The Rings of Power: Who Is Halbrand Really?

Since the start of its first season, the series The Rings of Power leaves room for many theories, thanks to a clever game of hide and seek between the spectators and Sauron. Because the former lieutenant of Morgoth, who has become the embodiment of absolute evil, is currently hiding in Middle-earth, and his identity has still not been revealed, even if over the course of the episodes, certain clues have pointed to certain suspects. First of all The Stranger who fell from his meteorite, which seemed to have the ideal profile, especially after Waldreg’s declaration to Theo at the end of episode 4. But Waldreg, precisely, seems to be like the spectator, and thinks in episode 5 that it is the terrible Adar, the leader of the Orcs who rage in the Southern Lands, who is the reincarnation of Sauron. The third suspect, so far, is Halbrand. A mysterious character, who saves Galadriel at sea in episode 2, and accompanies the intrepid Elf to the island of Númenor, who dazzled with her settings for 4 episodes. And it is precisely there that doubts about Halbrand may have arisen…

Can Halbrand be Sauron?

We know that Sauron can take many forms, and knows how to use trickery (and take his time) when he is not in a strong position. As soon as Halbrand arrives, we discover that he can be a skilled thief, but also an excellent brawler, when we see him rubbing shoulders with the inhabitants of Númenor, when he wishes to join the guild… of blacksmiths. An additional clue, when we know that Sauron is interested in this art, and will use it to forge the Rings of Power later? In episode 4, while he is in the cell, Halbrand does not hesitate to manipulate Galadriel, by telling him how to speak to Tar-Miriel, then to betray the Elf by revealing to the ambitious Ar-Pharazôn where Galadriel goes. A manipulation that inevitably brings to mind the shenanigans of Sauron, especially when we know that in the books, the latter is indeed linked to the fate of Númenor, which we will not talk about to avoid spoilers. But this is supposed to happen much later, and having Sauron and Galadriel travel together would certainly not be a good idea…

What we see in the palantir : 0.7% chance for Halbrand to be Sauron. Now that we know that he seems to be what he said, namely the king of the Southern Lands, we should see his destiny fulfilled. And it seems impossible that he was Sauron, and that he manipulated Galadriel and then the Númenóreans to help him become King of Men. Or it’s a first masterstroke on his part…

Can Halbrand be a future Nazgûl?

While it would be amazing (but not impossible) for Halbrand to end up being Sauron, one of the most likely theories is that he is a future Nazgûl. Those who are also called the Specters of the Ring, or the Black Riders, and who gave many cold sweats to Frodo in the films of Peter Jackson, are former kings and high lords, perverted by Sauron. And so Halbrand is a king. Coincidence? He himself declares that he fled the Southern Lands because of the blood tie that exists between men and the forces of evil, that is to say first Morgoth, and now Sauron. Returning to Middle-earth could therefore allow him to triumph at first, but also and above all to have to embrace a terrible destiny…

What we see in the palantir : 43% chance that Halbrand will be a future Nazgûl. A human king, who seems afraid of turning to the dark side when he’s not even in Star Wars… Everything seems to indicate that Halbrand will become a Nazgûl over the next few seasons. And maybe even, as some theories already suggest, neither more nor less than their leader, the terrible Witch-King of Angmar, the one no man could kill, but whom Éowyn took care of in one of the best scenes from movies like books.

Can Halbrand be the future King of the Dead?

There is a certain resemblance between Aragorn and Halbrand. At least between Viggo Mortensen and Charlie Vickers, who we were able to discover in The Medici. And their destinies could meet, but not because Halbrand would be the ancestor of the future son-in-law of Elrond (who moreover married the daughter of his friend Galadriel, good atmosphere among the Elves). There is another ancient king that we discover in The Lord of the Rings : the King of the Dead. He was at the head of an army that had worshiped Sauron, but had promised Isildur, future king of Gondor, to join him in the War of the Last Alliance (the one we discover in the epic prologue of The Fellowship of the Ring). Except he broke his oath, and cursed by Isildur, was doomed to haunt the caverns beneath the Dwimorberg and Harrowdale Valley, until a descendant of Isildur, Aragorn therefore, came “to deliver him “. And if Halbrand, torn in The Rings of Power, could be the future King of the Dead? It is still much too early to say, but this hypothesis seems as credible as for a future Nazgûl. Except for one detail…

What we see in the palantir : 30% chance that Halbrand will be the future King of the Dead. If this theory is appealing, the geographical origin of the King of the Dead and his army is located in the White Mountains, and not in the Southern Lands. A small detail of a few hundred kilometers, but which can therefore be important.

Can Halbrand be Theo’s father?

Rather than trying to guess what will become of Halbrand in a few hundred years, let’s take a look at its present. As he himself evokes “a blood pact” made between the men of the South and Sauron, there is a character in whom blood seems to have a lot of importance: Theo, the son of Bronwyn. It is indeed him, who after having found the broken sword and linked to Sauron at Waldreg, manages to make it react thanks to… his blood! What if the blood pact mentioned had been made by the kings of the Southlands, and Halbrand was Theo’s father? This one has not yet been mentioned in the series, and with his mission in the village during episode 4, we could see that Theo could be as stubborn and clever as Halbrand…

What we see in the palantir : 10% chance that Halbrand is Theo’s father. The screenplay interest would not be incredible, except to annoy Arondir a little, in love with Bronwyn. On the other hand, if Theo were the son, and therefore the heir of Halbrand, then it would also be obvious to imagine the young man becoming a Nazgûl… or the King of the Dead, after settling in the White Mountains. ?

What if Halbrand was Theo?

Attention, incredible theory, which joins a little the previous one: and if there were several timelines in The Rings of Power ? The series could make us a Westworld, and reveal to us that in fact, the scenes with Theo are flashbacks, showing us how this one then became the King of the Men of the South, corrupted by Sauron. This would explain his desertion from his country, and his lack of desire to return. Especially if the next conflict, which promises to be terrible given the horde of Orcs led by Adar on their way to Ostirith, sees the death of Bronwyn and Arondir…

What we see in the palantir : 5% chance for Halbrand to be Theo. This is a turnaround that would be incredible. There is indeed an event that situates all the characters of rings of power on the same timeline : the fall of the meteorite, which many characters see (including Bronwin and Arondir). All the characters, except one, since it is when Galadriel gives up returning to Valinor that the meteorite falls in Middle-earth. And as if by chance, it is in this same timeline that we discover Halbrand…

Like every week with The Rings of Power, so there is room for multiple theories. See you every Friday from 6:00 a.m. on Prime Video to find out if they can be verified. Or not.

Sources: Prime Video, Tolkiendil