The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power introduces Círdan as the oldest and wisest of the Elves. Played by Ben Daniels in the Prime Video series, Círdan plays an important role in the Elves’ decision to keep and use the Three Elven Rings of Power crafted by Celebrimbor. He seems to be a figure everyone trusts in Rings of Power—a rare instance of agreement between Gil-galad, Galadriel, and Elrond in season 2. So, who is Círdan, how old is he, and how does his story impact the later events of Lord of the Rings?

In Rings of Power season 2, Elrond seeks Círdan’s help after he steals the Three Elven Rings and flees Lindon. Eager to ensure that his people don’t fall prey to Sauron’s will, he begs the old Elf to aid him in eliminating the temptation. Elrond called Círdan the oldest and wisest of their people and gave him the Rings to throw into the deepest trench in the sea. However, Círdan changes his mind just before disposing of Celebrimbor’s creations. To understand why he made this choice, as well as Círdan’s further role in Rings of Power, it’s essential to know his history.

Círdan’s History Before The Rings Of Power Explained

Círdan’s Story Goes Back Thousands Of Years

Long before the events of The Rings of Power, Círdan was born among the Teleri, a clan of Elves that migrated West to Valinor before there was even a sun in the sky. He was kin to the leader of his people, Thingol, and was intensely loyal to the king. For this reason, Círdan didn’t cross the Great Sea to Valinor since Thingol had gone missing in the Forest of Nan Elmoth. Though it was Círdan’s greatest desire to see the light of Valinor, he stayed behind, first to find Thingol, then because a vision from the Valar revealed he had a great destiny in Middle-earth’s salvation.

Círdan’s vision revealed the image of a ship that he would one day make and an order to stay in Middle-earth until the time came. He obeyed and became the lord of the Falathrim on the Western shores of Middle-earth. Here, he aided in the war against Morgoth, fighting in battles, building ships, saving the life of the young Noldor prince, Gil-galad, and finally befriending and assisting the half-elf hero, Eärendil (Elrond’s father). Círdan helped Eärendil build a glorious ship, which the half-elf used to sail to Valinor and gain the Valar’s help in the war against Morgoth—an event that turned the tides for Middle-earth.

The ship Círdan built with Eärendil fulfilled his vision, and the shipwright was rewarded with the gift of foresight.

The ship Círdan built with Eärendil fulfilled his vision, and the shipwright was rewarded with the gift of foresight. He could see the future clearer than any other Elf who possessed this power (such as Galadriel), and this revealed to Círdan that he was still needed in Middle-earth. So, he again ignored his burning desire to make the move to Valinor. Círdan remained in the Grey Havens, building ships on which Elves could travel to Valinor and the Edain (High Men) could take to their new island home of Númenor.

Is Círdan Really The Oldest Elf In Middle-earth?

Elrond Called Círdan The Oldest & Wisest

In The Rings of Power season 2, Elrond called Círdan the oldest of their people, and he wasn’t kidding. While the exact year of his birth is unknown, Círdan was born in Cuiviénen, the region in Middle-earth where the very first Elves, created by the god Eru Ilúvatar, woke up. While the shipwright wasn’t one of those hand-crafted by Lord of the Rings‘ deity, he was born among those who were—before there was a sun or moon and before Elves had even set foot in Valinor. Some centuries after Círdan was born, the Valar invited the various tribes of Elves to Valinor, and Círdan was among those who chose to make this great journey West.

Most Elves that traveled West crossed over to Aman (the continent of the Valar) and continued to multiply there. When the Noldor later sailed East from Valinor to fight Morgoth (who had stolen the Silmarils), many of these elves, including Galadriel, were descendants of those who had been born in Middle-earth but had never set foot on the continent themselves. Therefore, by the events of the Second Age, Círdan was among the very few in Middle-earth who were old enough to have been born there before the Valar first invited the Elves to Valinor.

How The Rings Of Power Changes Círdan’s Original Story & Character

Prime Video Took Some Creative Liberties With Círdan’s Story

While Rings of Power hasn’t dived too far into Círdan’s history, the Prime Video series has done a fair job of bringing this character to the screen. In the first few moments after his introduction, the elf is seen staring longingly westward toward the continent that he has never been able to call home. Additionally, it’s clear that Círdan has a close, fatherly relationship with Elrond, and this makes a lot of sense considering his history with the young elf’s father, Eärendil. What’s more, the respect Gil-galad shows Círdan implies the canon history these two share.

The biggest changes to Círdan’s character come from the necessity for Rings of Power to take creative liberties with the nuances and details of events. In Tolkien canon, Celebrimbor himself gave Círdan Narya the Elven Ring of Power. However, in season 2, Elrond gave his elder the Three to destroy, fearing Sauron’s influence. Though Círdan initially intended to drop the rings into the sea, something made him change his mind. He took Narya for himself and brought the remaining two to Gil-galad.

While the details of how Círdan wound up with Narya are different from Tolkien canon, the implication here is that the elf’s gift of foresight (courtesy of the Valar) made him keep the ring.

While the details of how Círdan wound up with Narya are different from Tolkien canon, the implication here is that the elf’s gift of foresight (courtesy of the Valar) made him keep the ring. This is precisely what leads him to later give Narya to Gandalf—though this is another event that is sure to go differently in The Rings of Power.

Círdan Is Still Alive During The Lord Of The Rings (& Briefly Appears)

Círdan Was A Character In Peter Jackson’s Lord Of The Rings

Prime Video’s The Rings of Power is the first time that Círdan has been given much attention in a screen adaptation, but the character was actually briefly featured in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. In Tolkien canon, Círdan remained at the Grey Havens for thousands of years following the end of the Second Age and continued to see the Elves to Valinor on his magnificent ships. After Sauron’s One Ring was finally destroyed for good, he did precisely this for Elrond and Galadriel, as well as Gandalf, Bilbo, and Frodo.

At the end of Jackson’s Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Círdan is momentarily visible at the Grey Havens when Frodo sets out for his final journey to the Undying Lands. Now, Rings of Power provides further context regarding who this character is and how deeply important he is to the stories of Middle-earth. It’s around this point in the Lord of the Rings timeline that Círdan sailed for Valinor himself. He had selflessly fulfilled his duty in Middle-earth and could finally accomplish his greatest dream. Of course, Rings of Power‘s version of this character is still a long way off from this moment.