Exploring the themes of The Rings of Power: Identity

The Rings of Power has done a great job exploring many of the common themes found in Tolkien’s works –light versus darkness, hope, the corruption of evil, friendship, etc. Yet it also introduces themes that might not always be associated with Tolkien, making them fit seamlessly into the morality of Middle-earth. Identity is one example.

I would call identity the central theme of season one, as we witness several characters struggle with who they are or who other people expect them to be. Many characters are undergoing journeys of self-discovery, which is one of the reasons why they might not yet feel like the characters we know from Tolkien’s original works (as this was one of the most common criticisms of the show, although a lot of times it was made with the movies in mind, and not necessarily with too much knowledge of the original works. But this is something I will not be discussing any further).

In season one, there are three notable examples that illustrate the theme of identity – three characters who struggle with who they are forced to be, who try to come to terms with who they are, and who have to choose between what people expect them to be and what they wish to become. These characters are Galadriel, Elendil, and the Stranger, and I will be discussing each of them in turn.

Please note that, while I will be referring only minimally to events from season two, there will be some pretty heavy spoilers for season one. If you haven’t seen the show but would like to give it a chance one day, you might want to give this essay a miss.

Galadriel

As the central character of the first season of The Rings of Power, Galadriel’s struggle illustrates many of the show’s themes. From the start, we see her obsessively searching for Sauron, defying orders from her king, ignoring the suggestions of her fellow soldiers, single-mindedly living for her hunt. She holds on to her sword and the dagger that belonged to her brother, both symbols of her quest for revenge. In many ways, we cannot say that Galadriel is only consumed by her quest for revenge. Rather, she has become her quest for revenge. After thousands of years of fruitless searches, Galadriel cannot see herself except in relation to her quest. As she admits it herself, it is not that she does not want to stop. She cannot.

It is not surprising, then, that when she learns that she is being sent back to the Undying Lands, Galadriel does not see this as an honor. She sees this as a punishment and, more importantly, as a complete erasure of her self. When Elrond tells her that she deserves rest and that she should put up her sword, her answer is poignantly vulnerable: “Without it, what am I to be?”. At this point, Galadriel does not think she can be anything other than her quest for Sauron and the rage and grief that drive it.

Her decision to leap from the boat and refuse Valinor stems from the desperate, painful knowledge that she is incapable of giving up who she is – especially if she is being forced to do so. Because, ultimately, going to Valinor is not her choice. And one cannot be forced to give up on who they are. The change must come from within – and it must come willingly.

Throughout the season, Galadriel is on a journey of self-discovery. She discovers her limits, her mistakes, her vulnerabilities, but she also rediscovers her connection with the world around her and with who she used to be before she became the Commander of the Northern Armies, “the Scourge of the Orcs”. Why else would she be suddenly talking about her lost husband to Theo, if not out of a desire and a need to reconnect with her past self?

Galadriel, choosing to surrender Finrod's dagger. Image credit: Amazon Prime/The Rings of Power

The first episode of season one shows Galadriel afraid to give up her sword and refusing to let go of Finrod’s knife. The final two episodes show her ready to do both. Galadriel handing the sword over to Theo does not necessarily mean she is completely giving up her warrior persona – it means that she is willing to be more. Similarly, while surrendering the dagger to help Celebrimbor forge the Three Elven Rings symbolizes her decision to let go of her anger, it does not mean that she is letting go of her quest to defeat Sauron – or of her brother. In fact, it is quite telling that Nenya, her Ring, has something of Finrod’s dagger in it. By becoming the Keeper of one of the Three, Galadriel is honoring Finrod’s memory – perhaps even better than she did when she was searching high and low for Sauron. I am sure her evolution in future seasons will reflect this. It already does in season two.

Elendil

Elendil is one of the characters that even some of the most ardent critics of The Rings of Power consider a success. When you see him, you can believe that he can become the hero of legend whose name Aragorn uses as a battle-cry. Yet this does not cancel out his humanity and vulnerability that we witness in the show – the doubts, the struggles, the difficult choices, they are all there, and they all serve to build a portrait of a complex, multi-faceted character, by no means perfect, but whose noble disposition cannot be denied.

At the beginning of season one, Elendil is trying to find a way to fit into the changing Númenor that no longer has the patience to accept those who follow the old ways. Through his family background, Elendil is part of the Faithful, the faction loyal to the Valar and the Elves, with whom the rest of Númenor has cut contact. Elendil isn’t necessarily trying to renounce his Faithful identity, but he is definitely trying to mute it and remain as unobtrusive as possible, especially for the sake of his family. At the same time, Elendil’s actions are still very much what would be expected from a Faithful Númenórean. He rescues Galadriel. He helps her in her quest. He follows her to Middle-earth.

Elendil calling for volunteers for the expedition to the Southlands. Image credit: Amazon Prime/The Rings of Power

There is a telling moment in 1x03, during his first conversation with Míriel, when we notice the complex relationship Elendil has with his Faithful identity. When Míriel asks about the meaning of his name, Elendil’s answer is prompt: “One who loves the stars”. In fact, the answer is too prompt. It feels rehearsed. Like he has had to repeat this over and over, whether to others or to himself. Only when Míriel urges him to give him the name’s other meaning, does Elendil grudgingly answer that it also means “Elf-friend”.

