In what was a very dramatic and action-packed final few moments, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power episode 3 introduced us to a new villain.
Known only as Adar, audiences got a blurry glimpse at the presumed leader of the band of orcs who had captured the elf Arondir and forced him to work in chains, alongside other captives. Whilst escape looked likely when his swift battle against the orcs and their Warg reached its conclusion, Arondir fell just short and was brought crashing back down to earth, quite literally. But who is Adar, and what should we expect from the character as the series continues?
Who is Adar and who plays him in The Rings of Power?
During the series’ initial casting call, the character was described as “a villain who can also evoke a deep sense of pathos and wounded/fallen nobility,” along with having “a certain degree of physicality” and projecting “a sense of timelessness,” despite “seeming” middle-aged. None of the original works by J. R. R. Tolkien mention this name, so it would appear that he is another original creation for The Rings of Power. Then again, he may be an amalgamation of other characters that Tolkien had written, either in his published works or in his unpublished letters.
Joseph Mawle is stepping into the role of the orc’s leader, Adar. Fantasy fans may find the actor familiar, because he played Benjen Stark in Game of Thrones, or perhaps even his turn in the Netflix series Sense8. Of course, the actor’s transformation could be so otherworldly, that he is completely unrecognizable. So far, we’ve just gotten a small idea of what to expect from his look: long hair, pale white skin, and a shiny gauntlet that exudes power.
Tying what we know now to one of the trailers for the show, we can assume we got a shot of Adar standing calmly in front of a pack of orcs, as seen above. What’s most interesting about this, however, is the shape of the character’s ears. It is clear that Adar is an elf, which opens up a whole treasure trove of questions. Why is he serving the side of evil when elves have only been misguided at worst? What will he gain from leading an assault on the Southlands? Is he working directly for Sauron? Hopefully, we’ll get some of those answers when The Rings of Power returns next week.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power continues Fridays on Amazon’s Prime Video.
