The Rings of Power Explained: The Main Characters | Lord of the Rings Lore (w/ Matt Caron)

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power introduces us to a huge cast of characters, some from J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings and some who are brand new to the world of Middle-earth. But who are all of these people? Nerdist has you covered with our second deep dive into The Rings of Power to help explain just who exactly all of these characters are and how they will affect the fate of Middle-earth. Make sure to tune in to all of our Lord of the Rings lore and explainers so that you’ll have everything you’ll need to know before starting The Rings of Power!
Watch Part 1 of our Rings of Power Explainers: • The Rings of Power Exp...
More Rings of Power News: nerdist.com/topic/tolkien/
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[@mattyboyb523]

These videos with this dude have been dynamite!!! So helpful for a novice Tolkien fan as myself. I know enough but not enough to keep me confused half of the time. Going to catch up on all of these videos. Thank you

[@reallycoolguys]

"Remember these guys? Sauron hates them."

[@simon_t]

I really like this new guy, he has some stellar editing on this. Can we get more videos from him please.

[@thatmattcaronguy]

Go check out anything Nerdist Remix!

[@samtank7599]

i was just thinking this

[@dancedj2k2]

I like this new guy. He is well spoken, precise, and seems to know his stuff.

[@wks99]

Thank you so much for these!!! Watched the last trailer and lost appetite for it but you gave me hope again hahaha I live in Dubai, so I'll have to wake watch it at 5am on Saturday morning!

[@davenathan2002]

My favourite part was when Galadriel took a knee during the Numenorian national anthem. Actual chills.

[@reddishcarp1237]

Cringe

[@Eidolon1andOnly]

@@reddishcarp1237 Exactly what the show is.

[@anthrussell3030]

Keep them coming Iv just come across this guy in the last 2 weeks can't get anuff

[@psnitkin4059]

Can we have more of Matt Caron? I like that he just explains things pleasantly and thoroughly. Not every video has to be that portly guy attempting fall-flat humor every five seconds.

[@kuakilyissombroguwi]

1,000,000 times this.

[@Astrogator1]

What like a mindless corporate robot. Probably why there is no humor. Also ask your self if this is so great why did they need to steal so many screens from the original films???? When you look at.other reviews on channel, why are there no negative comments?? Is it because everything is so perfect 😂😂😂😂🙄🙄

[@neiluk78]

The World has changed, I feel it in the water, I feel it in the Earth. I smell it in the air. It began with the forging of the great books. Ideas were given to J.R.R Tolkien, immortal, wisest and fairest of all beings. Film rights were granted to Jackson, great miner and craftsman of the mountain of lore. And nine, nine hours were gifted to the race of men, who above all else, desire quality and honesty. But they were all of them deceived, for another show was made. In the Land of Amazon, in the fires of Mount Prime, the Dark Lord Bezos forged in secret a massive flop. And into this show he poured his money, his malice and his will to dominate all shows. One show to ruin them all, one show to bind them, in the Land of Amazon where the shadows lie.

[@marektomaszewski876]

Incredible job.. this is one of the most intelligent criticism-meme I've ever read. You've nail it. Although' I simply disagree with your opinion...you have my thumb-up..just for laughing me up.

[@marektomaszewski876]

@@CC-ot9pn Yes they are....And the situation is a facepalm a little. All this shit-storm about RoP not being accurate with Tolkien. Yet all they get few clips, few trailers and few interviews...and it starts... everyone knows better how to make a show, how to cast it, how to promote it, what should be done and how. They didn't get single episode (not mention full season) and they are even smarter than Tolkien himself now. It makes me laugh... really. First we have to finish 1st season ...then we will have to opportunity to criticize, praise or simply review. But now? What is the purpose and meaning of all this hysteria. I don't get it. Farewell mt friend.

