Lord of the Rings May Be Quietly Redeeming a Major Rings of Power Villain (& the Clues Were Hiding in Plain Sight)

Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is based on J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings novel, so despite the series making some major divergences from canon, the fates of certain characters are set in stone. The stories of Galadriel, Elrond, and any other familiar figures from Middle-earth’s history need to end in ways that can lead to the main events of The Lord of the Rings. However, several of The Rings of Power‘s characters were created specifically for the series, so the writers can take their plotlines in any direction they wish. This is the case for Isildur’s sister, Eärien. In Tolkien’s legendarium, Isildur’s only sibling was his younger brother, Anárion, so Eärien’s destiny is a mystery even to die-hard The Lord of the Rings fans.

In the first season of The Rings of Power, Eärien was a sympathetic and generally likable character, but the second season then turned her into one of the series’ most despicable villains. Following the eruption of Mount Doom, Isildur was presumed dead, and Eärien placed the blame on Queen Regent Tar-Míriel since it was she who had sent the Númenórean fleet to Middle-earth. Eärien helped Ar-Pharazôn usurp the throne by revealing that Míriel had been using a palantír to guide her actions, and she subsequently supported his tyrannical rule. Even as the King’s Men began persecuting the Faithful who still served Míriel — including Eärien’s father, Elendil, and her old friend, Valandil — she fervently championed Pharazôn’s new regime. It seems likely that Eärien will continue her villainy in Season 3 and beyond, with some fans even speculating that she might become a Nazgûl, but there is also evidence that she will redeem herself in the end.

Eärien’s Betrayal in The Rings of Power Was Fueled by Misinformation

The Season 2 finale of The Rings of Power, titled “Shadow and Flame,” showed that Eärien was not entirely loyal to Pharazôn’s cause. When the King’s Men began arresting the Faithful, she warned Elendil that they were searching for him. She even covered for Elendil by lying to one of the guards, claiming that she would “tell Ar-Pharazôn of [his] insolence” if he did not “move along.” Reluctantly, the guard obeyed, allowing Elendil to slip away and find Míriel. This was prompted by love for her father rather than guilt about the part she played in Pharazôn’s takeover of Númenor, but it still proved that her support of the King’s Men was not absolute.

Some revelations could shake Eärien’s faith in Pharazôn. First and foremost, Isildur is not actually dead; at the end of Season 2, he sets out on a return voyage to Númenor. When Eärien learns that her brother survived the eruption of Mount Doom, she may let go of her hate for Míriel. Further, it is unclear if Eärien knows that Pharazôn’s son, Kemen, was the one responsible for Valandil’s murder. She and Kemen were close throughout the second season, but the knowledge that he killed one of her best friends could drive a wedge between them and give her a reason to turn against the King’s Men. Of course, remorse alone would not be enough to redeem Eärien, so how could she potentially make up for her evil deeds?

Eärien Would Be a Valuable Ally to the Faithful in The Rings of Power

Loath as the Faithful — and viewers — may be to forgive Eärien, her aid would be a powerful boon, as her connections to Kemen and Pharazôn would make her a perfect spy. According to Tolkien’s The Silmarillion, the Faithful were able to escape the Downfall of Númenor because they learned about Pharazôn’s plans to invade the Undying Lands and fled the kingdom before divine retribution struck. In The Rings of Power‘s version of the story, Eärien may leak this information to the Faithful and thus be responsible for their survival. The Silmarillion also stated that Elendil rescued seven palantíri from the Downfall of Númenor, so perhaps Eärien will steal the palantír that is in Pharazôn’s possession and secretly bring it to her father.

If Pharazôn were to discover that Eärien betrayed the King’s Men, he would undoubtedly kill her, explaining her absence from Middle-earth’s later history and adding yet another tragedy to Isildur’s story. There are five seasons of The Rings of Power planned in total, so Eärien may remain evil in Season 3 but have a change of heart later in the series. There is also a chance that she will never find redemption and instead continue to serve Pharazôn until the bitter end. Whatever role she plays in the future of The Rings of Power, it is certain to be just as polarizing as her actions have been thus far.