Warning: This article contains massive spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Amazon’s latest series, The Lord of the Rings, The Rings of Power has introduced audiences to a new cast of characters who reside in Middle-earth. Alongside the elves, dwarfs, and humans, we also get to see new creatures that we had never seen before in the original movies. But out of all the characters that were introduced, it seems the audience has their attention on Galadriel’s new travel companion Halbrand.
Unlike previous The Lord of the Rings entries, Halbrand doesn’t seem to be a supernatural species. In fact, he’s just a weak human guy who just happens to come across Galadriel as she returns to Middle-earth. Also, based on The Lord of the Rings fandom page, he has never appeared in any previous material and he’s a new character created for the show. Fans currently see this character as non-canonical.
So if that’s the case, who is Halbrand and why is he in this series?
The Rings of Power: Who is Halbrand, Galadriel’s human minx?
Halbrand was introduced in episode two of The Rings of Power when he found Galadriel in the Sundering Seas. He’s a male human who ran away from his home after orcs invaded. According to the show’s Amazon Prime Video page, he is described as “a low man”, a castaway who’s on the run. His short character profile hinted that he has a destiny he needs to fulfill.
Halbrand is a “Low Man” of the Southlands, a roguish castaway on the run from his past – and possibly, from his destiny.
In the show, he wore a necklace, probably hinting that it’s what’s left of his homeland. Galadriel asked if it was the symbol of his king, and he instantly replied “my people have no king”. While it’s not confirmed what his role is, based on the show’s dialogue and the Amazon info card, he may be his kingdom’s king, destined to rule the Southlands, or was chosen to save it. But instead, he ran away.
He was curious about Galadriel’s reason for returning to Middle-earth, and she explained that the two shared a common pain as the orcs took something important from both of them. While he doesn’t believe her at first, the two eventually were honest with each other as she explained why she’s after the orcs. So far, Halbrand isn’t keen on following Galadriel’s journey to the Southlands, but it doesn’t seem like episode two will be his last appearance.
Episodes one and two of The Rings of Power is now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.