Amazon Studios is already warming fans up for the next season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerwho revealed new details and teasers ahead of the show’s San Diego Comic-Con panel this weekend. As such, Polygon is pleased to exclusively reveal some details about a new addition to the JRR Tolkien adaptation’s sprawling cast: Mirdania, played by Amelia Kenworthy.
“Mirdania,” according to Amazon Studios, “is a protégé of master craftsman Celebrimbor.” Celebrimbor, played by Charles Edwards in Season 1, is Tolkien’s master Elven smith, who — along with Galadriel, Elrond, and (secretly) Sauron — we saw forge the three Elven rings of power in the season finale.
“But,” Amazon continued in its statement, “Mirdania’s loyalties will be tested when an unexpected visitor arrives in Eregion, one who could change the fate of the Elven smiths forever.”
That’s a bit vague, but given Lord of the Rings lore, there’s plenty to read between the lines. As Tolkien wrote, the Three Elven Rings were forged by Celebrimbor, and the One Ring was forged by Sauron—but the Seven Rings of the Dwarves and the Nine Rings of Men were a joint project between the two. After being cast out of proper Elven society for his bad vibes, Sauron took on a helpful guise and approached the Elven smiths of the Eregion region, whose judgment was clouded by their ambition to create great works of art. Celebrimbor in particular wanted to live up to the legacy of his grandfather, Fëanor, the greatest Elven smith (and worst person) who ever walked Middle-earth.
Previous trailers for Rings of Power Season 2 has provided ample evidence that we are approaching this period in the story of the forging of the rings, where a disguised Sauron has ingratiated himself with the smiths of Eregion and, while overseeing the forging of the Seven and Nine Rings, weaves his own controlling magic into the jewelry.
Eventually, Sauron was discovered and driven out of Eregion, only to return with an army, destroy the place, capture Celebrimbor, torture him into revealing the location of the Dwarven and Human Rings, and then execute him. Amazon’s first trailer for Season 2 certainly looks to feature a lot of creepy stuff going on in Celebrimbor’s forge, as well as a few shots of the famed smith under duress. It looks like we may have even heard Mirdania’s voice gasping, “I think he’s been here among us all this time.”
Although Kenworthy’s character is an original creation for the series and not a named Tolkinian figure, she seems to have a front-row seat to one of the greatest failures in later Elvish history.