Elrond's True Form Finally Appears In The Rings Of Power Season 3

Jul 11, 2026 - 01:14

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Elrond's True Form Finally Appears In The Rings Of Power Season 3

Robert Aramayo as Elrond in The Rings of Power

Published Jul 10, 2026, 5:00 PM EDT

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Expect to see a very different version of Elrond, perhaps even the truest side, in The Rings of Power season 3. Like most characters in Amazon's The Lord of the Rings series, the younger Elrond is scarcely recognizable compared to his future self from during the Third Age's War of the Ring. Robert Aramayo does a brilliant job channeling hints of Hugo Weaving's performance, but he's also playing a very different incarnation of Tolkien's iconic elf.

Throughout The Rings of Power's first season, Elrond is an erudite and intellectual figure working under High King Gil-galad, but he lacks any real power or authority among his people. The younger Elrond is also missing the self-assurance and determination that later comes to define him during The Lord of the Rings. Aramayo's version begins The Rings of Power looking almost like someone fresh out of college with an English Lit. diploma, trying to find their place in their world while enduring an unpaid intern gig and being underappreciated by their boss. Even after becoming de facto ambassador between the Elves and Khazad-dûm, Elrond still struggles with the burden of his illustrious bloodline.

Elrond's characterization shifts in The Rings of Power season 2, but further from what most viewers know and love. Sauron declaring open war forces Elrond to unleash his inner warrior, which he does so valiantly during the Siege of Eregion. Desperate and deadly, this is, once again, a very different Elrond. Flashes of Elrond as a soldier were glimpsed in Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring, but the battlefield has never been his natural habitat.

It's also very unusual seeing Elrond at such a powerless time of his life. Despite, quite understandably, harboring massive reservations about using unpredictable magic rings engineered by forces of darkness, his pleas are largely ignored by Galadriel, Gil-galad, and Celebrimbor. By the time Elrond shares a canon-busting smooch with Galadriel, the character feels almost entirely removed from the elf he'll eventually become, but that will certainly change come The Rings of Power season 3.

The Rings Of Power Season 3 Will Be The Beginning Of LOTR-Era Elrond

Elrond, Arondir, Gil-galad lifting his sword, and Galadriel standing above Rivendell in The Rings of Power season 2 (2024)

The Rings of Power season 2 concluded with the Siege of Eregion. According to J.R.R. Tolkien's lore, Elrond responds to the aftermath of that loss by leading the homeless survivors north, where he settles in a new land that later becomes known as Rivendell. While Amazon's series isn't exactly known for its faithfulness to the source material, Elrond's established path does give audiences a strong idea of what to expect from season 3.

And The Rings of Power itself has suggested Rivendell will be featured imminently. Following the second season's climactic battle, Elrond and his friends were seen looking upon a picturesque valley that didn't quite include a 'Welcome to Rivendell' sign at the entrance, but might as well have done.

By telling Rivendell's origin story, The Rings of Power's Elrond will be forced to display the traits and characteristics he's famous for thanks to The Lord of the Rings. Elrond will finally have a clear purpose and life path that isn't interspecies diplomacy, war, or creating love triangles. With that sense of purpose will come the kind of calm, assured nature that defined Hugo Weaving's Elrond, but has eluded Robert Aramayo's thus far. No longer will Elrond be fighting to make his voice heard above live-action Galadriel's impulsiveness and live-action Gil-galad's spectacular lack of political competence.

Indeed, Elrond's ascension to the perch of leadership will represent another step toward becoming a truer version of Tolkien's character. Authority is such a huge part of Elrond during The Lord of the Rings, not just because of his title and job, but through his sheer presence. The burden of responsibility and challenge of building a haven against Sauron should coax those qualities out of Elrond in The Rings of Power season 3.