Galadriel is one of the oldest and wisest of the elves we come to meet in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. This wisdom came at a price, however, and as The Rings of Power explores the elf’s earlier years during the Second Age, we are becoming more aware of just what she has had to overcome.
In The Fellowship of the Ring when Frodo meets Galadriel, Lady of Lórien, Tolkien described her as “grave and beautiful,” and despite her outward appearance having remained the same for thousands of years, her eyes betrayed the passage of time she has witnessed, “for these were keen as lances in the starlight, and yet profound, the wells of deep memory.” In The Rings of Power, though the series does stray a little from Tolkien’s own work, they are showing us a version of the character that is still, comparatively young and headstrong, one who is struggling with the weight of her losses and is ready to fight with all she has against the rising darkness.
Many fans are loving this version of Galadriel played by Welsh actress Morfydd Clark, which does differ quite a bit from the well-known portrayal of the character by Cate Blanchett. In the Third Age Galadriel is powerful, wise, and regal, with a serenity to her that is only broken when Frodo offers her the One Ring, it is here we see a side to her that is terrifying and dark. This seems much closer to how she is currently portrayed in the Amazon series, as Clark’s Galadriel is a proud warrior, burning with purpose and a desire to seek out the one responsible for her brother’s death and the death of so many of her kin. It is likely that the show will follow her arc as she becomes more like the Galadriel we meet in the next Age.
Many feel like they are finally seeing more “depth” to the character, allowing us to understand the pain Galadriel went through in her past.
Many are enjoying seeing what led Galadriel went through in her past.
Lord of the Rings Galadriel, whilst radiating power, was not the most active, so it’s fun to see her kick-ass warrior side.
For this fan, it isn’t just Galadriel, but the way all the elves are being portrayed, their superiority complex on full display in the show.
Many are excited to see the character develop over the course of the shows five planned seasons.
One user has pointed out that after seeing her here, we should have been way more scared of the idea of her with the One Ring.
Some feel that, whilst the “badass” angle to the character is cool, she has yet to show more dimension, something that may be rectified as the show progresses.
This user feels that some of the decisions regarding the character have been a little off-base, especially the lack of magical ability so far.
The character will no doubt grow and evolve as the series continues, but, knowing what is ahead, she may yet slip further into despair before she finally comes through the other end. It will be interesting to see where the showrunners take the character from here and, despite knowing how it will end, many are happy to be along for the ride.