The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is officially back on Prime Video, returning viewers to the sweeping fantasy world of J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium. While the first two seasons of the show have had their share of battles, the state of Middle-earth is far more dire in this latest outing. Five years have passed since the Fall of Eregion, and the Dark Lord Sauron has made good use of the time to consolidate his power. raising more dangerous threats than ever before to throw against his adversaries.
The Rings of Power has never been a show that overly relied on shocking character deaths. But given the dire situation of Middle-earth this season and the constantly rising stakes, the body count feels much higher and more devastating this time around. With the first four epiodes of the season out now, we've already lost some key players in this saga — and have no doubt there are more still to come.
Let's run through all the major characters who met their doom in the premiere block of The Rings of Power season 3. There will be MAJOR SPOILERS for the first four episodes of season 3 beyond this point.
Eärien
The second episode of The Rings of Power's third season gives a shining spotlight to the isle of Númenor, where King Ar-Pharazôn contends with the Faithful, who rebel at his rule at every turn. Eärien was tempered into steel in this harsh political climate, but it didn't save her in the end.
Season 3 threw the surprise curveball that rather than fall deeper in with the King's Men, as seemed destined from Eärien's season 2 arc, she actually came back to the light during the five-year time jump and began serving as a double agent, helping the Faithful to stay one step ahead of Pharazôn while simultaneously becoming one of the king's most trusted disciples.
Episode 2 largely revolves around Eärien's dangerous situation, and by the end of the hour, she's ousted from hiding. Seeing no other way out, Eärien leaps from a window of Pharazôn's palace. It's a tragic end for a character who believed like she had no hope for retribution, but achieved some anyway through her determined actions.
Alatar
The next major death of The Rings of Power season 3 didn't occur in the main story of the show, but was confirmed during a vision given to Gandalf. It's so important that it makes this list, in spite of the fact that we had no particular attachment to the character in question.
In Tolkien's legendarium, there are five wizards: Gandalf, Saruman, Radaghast, Alatar, and Pallando. The latter two have become increasingly more important for The Rings of Power. This season we find out that the Dark Wizard who rules Rhûn is in fact Pallando, one of two Blue Wizards who came to Middle-earth long before Gandalf the Grey. We also find out what happened to his partner, Alatar.
In a vision given to him by the Secret Fire, Gandalf learns that Pallando grew ambitious and greedy, and murdered Alatar. It was this act of depravity that cursed the land of Rhûn, turning its landscape from lush forests into a harsh desert. Alatar may not have an overly large presence in The Rings of Power's main story, but his death is still a critical detail in the overall mythos of Tolkien's world. It also drives home how much of a threat Pallando remains.
Marnûkh...?
The fourth episode of The Rings of Power season 3, "Gundabad," is the most intense hour of the season's first half. As the name implies, it centers around Galadriel, Arondir, and the Orc Marnûkh's infiltration of the dreaded prison, where they hope to find the last Elven smith and prevent Sauron from ever learning her secrets.
As Galadriel and her allies gathered on the roof, a Ring-servant appears and began laying waste to everything around him. That includes Marnûkh, who is mercilessly cut down by the Nazgnaôl.
However, Marnúkh's body doesn't show up on screen, and you know how this goes with TV show deaths. No body, no certainty that we've truly seen the last of a character. Until we hear more, we have to assume that there's a possibility the Orc is still kicking. But regardless, his final stand against the Nazgnagôl is brutal enough that we can't rule out a shocker death either.
Arondir
If Marnûkh's fate was left somewhat up in he air, that certainly isn't the case for Arondir, who meets his end at the hands of his own foster son Theo during the climax of episode 304.
As Galadriel and the rest of their party wait for rescue via Eagle, a Nazgnagôl emerges and faces the Arondir. He takes off his mask, revealing that it's none other than Theo beneath. As Arondir reaffirms that he won't leave Theo to this fate, Sauron walks by and utters a command that forces Theo to run Arondir through with his blade. We then see several slow motion and close-up shots of Arondir's body falling to the snowy ground, confirming beyond a shadow of a doubt that he's gone.
The loss of Ismael Cruz Córdova's Sindarin Elf represents one of the largest main character deaths since the show originally premiered back in 2022, when he made his debut in its very first episode. It truly won't be the same without him. He was a mainstay on the series, and always represented the kind of valor and heroism that the Elves were capable of at their best. We shall never see his like again.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is streaming now on Prime Video.
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