There were a lot of people who were expecting, even gleefully waiting, for Amazon’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power to fail.
Though it started slow, and it’s had its wobbles, many can’t deny that it has gotten very, very good. No, it may not be 100 percent accurate to Tolkien’s work, new characters have been added, and storylines somewhat changed, but if you take it for what it is – it’s been damn impressive. Now, fans are discussing the characters they truly didn’t expect to like as much as they do.
The characters have been a real shining point for the show, from those we know from Tolkien’s work, to others who were only mentioned in passing and have been padded out, to completely new ones created just for the sake of the show. Much to fans’ surprise, some of these new additions have become firm favorites thanks to their chemistry with other characters or their interesting/questionable moral philosophies.
Additionally, many were uncertain they would like new versions of figures they have already seen adapted for the screen, but these too have surprised them as they offered a different and intriguing take on what we already knew.
One fan on Reddit asked users who their MVP has been in the series so far.
Straight off the bat, a firm favorite is newcomer Adar, Father of Orcs who just wants a home for his children, even if it means burning it all down to the ground to attain it.
After Hugo Weaving’s captivating performance in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, many were not expecting to like a different version of the character.
A lot of this love comes from his dynamic with his friend Durin.
Many loved the portrayal of the dwarves in the Amazon series, and Durin’s joking banter that turns to sadness and rage is fantastic to watch.
These three characters came up again and again in the thread.
Durin has some competition, though, from his own wife! Fans love the nurturing character, one, who as we have seen very recently, can become just a little scary.
Many can see exactly where Aragorn got his kingly mannerisms from when they watch Elendil in action.
This user breaks down how they love each character.
To top it off Sauron, the most talked about character so far!
With one episode left of this season, another contender may yet reveal themselves as a fan favorite, Waldreg managed to make an impression and build a following simply by turning a sword in a stone. Fans await the final episode wondering just where the showrunners will leave the story, and what cliffhanger we will be left to dangle on till the second season.