[@troffle]

​@@marektomaszewski876 You are really missing the point. The fans who hate RoP pulled the trailers apart completely and found many, many things that don't fit. If they found so much in the trailer, they will find enough to fill the WORLD in the first season. You are *wrong* to think they criticise without reason. They have found the meat of the reasons and did so in merely the trailers. Denying that helps nobody. And now that large publications have released reviews that tear the show apart - like Mail Online and Entertainment Weekly which had praised and supported the show and now turn on it... your cause is doomed and lost. You should try to understand the hysteria instead and ask why the producers did this.

[@BrockObama2016]

@@troffle what didn’t fit

[@troffle]

@@BrockObama2016 I'm still working my way through the books. Your question came in while I was listening to a speech synth of The Silmarillion. Plus I'm at work. Look for review videos by Disparu or The One Ring, they will go into far greater detail than I can.

[@davidnonya7359]

my favorite part when brian stelter the great showed up and said to don limon! go ahead be sour and do not pass

[@dinocollins720]

Another fantastic video!!! Thank you so much!

[@CalridRobnor123srs]

It needs to be noted that Sauron made the one ring with help from Cerebrimbor a Craftsman who didn't know he was being duped.

[@CalridRobnor123srs]

Not directly of course Sauron made the one ring in secret, But he fooled them all into making rings of power, ultimately to subsume them.

[@tre1geo]

I really hope its Gandalf!!! or whatever that name is you said lol. i thought it might be. maybe we'll find out next week.

[@brentmorris736]

Being Maiar, Sauron didn't really think his plan through very well. Make it easier on himself... Create 2000 rings of power and hand them out to humans, forget the elves they'll just resist anyway. But hind-sight is 20-20

[@callumbush1]

Spitting on the legacy of Tolkien!

[@eugene8498]

1:21 Stopped watching when you say Galadriel "only begrudgingly joined the exile ... out of love and responsibility to her kin". "Galadriel, ... was eager to be gone... for she yearned to see the wide unguarded lands and to rule there a realm at her own will". (Silm) But the show does not abide on any of the lore, so it's pointless to explain it anyway.

[@thatmattcaronguy]

This is correct! I should've clarified that part. I was thinking about after the first kinslaying, when Finarfin's children didn't want to forsake Fingolfin and his family.

[@eugene8498]

​@@thatmattcaronguy Actually the text says "his [Finarfin's] _sons_ ... would not forsake the sons of Fingolfin".

[@outlanderfrog]

@@eugene8498 This... is the most pedantic comment I've read in years. Lol.

[@mariantambe5110]

Hah, and that would track more like the whole scene at the beginning with the boy sinking her paper ship after she insisted it would float. She was eager to rule another land without someone sinking her floating paper ship.

[@VM-ve4xu]

I hope there is a season 2

[@Vuyccbvuj]

Where can I watch this???

[@pprmntpanda6658]

PrimeVideo original

[@tnygma0717]

I'm personally really hoping we see the Blue Wizards

[@el_vee_ee]

Wrong age

[@reddishcarp1237]

@@el_vee_ee Blue Wizards came during the 2nd age when the One Ring was forged.

[@MrHappyQuasar]

@@reddishcarp1237 I wouldn’t put it past this show. Season 3 the blue she-wizards arrive.

[@reddishcarp1237]

@@MrHappyQuasar lol Tolkien himself literally wrote in his books that Blue Wizards might have arrived during the 2nd age. Maybe do some research before going off hating a show you haven't even watched.

[@ecobayguesthouse5971]

Great video but why do you refer to Hardfoots as predecessors of hobbits and not one of the 3 tribes of Hobits?

[@rachelblack314]

Amazon would look at the Mona Lisa & say, "Get me some paint. I just need to fix some things."

[@georgejasper8794]

The palantiri were made by the Noldor, likely Feanor himself, and not gifted from the Valar.

[@siamesebb]

According to recent interview with the cast, Anarion definitely exists, but is overseas, possibly in one of the Numenorean colonies in Middle Earth. The newly created sister I feel is definitely going the way of Morgoth's temple unfortunately.

[@cyano741]

How would they know. The cast is only interested in spreading of extreme woke narratives. It's extreme wokism disguised in a thin layer of fantasy that disgraced the original by its inherent intent on making it political.

