Ismael Cruz Córdova looking at a piece of parchment as Arondir in The Lord of the Rings The Rings of Power season 2 The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power‘s Arondir gets an ethereal new poster, which has caught the attention of the actor who plays him, Ismael Cruz Córdova. Created by Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne, Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings series returned in August for season 2, continuing its exploration of Sauron’s (Charlie Vickers) rise to power during the Second Age of Middle-earth. After playing a prominent role in season 1, Arondir returns in The Rings of Power season 2, and has thus far had a number of exciting encounters, including meeting a pair of Ents.

Artist Cécilie now shares a stunning new portrait of Arondir from The Rings of Power on X, formerly Twitter, and Cordova himself has re-shared it. The portrait sees Arondir wearing his distinct carved armor, with the artwork capturing the character’s quiet composure and ethereal nature. Check out the artwork below, which Cruz shares with four hands-together heart emojis, expressing his appreciation:

What Arondir’s The Rings Of Power Season 2 Role Means For The Character’s Future

Arondir’s Pairing With Isildur Could End Up Being Important

Arondir (Ismael Cruz) defending Isildur from robbers in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 Episode 3Image via Prime Video

Arondir hasn’t played a large role in the most recent episodes of The Rings of Power season 2, which are setting up the Battle of Eregion and Sauron’s forging of the final rings, but he does seem poised for a larger role moving forward. Early episodes of season 2 reveal that Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi) passed away from the wounds she sustained in season 2, and Arondir has thus far been silently working through his grief. Part of his healing process has involved mending bridges with Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin), but it has also brought him into contact with Isildur (Maxim Baldry).

Isildur, of course, is a Rings of Power character who will come to play an important and yet tragic role in the future as the man who essentially slays Sauron’s physical form, and it could be telling that the showrunners have chosen to give Arondir and Isildur their own storyline. In a more immediate sense, Arondir’s meeting of the Ents could end up playing an important role in the rest of season 2. With Adar’s forces massing around Eregion, Arondir, Isildur, and the Ents could end up becoming involved in this conflict.

The Rings of Power season 3 has not yet been officially confirmed, but a recent report suggests that Amazon will be following through on McKay and Payne’s 5-season plan for the series.

Our Take On Arondir’s Rings Of Power Season 2 Storyline

Córdova’s Character Shows Audiences The Beauty Of Middle-earth

Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova) and Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin) reunite and say goodbye to the giant trees in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 Episode 4Image via Prime Video

One of the subtle strengths of The Rings of Power is that it doesn’t try to address each character’s storyline in every episode. The show isn’t afraid to catch up with some characters every other episode, and this can result in the story each week feeling more focused. That being said, with Bronwyn gone and with Arondir geographically separated from the forging of the rings plot, his storyline has arguably been the one with the least amount of momentum thus far.

Isildur and Arondir as a character pairing makes a lot of sense in this respect, and it could end up being interesting to see what role the Elf plays in Isildur’s development. What’s more, the Arondir storyline has also been a great way to show audiences more of the wonders of Middle-earth, and Córdova’s character’s bond with the natural world has been the source of some of the show’s more touching moments.

New episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 release on Thursdays on Prime Video.