The are many mysterious characters on the way in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
The new Amazon Prime Video series takes its basis in the original trilogy by author J R R Tolkien and its accompanying appendices, but also carves out some original new characters.
One figure emerges in the second episode and his name is Halbrand, a man who crosses paths with the Elf warrior Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) on the Sundering Seas.
However, is Halbrand just an original creation of the new television series or does he have a greater purpose tied to Tolkien’s lore?
Here is all you need to know about Halbrand in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and theories about the character.
Who is Halbrand in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?
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Halbrand is a man described by Amazon Studios as “a human running from his past whose destiny is entwined with Galadriel’s”.
In the second episode, Galadriel meets Halbrand when she is pulled from the Sundering Seas onto a boat wreckage on which Halbrand is another passenger.
When Halbrand uncovers that Galadriel is an elf, others on board push her from the wreckage just before they are attacked by a sea creature.
In the aftermath, Halbrand pulls Galadriel back onto the wreckage and the pair are the only survivors. They both go on to weather a dangerous storm and save each other’s lives.
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Halbrand appears haunted by his past and Galadriel notes that they can move on from this and begin anew.
“Whatever you did, be free of it,” Galadriel tells him.
The trailers for future episodes show that Halbrand accompanies Galadriel to the island state of Númenor and also joins her in battle.
However, what is the truth behind Halbrand?
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’s Halbrand theories explained
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There are a number of theories regarding the true nature of Halbrand’s character, whose dark past is clearly meant to pique our interest.
An early fan theory about Halbrand is that he is actually the Dark Lord himself, Sauron, in disguise.
In the series, Galadriel is one of the few convinced that Sauron remains a threat to Middle-earth and is responsible for the death of her noble older brother, Finrod (Will Fletcher).
Galadriel turns down a chance to return to the Undying Lands of Valinor due to her desire to return to Middle-earth, avenge her brother and defeat the enemy.
How much of a cruel twist of fate would it be if Sauron became her chief companion – and maybe even love interest – in the form of Halbrand?
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It would not be entirely without precedent compared to Tolkein lore – albeit with some adaptational changes.
Traditionally, Sauron was one of the angelic Maiar of Valinor named Mairon before he became corrupted by the powerful Morgoth and served as his chief lieutenant – as depicted in the show.
Following Morgoth’s defeat, Sauron escaped but reappeared in a fair and seductive form known as Annatar.
In this form, Annatar/Sauron fell in with Lord Celebrimbor and helped him and the Elven smiths to form the Rings of Power.
Secretly, Sauron formed the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom in Mordor in a bid to control the other rings, but sensing his influence they removed the rings. After this, Sauron went to war with the Elves but an alliance with the men of Númenor saw him driven back to Mordor.
Sauron later killed Lord Celebrimbor and the Elven smiths and gave the Seven Rings to dwarves and the Nine Rings to men, but only the latter bent to his will, becoming Ringwraiths known as the Nazgul. Meanwhile, the Elves salvaged the Three Rings and they were worn by High King Gil-galad, Círdan, and Galadriel.
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After this, an army of Númenor defeated Sauron and he was taken back to their island state but used his power to corrupt the state to its core and persuade them to wage war on Valinor – prompting the god Eru to bring about the destruction of Númenor.
Sauron survived but lost his ability to appear beautiful.
Could Halbrand in the series actually be playing the part of Sauron the Deceiver?
Well, we do know that Halbrand journeys with Galadriel to Númenor so perhaps he can work some villainy here to mirror the lore of Tolkein.
Alternatively, Halbrand could also be an entirely original creation with no link to Sauron, Morgoth or anyone else, but is just a man from Middle-earth with a dark past.
However, actor Charlie Vickers does seem to hint at some major revelations to come regarding Halbrand.
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Speaking to Collider, Vickers described Halbrand as “just a dude. Just a Middle-earth dude” – but then he would say that…
Describing his relationship with Galadriel, Vickers says of Halbrand: “But I think when they meet, from Hal’s perspective, he knows there’s something special about Galadriel. I won’t divulge if he knows exactly who she is. I have a decision on that, but I think it’s best left ambiguous.
“I think from his perspective, she brings out some things in him and illuminates some things in his mind that he hasn’t necessarily considered, things about his own life and his own past as they get to know each other a bit more. But certainly when they first meet, I think he’s quite standoffish and distrusting of her.”
Maybe he could just be a tortured romance for Galadriel after all…
Alternatively, perhaps he could be the absent father of Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin), the son of the human healer Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi).
Who plays Halbrand in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?
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Halbrand is portrayed in Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power by British actor Charlie Vickers.
A relative newcomer, Vickers previously appeared in the film Palm Beach and in the television series Medici as the character Guglielmo Pazzi.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power episodes 1 and 2 arrive on Amazon Prime Video in the UK on Friday 2nd September 2022 – you can sign up now for a free 30-day Prime Video trial.
If you’re looking for something else to watch in the meantime, check out our TV Guide or visit our dedicated Fantasy hub.
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