Elendil has been trying hard not to draw attention to this second meaning of his name and this side of his identity – most likely because it might be difficult for his children, at the beginning of their roads in life, to find themselves a place in this changing, progressive Númenor when their father is named “Elf-friend” (as we see in episode 4, the term “Elf-lover” seems to be used both as an insult and an incentive to riot. I would imagine Elf-friend is just as bad). His sons might not care – indeed, they would both wear this association proudly, no matter what it does to their futures. But his daughter would be affected, because she actually wants a place in this new Númenor – and she seems to receive one only grudgingly (Eärien is initially rejected by the Builders’ Guild and accepted only after she applies again. Although it is not explicitly specified, I suspect it is very much her family’s Faithful background that prompts that initial rejection).

However, Elendil never outright denies his Faithful identity. When Míriel continues to press him and asks him directly if he is an Elf-friend, Elendil’s answer is vague, containing neither confirmation nor denial. Confirming his identity as an Elf-friend when he does not know Míriel’s own sympathies would be dangerous. Denying it would mean denying a piece of himself. And he is not willing to do that.

In fact, Elendil’s cryptic answer: “I am a loyal servant of Númenor” could mean a lot of things. Loyal is synonymous with faithful, after all. For all we know, his answer might very well be a code, a password through which Faithful Númenóreans recognize each other. If the Queen is Faithful herself, she will understand what Elendil means. If she isn’t, she will see this only as a declaration of loyalty from someone who wants to convince his ruler he has no intention of committing treason, despite having made a controversial decision that could prove just that.

During his time with Galadriel, Elendil seems to gradually re-assert his Faithful identity, even though he does not say it out loud. It could very well be that he sees Galadriel’s arrival in Númenor and her proposed expedition to the Southlands as a chance for Númenor to return to the old ways or, at least, to become more tolerant of those still wishing to follow the old ways. It might very well be that, in the back of his mind, Elendil could be hoping for a victory in the Southlands that would enable him to safely admit to his identity as an Elf-friend and live out his life in a land where both his Faithful sons and his more progressive daughter can thrive, irrespective of their beliefs. We will never know.

At the end of season one, we find Elendil admitting to his Faithful identity. All his choices, he tells Míriel, have been made because “Elendil does not only mean one who loves the stars”. The moment is touching, not only because of the trust he puts in Míriel as he admits this, but also because it comes after a crushing defeat and a terrible personal loss. At the end of season one, Elendil could have turned his back on his Faithful identity. Instead, he embraces it. In season two, there are no more doubts about who he is. He is ready to die as one of the Faithful. One can only hope to see him in future seasons continue to live up to his name – to the fullest.

The Stranger

Note: Since I am mainly analyzing this character from the perspective of the first season of the show, I will refer to him only as “the Stranger”. 

The Stranger is probably the most obvious character to talk about when discussing identity. At the beginning of the season, the Stranger has no identity. He has no memory of who he is, why he is there, and even his language skills are rudimentary. He has no idea how to define himself. He is literally a blank slate. He could be anyone. He could become anyone.

Unlike Galadriel and Elendil, the Stranger’s journey of self-discovery is very much a literal one. He has a vague idea that he has to go somewhere to discover who he is. What seems straightforward is actually much more complicated.

The Stranger is already shaping his identity as he travels with the Harfoot caravan. Nori’s friendship and acceptance are an undeniable influence on him. Nori does more than just teach him how to speak and how to survive. She obviously sees him in a certain light – she sees him as good, and this affects the Stranger and his way of thinking. He wants to be the way Nori sees him. He wants to be good. Already, the Stranger is choosing his identity. He does not know yet who he is, or why he is there, if he was good in the life he does not remember, or if he was something dangerous and evil. What he knows, though, is that he wants to be good – and this is an important thing to remember.

The confrontation with the Mystics and their supposed revelation about who the Stranger is (a false revelation, as it will turn out), nearly breaks him. The knowledge that he might be evil, that he might have done evil, is a crushing blow to him. He is ready to accept it, to admit defeat and to resign himself to this identity that is thrust upon him. But herein lies the problem: no one can force an identity upon someone else. Just like Galadriel, who cannot renounce who she is even at the orders of her High King, just like Elendil, who cannot change who he is simply because his society dictates it, the Stranger also cannot be forced to be what others tell him that he is. Not unless he wants to.

Nori, the Stranger’s loyal guide and mentor, brings this undeniable truth home: “Only you can show who you are.” As a being with reason and willpower, the Stranger can reject the identity that is forced upon him. He can choose to be whoever he wants to be – and however he wants to be. The last words he tells the Mystics as he banishes them – “I am good.” – are spoken with unwavering conviction. It does not matter what others say he is. If the Stranger chooses to be good, then he is good. Identity is a matter of choice. And so is the destiny tied to it.

The Stranger asserting his goodness and banishing the Mystics. Image credit: Amazon Prime/ The Rings of Power

At the end of season one, the Stranger still does not know his name. He still has a quest for answers ahead of him. Yet he knows the most important part of his identity – he is good. This is what he must live up to. And in season two, we see him do just that. At every corner, he chooses his actions to reflect that he is good. The reveal of his name at the end of season two feels like a well-earned reward for him for staying true to the identity he has chosen for himself.

We have far from exhausted the topic of identity as it relates to the characters from The Rings of Power. I could talk about the collective identity of the Southlanders, forever associated in the mind of the Elvish garrison with their evil-serving ancestors (Bronwyn’s words, in a moment of despair, that they are destined for the darkness because this is who they are would certainly merit a lengthy discussion). I could talk about Nori, who questions the ways of her people and feels that she needs to be more than “just a Harfoot”. Or I could talk about Adar and his dual identity as both a fallen Elf as well as the self-proclaimed father of Orcs – especially given how he appears to be close to reconciling these two sides of himself at the end of season two. Yet this would stretch out this humble essay to the point where it would become a bit of a monster. And I hope I have sparked enough curiosity in my readers to inspire them to make their own discoveries the next time they watch the show.