A guide to all the new and familiar characters on The Rings of Power

Arondir

Actor: Ismael Cruz Córdova

Though not part of Tolkien’s canon, Arondir has quickly become one of the most fascinating new characters in The Rings of Power. He’s an elf — a Silvan elf, the be exact — and a soldier stationed in the Southlands. His main job is to watch over the inhabitants of the area, especially the humans who joined forces with Sauron many generations prior.

Arondir has a fascinating relationship with a human woman named Bronwyn, a healer and a single mother who lives in one of the villages. Many humans of the Southlands dislike the elves. Some despise them to the point of violence. And that relationship he has with Bronwyn is definitely forbidden.

In Tolkien’s lore, the Silvan Elves were also called Woodland Elves. By the time of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings in the Third Age, most Silvan Elves lived in the Woodland Realm or Lothlórien. The Woodland Realm is where Legolas is from. Lothlórien, fans will remember, is the realm Galadriel eventually rules over.

Bronwyn

Actor: Nazanin Boniadi

Bronwyn lives and works as a healer in the southern village of Tirharad. Though it’s been centuries since the humans of this area joined forces with Sauron in the War of Wrath, it’s clear that the ruling elves still don’t trust the people of the Southlands.

Bronwyn is one of the few humans who do, and is even involved in a forbidden relationship with the elf Arondir. So far, it doesn’t look like the two have consummated their obvious attraction, but it’s clear there’s a lot of care and passion between them. It’s also clear these characters play off the forbidden love stories seen throughout Middle-earth history, Aragorn and Arwen to Tauriel and Kili to and Beren and Luthien.

Given her affection for Arondir, Bronwyn is a bit of an outcast in her village. It’s clear she cares about her people, especially her young son Theo, and wants them to move past their hatred and history.