[@ellisv75]

what's the point of going over the actual lore and time line when they are ignoring both and going with fanfiction?

[@SeanDray]

Do a family tree

[@skyysurfer]

Love the new host! :)

[@luigiperozo]

Who’s this host? Keep him 🔥

[@SirFrederick]

wait who were the Istari then?

[@redbarchetta8782]

The only thing I hate about this new series IS THE MASSIVE AMOUNT OF WORTHLESS TROLLS attacking this brilliant show. Yeah, 3 in but DAMN.

[@djtripmix]

More Matt Caron please, let him out of his cave

[@MegaDman16]

I'm willing to give the show a shot, but my expectations are low.

[@inquisitor4635]

Black tar heroin delivers the goods guaranteed.

[@MartinMartinX]

Dont support this junk. Its not Tolkien. ..but of course ..it is your time, so.

[@vladg661]

Pirate it please, don’t give them any views

[@kaizokujimbei143]

When Guyladrriel stood up to address the diverse Numeroneans she prefaced her speech with an audible fart. Her first words to the crowd were "There was a tempest in me." So stunning and brave.

[@EdeDizon]

Where's Talion

[@jlstruyde]

The stranger reminds me of diablo 3

[@ciscoponch67]

Ancestor to Legolas!!!! Arondir!!!

[@achestr]

WHERE IS DAN??!!?!?!

[@geoafe66]

House of the Dragon and The Rings of the Power both bringing a very high standard of tv. Great to see. We are eating good!

[@AlejandroDiazadiaz201]

Damn. So much fanfiction got a billion thrown at it

[@MartinMartinX]

I was not made by fans, but Tolkien haters.

[@sarahjo9975]

I like how thorough this video is with the character summaries. The visuals of this show look interesting. I'm willing to give it a chance, at least.

[@Astrogator1]

Why? He has clearly been given a script which is why he talks like a robot. Also this channel is a corporate owned mouthpiece. Little to no respect for Tolkien .

[@sarahjo9975]

@@Astrogator1 This isn't an improv show, of course there's a script. It was informative, though. Sponsorships are a pretty normal thing on KZbin. But if you don't like the channel, don't watch it, I guess? Beyond that, I'll reserve judgement for the series until after it's released and I actually know what it's like.

[@carlmcclatchie2122]

Cool video, but are you sure? I thought anatar learned the art of ring crating from celebrimbor?

[@whatashame4995]

When George Floyd told Melkor his pronouns at the summit of Erebor, my brain literally melted

[@ComeWhatMay24]

Although this show isn't as related as I'd like it to be, to what's come before. I've been getting ready for the past two 1/2 weeks by rereading the books & rewatching the Peter Jackson trilogy! I'm really excited for this!!

[@Hawaiiangr0wn1993]

I'm going to give it a chance. Not super excited about the show but oh well.

[@GuukanKitsune]

