The Rings of Power season 2, episode 5, saw the character Valandil suffer a tragic death, raising questions about his notability in Tolkien lore. Set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, Prime Video’s Lord of the Rings prequel series examines an age of Tolkien’s history that’s mostly told through bullet points, lacking direct details. Thus, the television dramatization of this era takes its creative liberties in defining its cast, causing the creation of original characters like Arondir, Nori Brandyfoot, and more. The name Valandil, on the other hand, creates more direct questions about the character’s relation to Tolkien’s writing.

The Rings of Power season 2, episode 5’s ending, saw the political conflict in Númenor becoming violent, as Kemen, son of Ar-Pharazôn, interrupted a spiritual gathering to shut down a temple. Kemen seems to be acting out of bitterness toward Elendil and Valandil, and ends up in a skirmish with the two of them. Valandil gets the upper hand, disarming Kemen and holding his sword above him. At the command of Elendil, Valandil decides to spare Kemen, dropping the sword and turning his back to him, only to be stabbed in the back.

Valandil Is An Original Character In The Rings Of Power

Valandil Is A Name From Tolkien’s World, But This Character Is Original

Valandil is a name drawn from Tolkien’s world, but the character depicted in The Rings of Power is entirely original to the TV series. He was shown commonly in the show’s first season to be a friend of Isildur, depicted as a determined and honorable soldier in Elendil’s command. He was relatively minor in the series, yet Valandil’s death is heartbreaking due to his noble intentions as one of the few forces for good remaining on the island kingdom of Númenor. While not having a major arc of his own, Valandil’s impact on season 2 should be significant.

his death should light a fire under Elendil to begin acting in defiance of the usurpers

An earlier scene in episode 5 saw Elendil and Miriel discussing Númenor’s future and how Elendil’s vision is crucial to the civilization’s way forward. Lord of the Rings fans know Elendil will eventually become the first King of Arnor, leading the Númenórean population to Middle-earth as the remainder self-destructs on the island under Ar-Pharazôn. Valandil was a minor character in The Rings of Power, but his death should light a fire under Elendil to begin acting in defiance of the usurpers, allowing him to lead Númenor into its future.

Several Significant Númenóreans In Tolkien Lore Had The Name “Valandil”

Valandil Was A King Of Númenor Years Before The Rings Of Power

Before the events of The Rings of Power, at some point earlier on in the Second Age, there was a king of Númenor known as Valandil. According to Tolkien’s etymology, the name means “Lover of the Valar,” making the TV show’s version a direct representation of one of Númenor’s political factions. Valandil is the embodiment of the old ways of Númenor, which respect the elves and the Valar for their contributions to their society, opposing Ar-Pharazôn and Kemen’s desire to expand mankind’s power and influence over Arda.

According to the legendarium, there are also other characters named Valandil. Valandil is also the name of Elendil’s father, continuing the trend of this name and its representation in Númenor, referring to the old ways of the civilization in aligning with the elves and the Valar. Finally, there’s a third character in Tolkien’s lore named Valandil: Isildur’s son, who becomes the King of Arnor following Isildur’s death in the orc ambush at the Gladden Fields.

Valandil’s The Rings Of Power Death Sets Up Isildur’s Heir

Isildur’s Direct Heir Is Named Valandil

Aside from Kemen becoming the show’s most detestable character, this moment in The Rings of Power will have a lasting influence on Middle-earth. Isildur may not be the most prominent character in The Rings of Power, but he’ll end the show as one of the most pivotal. As movie fans know from the Lord of the Rings prologue scenes, Isildur kills Sauron but takes the One Ring for himself instead of destroying it, and is then ambushed and loses it, for it to eventually make its way to Gollum. After Isildur dies, his youngest son, Valandil, becomes king.

This allows The Rings of Power to set up a memorable name for Isildur’s youngest child, as he’ll be named after the tragic character from season 2. This will distinguish the heir Valandil to television audiences, as otherwise, the youngest son might not carry too much weight. It’s only due to the fact that Isildur’s other sons were also killed at the Gladden Fields that Valandil would eventually become king, though it’s uncertain if The Rings of Power will make it this far in its narrative.