Is Arondir dead? Rings of Power Season 2 Episode 7 ending explained
Prime VideoRings of Power Season 2 Episode 7 ends on a bleak note for Eregion and the show’s heroes; is Arondir dead, what will happen to Celebrimbor, and will the Balrog emerge in Khazad-dûm?
War comes to Middle-earth in Season 2 Episode 7, with Adar besieging the Elven city of Eregion with one goal: destroying Sauron, no matter what it takes.
That includes enlisting Damrod the hill-troll, who flattens as many Uruks as Elves on the battlefield, using a battering ram to rip down the city’s walls, and slaying Elrond and Gil-galad’s troops.
It’s the penultimate episode of Rings of Power Season 2, but it doesn’t set up a hopeful finale – get ready to say goodbye to one character, is all I’ll say (before getting into possible spoilers, of course).
Is Arondir dead?
Arondir gets stabbed by Adar in the closing moments of Rings of Power Season 2 Episode 7, but it’s highly unlikely that he’s dead.
Prime VideoIn the final five minutes of the episode, as the sun rises over the hills, Elrond joyously awaits the sight of Durin and the Dwarven army. They don’t show up (more on that later), leaving Elrond, Gil-galad, Arondir, and the remaining Elves to take on Adar and the Uruks.
It doesn’t go well. For the most part, it’s a slaughter (Gil-galad holds his own with the help of Aeglos), and Adar even manages to get Galadriel’s Elven ring from Elrond.
Arondir, who’s long vowed to kill Adar after Bronwyn’s death, finally gets his face-off, but Adar stabs him in the torso and leaves him on the ground.
However, he’s not motionless as Adar walks away. He’s still moving before the scene moves on, so you should expect to see him alive and shooting arrows next week (hopefully).
What happens to Celebrimbor in the book?
In the Lord of the Rings books, Celebrimbor is killed by Sauron during the fall of Eregion, but it’s unclear if he’ll die in the upcoming finale.
Prime VideoIf you really want to know the grisly details, Sauron tortures him, shoots him with arrows, hangs him on a pole, and parades him around like a flag.
In an interview with Nerdist, Charles Edwards (who plays Celebriimbor) teased: “You just go where the story takes you and react accordingly.
“The joy of this for us was that, amazingly, we got to shoot all our scenes in Season 2 in order. It was Charlie Vickers and I in the forge for weeks, every day, telling the story in order chronologically, which is unheard of. It was really, hugely satisfying work for us both.”
As for his character’s fate, he kept tight-lipped but said: Because all this happens so fast and so intensely in our version, he’s caught at every moment. He’s just kept on the hook by Annatar, so he just has to live in the moment.
“But in terms of his tragedy, that is sort of self-evident later. I haven’t tried to preempt him as a tragic hero or anything like that. Hopefully he might be that anyway.”
Where’s the Balrog?
We haven’t seen the Balrog at all in Rings of Power Season 2, but considering it appears in the trailer, it’ll definitely show up in the finale.
Prime VideoAt the end of Season 1, the show confirmed what we all knew: a Balrog is lurking in the depths of Khazad-dûm (the same one Gandalf fights in Fellowship of the Ring), and if the Dwarves keep mining, they’ll face its wrath sooner or later.
Ever since King Durin got his ring of power, he’s been pushing the Dwarves to expand their operation, blinded to the cost of that wealth.
In Episode 7, Narvi reveals that the king has been laying waste to any Dwarf that stands against him, setting up a showdown between a father and son… and the Balrog.
Will Galadriel fight Sauron in the finale?
From the trailer, it appears Galadriel will reunite with Sauron in the Rings of Power Season 2 finale.
Prime VideoGaladriel made an easy mistake in the first season: she was suckered by a handsome man who told a convincing tale. He humbly accepted his apparent destiny as the king of the Southlands, using the trust of a high-ranking Elf to ingratiate himself and plot his “perfection” of Middle-earth.
At the start of the new season, everyone is angry at her (especially Elrond), believing she enabled his resurgence because she wanted what he offered. She dismisses that idea… until Episode 7 when she comforts Celebrimbor in Eregion.
“A part of me knew, a part of me saw… but I wanted what he offered. So, I blinded myself to what he was,” he says, and Galadriel says the same thing happened to her.
Celebrimbor gives her the nine rings and leaves to face Sauron alone (he takes a few troops, but they’re killed almost instantly). They’ll see each other again before the season ends, and there won’t be any hugs or kisses.
Make sure you’re up-to-date with our Rings of Power Season 2 release schedule, and check out our other recaps below:
You can also read our predictions for the Dark Wizard’s identity, and check out our guides on Círdan, Forodwaith, and if Rings of Power is considered canon in Lord of the Rings.