All messaging changes aside, the compressed timeline and INSISTENCE on showing events that happened thousands of years apart and directly or indirectly CAUSED one another as happening CONCURRENTLY are going to make this show a confusing wreck to follow narratively. There's too many threads of complex narratives to follow, and of course they're gonna move heaven and earth to try and make it make sense, but on that front they have bitten off way more than they can chew, and in the process they destroy any of Tolkien's story that was left after compressing the timeline and moving everything around to accommodate it. Just the fall of Khazad-Dum apparently being in the show is a headscratcher because that wasn't even in the Second Age, it happened about a thousand years after Isildur whacked Sauron's Ring finger off, as an example. But it is being presented as happening at the same time as the Fall of Numenor... which is being presented as happening before or DURING the creation of the Rings of Power. Which is confusing of itself because the Rings were already made centuries before Numenor fell, and the War of the Rings and Sack of Hollin, and Sauron's defeat therein and imprisonment in Numenor, were what led to Numenor's fall. Why are they compressing the timeline. They have FIVE SEASONS planned. They can TIMESKIP. They can do these events in proper sequence! Spend the first two seasons on solely the Creation of the Rings, Sack of Hollin, and Sauron's defeat there. Timeskip ahead and spend the next season setting up the Fall of Numenor, properly, and knocking it down. Sauron, poisoning Numenor with his words from his cell, until the kingdom goes full evil, while Elendil and Isildur lead the political resistance to him and slowly fail until they and their supporters are forced to flee, and them show the Folly of Numenor and the destruction in full glory. Then the last two seasons, timeskip ahead again and show Arnor, alive, whole, functioning... and Elendil and Isildur gearing up to face a rising old threat... 'The mortal characters would always be changing!' The mortals aren't even a big player in events for the first two seasons, you can initially introduce your ELVEN MCs to solve that problem, and everything between the Fall of Numenor and War of the Last Alliance happened within the natural lifespan of a Numenorean, since Elendil was young with his son Isildur when Numenor fell, and old when he was killed in the War of the Last Alliance. So for the rest having your humans being Numenoreans would ensure you have the same cast for the whole show, both the Elven cast who were introduced first would be present the entire run, and the Numenorean cast you introduced second from season 3 onwards would be there for the whole rest of the series. Timeline compression not freaking needed. As for Khazad-Dum falling... drop it from the show. You can have stuff happening in Khazad-Dum, give us glimpses, fine, because Celebrimbor and the Elves of Hollin were friends with Durin's Folk and OFTEN visited Moria. But if you want to show the FALL of Khazad-Dum, make that it's OWN show. Have that show take place ENTIRELY in Khazad-Dum, showing the daily loves of the Dwarves at first, and have them fending off the frequent incursions of Nameless Things and orcs for action for the first half... then spend the second half showing the awakening of Durin's Bane and their desperate attempts to stop the ancient demon that was beyond them, maybe happening concurrently with a HUGE Orc incursion by coincidence, either one they could handle but not both, and present that desperate losing battle with full drama until at the end they are driven out in full tragedy and bitter oaths to return one day and take back what was lost to them.

[@3941602]

Can we do roots reboot? With diffrent cast of characters.

[@arpthirteen6713]

Blame your European ancestors, they should have stayed in Europe. Then you wouldn't be mad about multiculturalism.

[@SoutherRebelDoUFunDu]

What about the young character Theo, is he later in Lord of the Rings?

[@meganhuggins7494]

No, Amazon made him up.

[@SoutherRebelDoUFunDu]

@@meganhuggins7494 Don't u dare tell me that!

[@carny15]

Brave of you to assume I'm going to watch this show.

[@gokuwufei99]

It's incredible one can be so knowledgeable on Tolkien and somehow make this fan fiction seem like it's canon 😭😭😭

[@MazBringsby]

PAYOLA

[@samlewis9452]

You are not correct. The Harfoots are not the precursors to the Hobbits, they are one of three families of Hobbit being the first of the three to migrate from Rhovanion westwards over the Misty Mountains and settling in Eriador in the Third Age around 1050. Harfoots being somehow distinct from Hobbits is a misconception propagated by the RoP production team and does not sit well with what Tolkien wrote in the LotR appendices.

[@pwmiles56]

How can you tell from the first few words how false and superficial it is going to be? Cory Olsen thou shouldst be living at this day, oh he is

[@MrOgyny]

Calling this "lord of the rings lore" is blasphemy

[@johnvictorangeles3289]

I will treat this as just a bootleg

[@AllTheArtsy]

Some Tolkiens fans are so embarrassing. If you don't want to watch this, then just don't. Hating a show that's not even out yet is not a personality trait lol

[@Hiro49265]

I don't have to eat a rotten banana to know it's rotten lol

[@Harriz62]

Or...OR...you can open your eyes? I dont know, how can you not clearly see how terrible it looks?

