character in The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and other works by JRR Tolkien or was he invented for this Prime Video TV series?”
To answer this question, we thought we’d list all the actors in the cast and the respective characters they played, divided into “canonical” characters, that is, those already present in Tolkien’s books, to which we’ll link their respective biographies on the Tolkien universe fan wikis, and characters created by the imagination of showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay. As for Sauron, we’ll put him among the canonical characters, but his reincarnation as Halbrand is specific to this TV series, while as Annatar he’s present in the Tolkien corpus.
Spoiler-free review of Rings of Power
The release schedule and episode titles
The summary of the first 3 episodes
Episode 4 recap
The Rings of Power, the canonical characters (and the actors)
Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) – Elven warrior.
Elrond Peredhel (Robert Aramayo) – Half-Elven architect and politician.
Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker) – High King of the Noldor Elves, rules the realm of Lindon.
Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) – Elven blacksmith who forges the Rings of Power.
Durin IV (Owain Arthur) – Prince of the dwarven city Khazad-dûm.
Durin III (Peter Mullan) – Dwarf, king of Khazad-dûm.
Halbrand / Sauron / Annatar (Charlie Vickers and Jack Lowden) – The shapeshifting former lieutenant of the Dark Lord Morgoth who disguises his appearance as the human Halbrand and the elf Annatar, the “Lord of Gifts”.
Elendil (Lloyd Owen) – Sailor captain of Númenor and father of Isildur and Eärien.
Míriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) – Queen Regent of Númenor, an island kingdom ruled by Men descended from Elros, half-elf brother of Elrond.
Pharazôn (Trystan Gravelle) – Númenórean statesman and advisor to Queen Regent Míriel.
Isildur (Maxim Baldry) – Sailor of Númenor, son of Elendil and brother of Eärien.
Círdan (Ben Daniels) – Nicknamed the Helmsman, he is a teler elf, a great sailor, carpenter and advisor to Elrond.
Narvi (Kevin Eldon) – Dwarf craftsman and architect and advisor to Durin III.
Tom Bombadil (Rory Kinnear) – An eccentric and mysterious character whom the Stranger meets in the land of Rhûn. He is the oldest of all in Middle-earth.
Tar-Palantir (Ken Blackburn) – King of Númenor and father of Míriel.
The Rings of Power, the characters invented for the series (and the interpreters)
Elanor “Nori” Brandipiede (Markella Kavenagh) – Fur-footed girl friend of the Stranger
Poppy Greatscorn (Megan Richards) – Furfoot and Nori’s best friend.
Begonia Brandipiede (Zwangobani) – Mother of Nori and Dilly.
Bigfoot (Dylan Smith) – Father of Nori and Dilly.
Dilly Bigfoot (Beau Cassidy) – Bigfoot and Nori’s sister.
Sadoc Holed Up (Lenny Henry) – Guide of the Furfoots.
Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova) – Wood Elf, Guardian of the Southern Lands.
Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi) – Theo’s human mother and healer.
Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin) – Son of Bronwyn.
Disa (Sophia Nomvete) – Princess, wife of Durin IV and one of the stonesingers.
The Stranger (Daniel Weyman) – An unnamed Istar who falls from the sky and becomes friends with Nori and Poppy.
Adar (Joseph Mawle in season 1 and by Sam Hazeldine in season 2) – Fallen elf and leader of the orcs.
Dark Sorcerer (Ciarán Hinds) – One of the Istar seeking the Stranger.
Waldreg (Geoff Morrell) – human from the Southlands and follower of Sauron, he quickly goes over to Adar’s side
Valandil (Alex Tarrant) – Sailor of Númenor and friend of Isildur.
Eärien (Ema Horvath) – Isildur’s sister.
Kemen (Leon Wadham) – Son of Pharazôn.
Mirdania (Amelia Kenworthy) – Protégé of Celebrimbor.
Estrid (Nia Towle) – savage and Isildur’s love interest.
Lord Belzagar (Will Keen) – Numenorian noble of the Northlands.
Glüg (Robert Strange) – Orc and right-hand man of Adar.
Damrod (Benjamin Walker) – Hill troll who joins Adar’s forces.
Hagen (Gabriel Akuwudike) – Wild Man servant of Adar who attacks travelers near Pelargir; betrothed to Estrid
Brânk (Zates Atour) – Knight hired by the Dark Sorcerer to capture the Stranger.
Tree-Shepherd (voiced by Jim Broadbent) – Ents, known as the Tree Shepherds, are the protectors of plant creatures.
Winterflower (voiced by Olivia Williams) – A female companion of Twistroot.
Camnir (Calam Lynch) – An elven cartographer and navigator who joins Elrond’s company.
Merimac (Gavi Singh Chera) – Sturoe who meets Nori and Poppy.
Gundabale Earthauler (Tanya Moodie) – Stooi community guide.
Rían (Selina Lo) – Expert archer from Lindon who joins Elrond’s company.
The Dweller (Bridie Sisson) – Mysterious woman of Rhûn who seeks the Stranger to worship him, believing him to be Sauron.
The Wanderer (Edith Poor) – Mysterious woman of Rhûn who seeks the Stranger to worship him, believing him to be Sauron.
The Ascetic (Kali Kopae) – Mysterious woman of Rhûn who seeks the Stranger to worship him, believing him to be Sauron.
Diarmid (Nicholas Woodeson) – Leader of a group of Southlanders on the run who invites Halbrand to join them.
