Even a century after their initial inception, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit still rank among the most well-known fictional works in history. J.R.R. Tolkien’s flagship franchise has defined the fantasy genre for multiple generations — as the second season of The Rings of Power has just completed its run, it is showing no signs of slowing down. Given the 60-year timeline gap between The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit, many of the characters featured in the latter aren’t present in the War of the Ring.
However, for every character from The Hobbit, like Thorin Oakshield or Bard the Bowman that passes away before the events of The Lord of the Rings, there are many more that live long enough to see Sauron rise from the ashes and attack the Free Peoples of Middle-earth. One of these characters, Elrond, has presided over the Elves of Rivendell since the Second Age, but he’s still powerful enough to go toe-to-toe with some of the strongest monsters in the series due in large part to the ancient powers that he wields.
Updated on November 1, 2024, by Ajay Aravind: Elrond was also known as Peredhel, a Sindarin Elvish word meaning half-elven. Due to his father Eärendil being born to an Elf and a Man, Elrond was allowed to choose which race he wanted to be. Although he chose to be an Elf, his twin brother Elros became a Man and the first Ruling King of Númenor. Given his complex and powerful legacy, it was never surprising that Elrond would have special abilities at his disposal. As such, we have updated this article with some more relevant information.
Who Is Elrond in The Lord of the Rings?
Title: The Lord of Rivendell
To truly understand the depths of Elrond’s power, it’s important first to appreciate the Elf’s role in Middle-earth over the past several millennia. Elrond’s father is none other than Eärendil, a legendary hero from the First Age who played a major role in the victory against the First Dark Lord, Morgoth. Eärendil’s might was so great that he struck down Ancalagon the Black, the largest and most powerful dragon of all time, and carried one of the Silmarils into the sky upon his departure from Middle-earth. With this in mind, it should come as no surprise that his son, Elrond, became one of the most powerful and influential Elves of the subsequent ages.
Birth
Reign
Dynasty
Children
First Age 532
Second Age 1697 – Third Age 3021
House of Elwë
Arwen, Elladan, & Elrohir
Following the fall of Morgoth, Elrond ascended the ranks of the Elvish hierarchy until he became the Herald of High King Gil-galad, holding his position throughout the Second Age. When the next Dark Lord Sauron started his rise to power, Elrond often led the charge against the evil villain’s forces. During this time, Elrond founded the Elvish settlement of Rivendell, which he presides over until the events of both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are completed.
What Are Elrond’s Powers?
He Can Use Magic for Various Purposes
The strength of the residents of Middle-earth has slowly waned with each passing millennium. This means the Elrond who appears in The Lord of the Rings franchise is likely weaker than the one who roamed Earth in the First and Second Age, like the younger version who appears in The Rings of Power. That said, the Lord of Rivendell still possesses many noteworthy abilities by the time that the War of the Ring takes place.
Eärendil was my sire, who was born in Gondolin before its fall; and my mother was Elwing, daughter of Dior, son of Lúthien of Doriath. I have seen three ages in the West of the world, and many defeats, and many fruitless victories.
— Elrond in The Fellowship of the Ring
As one of the Fellowship of the Ring’s staunchest allies, Elrond spends most of The Lord of the Rings trilogy assisting the films’ heroes from his throne in Rivendell. The critical meeting that led to the formation of the Fellowship of the Ring is called the Council of Elrond. Thanks to the versatile nature of the powers at his disposal, Elrond’s insight and military strength prove to be invaluable in the victory against Sauron, setting up the Fourth Age of Middle-earth that begins shortly after the fall of Barad-dûr.
Elrond Can Predict the Future Through His Foresight
One of the most important powers that Elrond possesses is the ability to receive brief glimpses or hints of future events. This power, generally referred to as Foresight in Middle-earth, isn’t something that Elrond can utilize at will, as that would have made him nigh-invincible. However, he receives prophetic visions of major events relating to himself and his fellow Elves at multiple points throughout the series.
Foresight isn’t an ability that’s specific to Elrond or the Elves — a handful of notable Men throughout the history of Middle-earth have also been blessed by similar visions. Sometimes it even manifests in the form of mystical dreams, as seen in the cases of Faramir, Frodo, and Boromir. Still, the power of Foresight is incredibly rare, making it a massive asset to both Rivendell and the Free Peoples of Middle-earth.
