The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power presents a unique friendship between Galadriel and Elrond, but what is their connection in Tolkien’s canon? These two Elves are a significant focus of the Prime Video series, which makes sense considering their respective roles in Tolkien’s Second Age of Middle-earth. Galadriel and Elrond are wearers of two of the three Elven Rings of Power, and will therefore continue to be power players through Frodo’s story in The Lord of the Rings. While this is completely clear in Tolkien’s works, their connection may not be.
Elrond and Galadriel have been present in every on-screen adaptation of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. They were played by Hugo Weaving and Cate Blanchett, respectively, in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and both actors returned to reprise their roles in The Hobbit movies. It was only in the latter installment that Elrond and Galadriel interacted much, but The Rings of Power took their connection to a different level, with actors Robert Aramayo and Morfydd Clark presenting their characters as intimate friends. So, how does this compare to their connection on the page?
Elrond Is Married To Galadriel’s Daughter Celebrían In The Lord Of The Rings
Galadriel Is Elrond’s Mother-In-Law
While Elrond and Galadriel’s connection in The Rings of Power is far more intimate than in Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies, there is more of a link between these two than the movies ever imply. Tolkien explains in the Lord of the Rings books (as well as other works) that Elrond is Galadriel’s son-in-law. Shortly after he established Rivendell in the Second Age (something that has been teased to happen in Rings of Power season 3), Galadriel’s daughter, Celebrian, came to the Elvish haven with her mother. Elrond fell madly in love with Celebrian when he first saw her.
Elrond’s children Arwen, Elladan, and Elrohir, are Galadriel’s grandchildren in Lord of the Rings.
It’s with Celebrian that Elrond had Arwen, who goes on to marry Aragorn and become queen of Gondor. Celebrian and Elrond remained together for thousands of years. However, about 500 years before the start of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Celebrian was kidnapped by Orcs and held hostage. Her sons, Arwen’s brothers, rescued her, but the trauma she experienced left a scar that she simply couldn’t recover from. Celebrian chose to travel to Valinor, the Undying Lands, where Elrond and Galadriel would eventually join her after the events of Return of the King.
Tolkien Doesn’t Elaborate On Elrond & Galadriel’s Familial Bond In The Source Material
Their Personal Relationship Isn’t Discussed
Though Tolkien is clear that Elrond and Galadriel are mother and son-in-law, he never dives into their personal relationship in his Lord of the Rings books. The central story is told from the Hobbits’ point of view, so it’s no wonder that the connection between these two ethereal (and somewhat intimidating) Elves was never explored by Frodo or written about by Bilbo. The closest we might have gotten to Tolkien describing the relationship between Elrond and Galadriel would have been in The Silmarillion or related works, but Tolkien had little to say on the matter.
It can certainly be assumed that Elrond and Galadriel would have shared a kinship. They were two powerful Elves who held key positions in the war against Sauron and the general governing of the Elves. Both were wearers of Elven Rings, shared a love for Celebrian and her children, and sailed away together for the Undying Lands after the one Ring was destroyed. We can assume they liked one another. However, there is no evidence one way or the other that Elrond and Galadriel’s relationship was anything like what has been presented in Rings of Power.
The Rings Of Power Completely Alters The Dynamic Between Elrond & Galadriel
This Intimacy Factor Is Brand New
In Rings of Power season 1, it’s clear that Elrond and Galadriel are very dear to one another. They are presented as close friends and confidants, which is reasonable considering their many connections in Tolkien’s works—even if the author never explicitly said how they felt about one another. This relationship became far more complicated in Rings of Power season 2 when Galadriel became eager to use the Three Elven Rings while Elrond argued that they were too dangerous and that his friend had been subtly corrupted by Sauron—further events never described by Tolkien.
Rings of Power took this even further by featuring a big kiss between Elrond and Galadriel in season 2.
Of course, Rings of Power took this even further by featuring a big kiss between Elrond and Galadriel in season 2. The nature of this intimate moment is left ambiguous. It’s unclear if either Elf has romantic feelings for one another, or if Elrond only kissed Galadriel so that he could slip her his pin and aid in her escape from Adar and the Orcs. Regardless, this dynamic is wholly unique to the series. Moreover, there has been absolutely no mention of Celebrian, who Elrond should be falling in love with any day now. Rings of Power has presented an interesting story, but it’s certainly not canon.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
7/10
- Release Date
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September 1, 2022
- Network
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Amazon Prime Video
- Showrunner
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John D. Payne, Patrick McKay, Louise Hooper, Charlotte Brändström, Wayne Yip
- Directors
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J.A. Bayona, Sanaa Hamri
- Writers
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Patrick McKay, John D. Payne, J.R.R. Tolkien, Justin Doble, Jason Cahill, Gennifer Hutchison, Stephany Folsom, Nicholas Adams