Elrond and Galadriel clearly have a history in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, but are they related?

For two seasons, Amazon Prime Video’s Rings of Power has explored the relationship between Elrond and Galadriel, leading fans to wonder if they’re family, just friends, or maybe something more.

Unlike most of the Rings of Power cast (Gandalf confirmation pending), Morfydd Clark (Galadriel) and Robert Aramayo (Elrond) play younger versions of well-known characters from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.

While the two Elves did not always share scenes on the big screen, their close bond is key to their respective Rings of Power storylines.

Elrond and Galadriel’s Rings of Power Relationship Explained

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According to J.R.R. Tolkien lore, Galadriel and Elrond are distantly related during the Rings of Power, but their relationship and familial status will change before The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

As shown in Episode 1 of Rings of Power, Galadriel grew up in Valinor before Morgoth wreaked havoc, leading many elves, including Galadriel, to pursue him to Middle-earth.

However, Elrond’s history is different. Not only is he significantly younger than Galadriel, but he was born and raised in Middle-earth and is half-Elven.

Since elves are immortal, their lineages are understandably complex due to thousands of years of living. But according to canon, Galadriel and Elrond were distant cousins, as well as friends and confidantes, as she was the first cousin of Turgon, Elrond’s great-grandfather.

In addition, Elrond was the great-great-grandson of Fingolfin, Galadriel’s uncle.

So far, the Rings of Power has only spotlighted their close friendship which, at times, seemingly hints at possible chemistry.

But it’s during the Second Age, which is the era in which the series is set, that events take place that ultimately change their relationship and familial ties.

At some point within this Middle-earth era, Galadriel and her husband, Celeborn, give birth to a daughter, Celebrían.

Then, in the Third Age, Elrond meets Celebrían; and after an additional 1,800 years, the two finally marry and have three children, one of which is Arwen from The Lord of the Rings.

So in addition to Galadriel and Elrond being friends and distant cousins in the Rings of Power, she’s also his future mother-in-law.

But even so, there’s one more bond the two will share.

While Galadriel bears the ring Nenya (read more about Galadriel’s ring here) and much to Elrond’s frustration, at some point, he too will share the burden of a ringbearer when he receives Vilya, the Ring of Air.

Will Rings of Power Show Celeborn and Celebrían?

A question fans have been asking since the Rings of Power‘s 2022 debut is where is Galadrield’s husband, Celeborn?

According to canon, Galadriel met Celeborn at the end of the First Age; and when she briefly mentions him in Season 1, she admits she believes he’s dead.

While Lord of the Rings fans know that cannot be true, and Rings of Power showrunners have alluded to a Celeborn appearance (via Dexerto), the choice to keep him off the board could complicate Elrond’s story, especially since the Second Age is when his future wife Celebrían is born.

Still, since this period of Middle-earth history spans over 3,000 years, perhaps the Rings of Power showrunners feel a little creative freedom with the timeline will not impact canon events too much.

The question now is when will Celeborn make his Rings of Power debut and will the series allude to the mother-in-law, son-in-law relationship awaiting Galadriel and Elrond?

The Rings of Power is streaming on Amazon Prime Video, and new episodes are released on the platform every Thursday at 3 a.m. ET.