Elrond’s Elven Magic Is Capable of Exceptional Healing
Elrond is thousands of years old, so it should come as no surprise that he’s mastered a variety of valuable skills. However, his ability to heal others is more than just a talent obtained through hard work and dedication — it’s a preternatural gift that has earned him widespread notoriety throughout Middle-earth. In addition to these magical powers, Elrond’s Elven nature gave him a deeper understanding of healing and medicine.
Aragorn, a man chosen by Fate and blessed with healing powers that legitimized his rule as King, openly admits that Elrond’s aptitude for healing far surpasses his own. Were it not for Elrond’s powers, Frodo would have almost certainly perished after being gravely wounded by the Morgul Blade. Interestingly, Elrond’s refusal to partake in battle during the Third Age of Middle-earth might have to do with his focus on healing, because Elven healers consider fighting to be a drain on their magical potential.
Elrond Could Theoretically Command Armies Through Telepathic Speech
Although the magic and strength of Elves have dissipated over time, they still have access to a host of abilities that continue to elude the Men, Hobbits, and Dwarves of Middle-earth. This includes a rudimentary form of telepathy, which allows characters like Elrond, Gandalf, and Galadriel to communicate without speaking. That said, it is unclear whether Elrond can telepathically manipulate minds like Sauron can.
Chronologically, Elrond first uses telepathy in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey when he greets Gandalf, but it’s shown during the events of The Lord of the Rings trilogy that the power can be used across much further distances. Since Elrond commands many different troops throughout his time on Middle-earth, his ability to instantly communicate messages to allies that are far away is a massive help to his forces.
Elrond Wields Vilya, The Ring of Air and the Strongest Elven Ring of Power
Even excluding his complex history and millennia-spanning legacy, Elrond is the most significant Elvish ally to the Fellowship of the Ring. However, while many titles, accomplishments, and abilities bolster Elrond’s claim as one of the most legendary Elves in The Lord of the Rings, he wields one of the single most important objects in the history of Middle-earth: the Ring of Air. Known as Vilya in Quenya Elvish, it is constructed of gold and set with a massive sapphire.
As part of Sauron’s bid to rule Middle-earth in the Second Age, the Dark Lord tricked Celebrimbor of Eregion into forging 16 Rings of Power.These Rings were given to Men and the Dwarves, but the Elven smith had secretly constructed three special rings that would be free of Sauron’s taint. As a result, the Three Elven Rings of Power proved resistant to Sauron’s influence, allowing them to bolster the Elves’ strength even after Sauron forged the One Ring to Rule Them All.
In Amazon’s The Rings of Power, Gil-galad has Vilya. When the War of the Elves and Sauron began, Elrond was given the Ring of Air to protect his troops, preserve the peace and mirth of Rivendell, and sew discord among Sauron’s forces. Although the exact powers that Vilya provides are somewhat ambiguous, The Lord of the Rings franchise confirms that the Ring of Air plays a major role in Elrond’s ability to monitor and influence Rivendell’s surrounding territories. That said, Elrond mainly used Vilya after Sauron lost the One Ring to Isildur.
Armed with both the Ring of Air and a wide range of other powers, Elrond proves to be one of the strongest characters in the entire War of the Ring, even if his role doesn’t see him enter the battlefield. All things considered, his ability to support the Fellowship of the Ring and their allies from afar is much-needed. Thanks to his contributions during each of the Wars against Sauron, Elrond will forever be remembered as one of the greatest Elvish heroes in the history of Middle-earth.
Elrond Has Special Abilities in Some LotR Video Games
Elrond’s Character in The Battle for Middle-earth II Is Voiced by Hugo Weaving
Elrond doesn’t appear as a playable character in the most famous Lord of the Rings video games out there, but there are some notable exceptions. While not playable in The Lord of the Rings Online, Elrond can assist the player by offering them various items as well as participating in the overarching story. Elrond can be played in The Lord of the Rings: Conquest, although he only uses melee weapons like throwing axes and blades. He can also become evil depending on the campaign.
The only known LotR video game in which Elrond is both playable and possesses magical powers is The Battle for Middle-earth II, a real-time strategy narrative that also includes notable Elves like Glorfindel. To cure every Elf in the vicinity, Elrond can use the spell Athelas, which is named after the healing plant that Aragorn used to justify his legacy. He also has access to Farsight and Restoration, which allow him to expose hidden map areas and heal nearby Heroes, respectively. Arguably the strongest Elrond spell in the game is Whirlwind, most likely a reference to the Ring of Air Vilya. Maybe one day, after enough reboots and renewals, fans will get to play as the Lord of Rivendell in a story about himself.
