There is a multitude of unanswered questions leading up to The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and one of the biggest is about the fate of Celeborn. In J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth mythology, Elven Princess Galadriel is married to the noble elf, but fans have noted his absence from the trailers and promotional material, so where is he?
Morfydd Clark has been cast as Galadriel, but in everything we’ve seen thus far, there hasn’t been so much as a peek at Celeborn. This doesn’t necessarily mean that he won’t be present in the series. Considering the full context of her exploits and life are unknown, it’s pointing to the possibility that he might not appear in season one of Rings of Power. In an interview with The One Ring, Clark was asked about Celeborn, to which she responded, “I couldn’t possibly say, but there’s five seasons of the show.”
The Sindarin Prince of Doriath, Celeborn was born to Galadhon, who’s Silvan in origin. In the First Age, Galadriel came to Middle-earth to rule her own realm. She met Celeborn in Doriath. The two of them fell in love and were wed soon thereafter. Galadriel’s elder brother, Finrod, left to establish the stronghold of Nargothrond while she stayed behind with her husband.
Galadriel was a housemaid in Doriath to Queen Melian, who became her good friend and mentor. Based on what’s known, it’s likely that Galadriel and Celeborn remained together through the First Age, which includes the Sack of Doriath, the Second Kinslaying and Destruction of Doriath, the Third Kinslaying in Sirion, and the War of Wrath.
In the Second Age—the age when the TV series takes place—the Host of the West fought the forces of Morgoth in what is known as the Wars of Belierand. When the dust settled, Beleriand fell, and Celebron and Galadriel lived in Lindon. At this time, he was the ruler of the fief of Harlindon under High King Gil-Galad.
The Elven lovers traveled across Middle-earth. They went to Lake Nenuial and ruled the Eldar in Eriador, and they had a daughter named Celebrian. They then went to Eregion, which was ruled by Celebrimbor, the distant half-cousin of Galadriel. The couple parted ways when Celeborn stayed in Eregion while Galadriel and Celebrian went to Khazad-dûm. Meanwhile, Celeborn, ever the strategist, led Eregion into battle during the Sack of Eregion.
Many of the main players of this time have been accounted for in Rings of Power. Gil-Galad is played by Mark Meadows, Finrod is played by Will Fletcher, and Elrond is played by Robert Aramayo. Elrond specifically has a close relationship with Celeborn, and both have major influences on Middle-earth history. After the Sack of Eregion, Celeborn and Elrond escaped to a dell. Afterwards, Elrond founded Rivendell, the elven outpost in the Misty Mountains.
The details of Galadriel’s exploits during this time in LOTR mythology aren’t completely mapped out, but there are valid reasons why Celeborn has yet to be seen. The two Elves diverged from one another in the Second Age. With the series focusing heavily on the Lady of Light, the Prince of Doriath could be separate from her, such as when he remained in Eregion. Celeborn also wasn’t fond of dwarves, which could also keep him away from the story since she could be interacting with them and has done so ever since she first came to Middle-earth.
Despite Celeborn possibly missing in action in season one, fans shouldn’t be too worried. He’s a major character connected to Galadriel, and with five seasons in total, there’s more than enough time to include him in the story.