[@PhageTheFinalCure]

Try to read Harry potter and not see the movie characters, it's almost impossible (I can't and I read the books first). Think about it, if you watch this, you will have an uncontrollable autocorrection in your mind for Tolkien characters when reading the books, forever. Hate watching this will negatively alter Tolkien for you. *Fortunately for Harry potter, nearly all the characters were perfectly cast and their characters stories barely altered. So no damage. Can you say the same for Rings of power?

[@arpthirteen6713]

I think all Europeans should go back to Europe, and not worry about multiculturalism.

[@elck3]

I get you’re just trying to do your job, but you asked me “what do you think of all these characters?” And I think they are all made up, not Tolkein, and essentially a travesty to the lore or middle earth. This isn’t LOTR so please stop calling it this. This is a generic fantasy show set in a perverted version of middle earth. Let’s be clear.

[@guygadbois3010]

Stop calling it "Lord of the Rings". They don't have license to all the Tolkien books, just an appendix, they've condensed timelines, added new characters, eliminated existing characters, made all sorts of canon errors, etc. Maybe its a good show, maybe it sucks, but it's definitely not Tolkien.

[@arpthirteen6713]

You right Tolkien only wanted a lily white world. Amazon added too much color.

[@ericbrown8627]

Too bad The Rings of Power is not Tolkien's story and he did not create 90% of the characters this bullshit is NOT Tolkien.

[@Gulmanzo69]

So bad it's embarrassing for this franchise, they turned a masterpiece universe into garbage so sad to see

[@Britishtheatre]

Your aware the show is not out yet, and this is merely simple advertising gone wrong.

[@Vassago1913]

@@Britishtheatre The issue is the whole show is a big advertisement.

[@chriskoeder1229]

@@Britishtheatre Trailers exist for a reason and the trailers are trash.

[@AllTheArtsy]

lol seethe and weep

[@Gulmanzo69]

@@Britishtheatre the force awakens had an amazing trailer but the movie was Mediocre, trailers are supposed to get you hyped and these trailers didn't feel even close to what lord of the rings is, I hope it's decent but if they can't even make a half decent trailer how can I get hyped for the show?

[@louip11913]

Absolute disgrace to Tolkiens work thanks for confirming I won’t be watching this trash.

[@codinghusky5196]

2:42 might as well stop everything there. Yeah, I'm done with the "token beloved character shown in the prequels as a young american teen from 2020ies eager to prove self". Pass. *wtfever = you're not worth a night with me, so don't bother to clarify

[@Skabelundify]

ELF - Old English, and of Germanic origin. Found throughout the Germanic languages and originally means 'white being.' Can you explain etymology?

[@arpthirteen6713]

Can you explain why Europeans encroached on every other race property then gets mad about multiculturalism...your ancestors should have stayed in Europe.

[@midwestward]

Can't wait for this to fail fail fail

[@Sthunderrocker]

Shills. You should change your name to Corporatist.

[@bloodfurypk666]

stop lying ring of power have nothing to do with the book

[@alexmohamed9940]

“Evil cannot create anything new, they can only corrupt and ruin good forces have invented or made” JRR tolkien

[@OmegaSupreme989]

Has nothing to do with Tolkien. what books is it based on? what appendences? how many sentences are they allowed to use? Made up characters. Fan fiction. Showrunners admitted to telling their story not Tolkien's. If Tolkien was alive today you would be calling him a racist fascist

[@ChrisBrown-tc7lo]

I’m sorry but you lost me at Gandor, Landor, Arabor, sandor, mandor, fandor… everything sounds the same. Tokien was purposely trying to be a jerk while creating the most annoying names on the planet that basically all sound similar in some sense…

[@r0b0saurusrex80]

Looking forward to not watching this show.

[@snapperxv]

Harfoots - you keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means.

[@colinphillips5460]

Sucks that amazon is changing the genders of characters

[@Dajante]

The cultural vandalism continues, now Welcome to Wokeiens green-screened Middle Earth. Have your elf pronouns ready!

[@Feefa99]

Whose culture?

[@timpatrick2109]

@@Feefa99 English culture, exactly what Tolkien said he was creating.

