The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power introduced a very large cast across multiple areas of Middle Earth. Following Galadriel, as she finds herself on the island of Númemor, the show introduces us to the main figures in Númemor, one of which is Isildur. Isildur is a young man going through the training of being on a ship and sailing through the ocean.

After showing his aptitude for sailing, one day, he intentionally lets go of a rope, gets kicked off the ship, and losses his chance to be a sailor. When Galadriel calls the Island to sail troops to Middle Earth to kill the Orc threat, Isildur is one of the people wanting to volunteer to go fight. After his recent trouble on the boat, his father hesitates to let him come, but he is eventually given a spot to care for the horses.

After Mount Doom finally erupts, creating Mordor, the surviving alliance of Southlanders and Númenóreans is left decimated. While the survivors are trying to get out of the destroyed village, Isildur is seen inside one of the on-fire houses. After its support beams give out, the roof is shown falling down on Isildur, and he is presumed dead.

The Son Of The King Has Much Left To Do

For those who have read the books or watched the movies, Isildur should be a name they recognize, and his “death” will have them scratching their head. In the Intro to The Fellowship Of The Ring, it states that Isildur is in the battle of the men and elves who unite to stand against Sauron. Not only is Isildur in this battle, but he is the one to use his father’s sword and cut the One Ring off the hand of Sauron.

Being the one to actually cut the hand of Sauron and take the ring for himself makes Isildur one of the biggest characters in the previous ages. While Rings of Power has warped the lore a good bit here and there, it’s highly unlikely they would introduce such an important character to take away his biggest moment.

In the show Rings of Power, it is also established that horses and their Númenórean riders form a special bond when they ride into battle together. Isildur is shown to have this special bond with his own horse, who was brought back to camp after the battle. The horse is then restless and takes off back toward the direction of the village. This is the show’s own hint that the horse sensed something the Númenóreans did not.

While the writers for Rings of Power may have their own plans, it is safe to say such an important character will be safe from death, at least for the time being. Isildur’s “death” in the penultimate episode possibly serves more as a fake-out for fans and a lingering plot line to be finished up in Season 2.