Rings of Power’s King of the Dead may be hiding in plain sight

According to a compelling Rings of Power theory, one character may become the King of the Dead, the ghostly leader from Lord of the Rings.

Given Rings of Power’s place in the Lord of the Rings timeline, there’s been a lot of speculation about how its story could bleed into the Third Age.

For example, is the Stranger actually Gandalf and he doesn’t even know it (I think so)? And what about the identity of the Dark Wizard, Season 2’s mysterious Istar – could he be Saruman, or perhaps even a Blue Wizard?

Theo, the son of Bronwyn (who was killed off after the actress left the show), has been the subject of several theories. In Season 1, fans believed he’d become the Witch-King of Angmar after he appeared to find the Morgul Blade.

This theory is a bit more convincing, considering the seeds the showrunners seem to be planting: Theo may be the King of the Dead. Obviously not right now, but eventually.

Prime Video

On Reddit, one user observed how he’s been “building a bond with Isildur to set up for the oath he swears, [and] repeatedly talking about making and keeping promises which again foreshadows him eventually breaking his oath.”

The King of the Dead doesn’t have much backstory in Tolkien’s source material. We know he was alive during the Second Age and once worshipped Sauron, until swearing allegiance to Gondor – where Isildur reigned as king.

He promised to fight for Isildur when called upon, but when it came to the War of the Last Alliance, he was nowhere to be seen. So, Isildur cursed the King of the Dead and his people, leaving him to dwell in the Dwimorberg mountain forever.

New Line Cinema

“Arondir called him ‘Lord of Pelargir.’ In the book, the Army of the Dead helps Aragorn take back Pelargir, which would be a double redemption for him,” the Redditor also noted.

It’s a solid theory, and it’s earned the support of many viewers. “I love this theory so much more than Theo becoming a Nazgûl,” one wrote, while another commented: “I completely agree with your theory and think they’ve been setting it up this way too.”

A third wrote: “Theo has always been a prime candidate for the king of the dead because his guilt over the destruction of his homeland sets him up perfectly as the kind of person who, in the end, will not be able to sacrifice a second home in order to fulfill an oath.”

“That’s a really cool theory. I like it. Theo is such a moody and inept punk I can’t really see him getting enough respect to be able to lead any group of people but maybe he’ll grow up fast in the remainder of the season,” a fourth added.

Make sure you check out our recaps of Rings of Power Season 2 Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, and Episode 4. You can also read our guides on Morgoth’s origin, Forodwaith, and Círdan the Shipwright.