Updated on November 18, 2022 at 04:05 PMMarcos Henrique1 tags
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has shown its willingness to change elements of the original material, introducing another original character to the series: Eärien, sister of Isildur.
The third episode of the series introduced the kingdom of Númenor along with its varied cast of characters. The Númenóreans are a race of men who play an important role in shaping the Second and Third Ages of Middle-earth. Before The Rings of Power, they are heavily referenced in Tolkien's original works and in the The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
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The third episode of The Rings of Power begins shortly after the events of its predecessor, with Galadriel and Halbrand being rescued from drifting at sea. The ship in which they seek refuge is shown to belong to Elendil, a Númenórean sailor.
The duo is then taken to Númenor to meet the new cast of characters in The Rings of Power, including the regent queen of the realm, as well as the aforementioned Elendil, who quickly becomes friends with Galadriel.
Through Elendil, whose importance to Middle-earth is shown during the prologue of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the series introduces his family. His son, Isildur, is equally important to the future of Middle-earth, as he is the hero who cuts the Ring of Power from Sauron's fingers using Elendil's sword.
However, it is in Elendil's youngest son and Isildur's sister, Eärien, that The Rings of Power exemplifies the changes made to the world of Middle-earth.
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Eärien helps The Rings of Power tell Númenor's story better
Eärien is introduced in the same scene as Isildur, finding her brother on the beach after he had been training with other sailors for the sea test. Later, the two siblings are shown spending an evening with their father in the kingdom of Númenor.
It is in this scene that The Rings of Power justifies the creation of Eärien as a character, as it begins to show how she can be used by the show's writers. First, the third episode does a good job of making Eärien a well-developed character in her own right. A line of dialogue suggests her own journey, when she tells Elendil that she has a lot on her shoulders.
It is later revealed that Eärien was speaking about her pending enrollment in the Builders Guild, which she revealed had been accepted after applying twice.
This helps showcase Eärien's character well, as she takes on a lot of responsibility for herself, as well as her close relationship with the infamous Isildur of The Lord of the Rings. It also shows that she is willing to work hard, while also displaying some of Eärien's qualities in persistence and perseverance, as she submitted two applications to the Guild.
However, beyond that, the scene shows how Eärien will help The Rings of Power tell the story of Númenor. While it certainly could have been done through Elendil, Isildur, and Anárion(Isildur's brother in Tolkien's works), adding Eärien to the mix helps show a different side of the changes Númenor is known to undergo during the Second Age.
Since Elendil's family is of extreme importance to Númenor's future (or lack thereof), having Eärien around to give a different perspective to what is known from Tolkien's work can only be beneficial to The Rings of Power, as is evident in the third episode.
Image: Screenrant
What will happen to Eärien in The Rings of Power?
One thing that makes the inclusion of Eärien in The Rings of Power even more intriguing is her status as an original character. This gives her ultimate fate much more mystery than those of her brother and father, with the stories of the latter two having a definitive ending, as shown in The Lord of the Rings.
However, while Eärien being part of the show is certainly a change for the better, that doesn't mean she will survive. She could be killed early in the series, providing greater emotional depth for both Elendil and Isildur as they struggle against Sauron.
Eärien's death could retroactively benefit Jackson's films, with the actions of Isildur and Elendil in the prologue adding depth because of their lack of vengeance.
All that said, Eärien could live a happy life and be excluded from the series, explaining her absence after the Second Age of Middle-earth. Regardless, it remains to be seen what route the writers decide to take with this intriguing new character in Eärien going forward in the rest of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and beyond.