[@Feefa99]

@@timpatrick2109 Dwarves are inspired by the Jewish people, Tolkien himself wrote so in a letter. Their language is also inspired from Norse mythology, you know rune words. Tolkien was linguist. The Men of Rohan are heavily inspired by the Anglo-Saxons in terms of culture, hierarchy and armour. There are also some Scandinavian influences. The Shire seems to draw inspiration from rural England, or rural England of the past. The Elves seem a good mix between Celtic, Nordic and Finno-Ugric. Obviously the Easterlings and Haradrim draw some inspiration from Middle Eastern and North African cultures. But it's nonsense that's strictly only for English culture. It's obviously fictional world for everyone. Also Boromir and Faramir sound very Slavic to me. Names like Bogomir, Bogoljub, Slavomir, Vladimir, Vladislav, Slavoljub, Radomir, Kresimir etc. All those names ending on "MIR" are a combination of two things and "MIR" means "PEACE". For instance "SLAVOMIR" can mean "SLAVA" (Glory) and "MIR" (Peace). Bor is a tree and it's also a place in Serbia. Lore is pretty much already set by Tolkien, but if they'll do in show some reasons for those changes or you could say expansions or exploration, I am fine with what they do. Honestly I would love to see something like Gimli / Legolas friendship, remember they hated each other because of different race, so overcoming racial prejudices and differences are one of the topic in Middle-Earth.

[@timpatrick2109]

@@Feefa99 The whole point for Tolkien’s work was to create something distinctly English drawing from Western European and Nordic mythology. You can read that in his letters. You make absolutely no point for the vandalism of his work. Obviously nothing of African mythology are you nuts??

[@Feefa99]

@@timpatrick2109 right so oliphaunts are not definitely inspired by elephants, which were definitely never used in Asian nor African cultures xD And please stop using word vandalism, obviously people don't understand how movie making works, no adaptation from literature to movie or show is exactly by the books there are always creative differences. Second age has pages not books, so it's kinda necessary to have more creative freedom. Hey it fails, it fails. But so far reviews are pretty much positive. I just refuse to act as clairvoyant.

[@ATVOffroadFurry]

THIS SHOW IS GONNA SUCK AND COMPLETELY DISRESPECTS TOLKIENS VISION!

[@collinweeks6322]

Cancel Amazon prime September 1st.

[@Zerrotox]

uff the dislike ratio for this just proves how bad the show is gonna be

[@vegassims7]

I know where to keep looking!!! Change the channel, quickly

[@JoelMiller77]

Dumpster fire 🔥🗑

[@AhmadZul]

Please be honest @nerdist

[@cubsfanbigmike31]

Terrible show.

[@jwallaby7895]

Whether the show is good or bad, here's my truth: I happily canceled my prime membership when Amazon spat on Tolkien's grave. 🗡 #DefendingTolkien 🗡

[@Harriz62]

So what was it? 6, 12 month free Amazon prime membership? How much did it cost to look like a fool in front of everyone on KZbin?

[@WiseOwl_1408]

It's a mediocre show. 5/10 Dwarfs are cool. Rest is boring and bad.

[@Astrogator1]

Nerdest is corporate owned channel, probably why he talks like a robot. Love the way they need to steal much of their clips from Peter Jackson’s films, why? Because there is so little good to be said about the rings of power. Love the way the robot gets a little animated when mentions “new” characters😂😂 This video has as little integrity as the series… basically none. Hope it’s worth it Amazon, it’s cost you my prime subscription 🙄

[@MartinMartinX]

Rings of Power is not Tolkien ! Its a fiction story from people who hate Tolkien ...and i wont be watching ..ever. You like it ? You watch !

[@arpthirteen6713]

Good...no cares if you don't watch 🤣

[@xandercroes]

Woke dumpster

[@arpthirteen6713]

Blame your European ancestors, they should have stayed in Europe.

[@joesmith-do7fv]

THE PROBLEM IS THIS IS NOT TOLKEIN SO STOP LYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!