Who is Valandil in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’? How This Heroic Side Character is Connected to Aragorn

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 Episode 5 “Halls of Stone” on Prime Video reveals the origins of the iconic doors to Khazad-dûm and features a moment where Sauron (Charlie Vickers) projects his Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) crush onto Celebrimbor’s (Charles Edwards) poor assistant Mirandia (Amelia Kenworthy), but we’re all freaking out about what happens to Valandil (Alex Tarrant) over in Númenor!!!

**Spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 Episode 5 “Halls of Stone,” now streaming on Prime Video**

While Isildur (Maxim Baldry) has been fighting baby shelobs and falling for betrothed “bad” girl Estrid (Nia Towle) in Middle-earth, his surviving bestie Valandil has been one of the only Faithful Númenoreans with the balls to stand up to Pharazôn (Trystan Gravelle) and his First Men supporters. Namely, Pharazôn’s herb of a son, Kemen (Leon Wadham).

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The tensions between the Faithful, who support Míriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) and love tradition and the Elves, and the King’s Men, who want to put Númenor first, come to a violent head in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 Episode 5 “Halls of Stone.” Kemen leads a force into a sacred Faithful ritual honoring the spirits of their dead and desecrates the shrine. Valandil and Isildur’s dad (Elendil) manage to overpower the stooge, but spare his pathetic life.

Only for Kemen to stab the noble Valandil in the back, killing the heroic young man!

So what’s the significance of this moment? And how could Valandil’s death tie into the larger Lord of the Rings saga?

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We first met Valandil all the way back in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 1. He was one of Isildur’s best friends and a competent member of the Sea Guard, the naval fleet then commanded by Elendil. Valandil journeyed to Middle-earth with the rest of the Númenoreans to save the Southlands, only to suffer defeat.

In The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2, Valandil has returned to Númenor, assuming Isildur is dead. There, he becomes the only young person in Elendil’s back willing to defend the commander or their rightful queen Míriel. He gets into it with Kemen at a bar, setting up the deadly encounter yet to come.

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When Valandil falls, it not only reveals how ruthless Kemen and the King’s Men will be in their mission to sever Númenor’s ties with tradition, but it also leaves Elendil all the more isolated. His only remaining child in Númenor, Eärien (Ema Horvath) is a fervent supporter of the King’s Men.

However, not all hope is lost. You just have to know your Tolkien to see how Valandil’s death might influence future events…

Rings of Power ‘s version of Valandil might just be one of Isildur’s bros, but Tolkien fanatics recognize that name as the youngest of Isildur’s future sons. Not only that, but Valandil is the only one of Isildur’s sons who will survive the bloody conflicts ahead. That means — drum roll please — Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings is the direct descendent of Valandil.

All of which is to say that The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has created a character named Valandil whose loyalty, courage, and sacrifice will inspire the naming of Isildur’s youngest son.

Oh, and if you’re worried that Kemen will never get his, at some point in the Second Age, the King’s Men will see their destruction. Valandil, you will be avenged!

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