The Galadriel played by Morfydd Clark in The Rings of Power is nothing like the character introduced by J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, nor Cate Blanchett’s version from Peter Jackson’s movie trilogies. Upon departing Rivendell, one of the first stops the Fellowship makes is the Elven refuge of Lothlórien. They’re greeted by the serene, but exceptionally formidable, Lady Galadriel (Cate Blanchett). Though she supports Frodo’s quest to destroy the One Ring, Galadriel remains in Lothlórien to protect her own realm from Sauron. All in all, this is a very different Galadriel to the one seen in Amazon’s Lord of the Rings prequel, Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

Set during J.R.R. Tolkien’s Second Age of Middle-earth, Galadriel is portrayed by Morfydd Clark, and is much, much younger. The Rings of Power is set almost 5000 years before the events of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Galadriel is at a very different stage in her life, and is the immortal equivalent of a young adult. Rings of Power finds Galadriel long before she becomes the Lady of Lothlórien, and the younger version is a formidable warrior. The two versions of Galadriel are incredibly different, and sometimes it’s difficult to imagine that Cate Blanchett and Morfydd Clark are playing the same character. 

What Is Galadriel Like In Rings Of Power

Galadriel Was A Hot-Headed Warrior In The Second Age

Galadriel in The Rings of Power is a young Elf commander with a chip on her shoulder and a temper she struggles to keep in check — almost the antithesis of the character played by Cate Blanchett in The Lord of the Rings. The difference is clear from her official title. Rather than the Lady of Lothlorien, Galadrial in The Rings of Power is the “Commander of the Northern Armies”. This isn’t a title Galadriel holds in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings mythology. Though there’s no explicit mention of Galadriel personally commanding any sort of military in established lore, there’s also nothing Tolkien wrote to suggest she couldn’t have taken part.

Wherever Galadriel’s battlefield antics eventually fall within Middle-earth mythology, they do honor her traditional characterization — albeit not necessarily her traditional characterization from The Lord of the Rings. During The Silmarillion‘s “Flight of the Noldor,” Galadriel was the only woman to champion the exile from Valinor. Though she eventually became the reserved and measured Lady of Lothlorien played by Cate Blanchett in The Lord of the Rings, the younger Galadriel was more rebellious, direct, and ambitious.

It’s no surprise to see Morfydd Clark’s version of Galadriel jumping into dirty, steel-to-steel combat, rather than just casting powerful spells during key showdowns. The younger Galadriel is the one The Rings of Power shows, and while she’s very different from the version played by Cate Blanchett, she is more accurate to the character than some fans mistakenly believe.

Tolkien’s Portrayal Of Galadriel Leaves Much Open To Interpretation

The Source Material Doesn’t Actually Reveal Much About Galadriel

The Rings of Power made changes to Tolkien’s vision, even though Galadriel’s persona isn’t as much of a deviation as it initially seems. Morfydd Clark’s Galadriel is definitely different to the iteration created by Cate Blanchett and LotR director Peter Jackson, but both versions of the character had to build on the surprisingly small amount of information provided by J.R.R. Tolkien. Amazon still added a lot to her character, but this isn’t the heresy hardcore Tolkien enthusiasts make out.

The showrunners of The Rings Of Power had a surprising amount of creative license, especially when it came to Galadriel’s personality. Even though she appears in several books, Galadriel really isn’t as fleshed out a character as Frodo, Sam, Bilbo, or Gandalf. Tolkien wrote a lot about what Galadriel did, but little about who she was. Aside from a lot of names, dates, and locations, not much about Galadriel as a person crops up.

Galadriel’s pre-Lord of the Rings material is mostly nonfiction-style world-building and lore history, like most of The Silmarillion and various appendices on which The Rings of Power is based. Amazon had a surprising amount of license to do what they wanted with the character (within reason, of course). As long as she shows up at the times and places Tolkien specified and did whatever he canonically confirmed she was responsible for, how Amazon used Galadriel for The Rings Of Power was more or less fair game.

Which Version Of Galadriel Is Better?

Making Comparisons Isn’t As Helpful As It Seems

Understandably, there are many J.R.R. Tolkien fans and casual viewers alike who wish to draw comparisons and assess whether Galadriel is better in The Lord of the Rings or The Rings of Power. However, these comparisons aren’t as straightforward to make as many think. There are several reasons why attempting to decide who the best Galadriel is leads to a bit of a moot answer. Not only do Morfydd Clark and Cate Blanchett’s versions represent Galadriel millennia apart, but Middle-earth is also dramatically changed, and Galadriel’s narrative purpose in LotR and The Rings of Power are extremely different too. 

The older Galadriel played by Cate Blanchett couldn’t carry The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’s narrative the way that Morfydd Clark’s younger version does, for example. Yes, if viewers always imagine Galadriel is an old and aloof Elven queen, then Clark’s hot-headed young warrior won’t feel right. However, the Amazon show simply wouldn’t work if Galadriel was simply Blanchett’s character but younger. Many plot elements have hinged on Clark’s Galadriel having a chip on her shoulder and personal vendetta against Sauron, as well as her youthful tendency to fall sway to temptation (especially now the titular Rings of Power are starting to appear).

Conversely, The Lord of the Rings wouldn’t have used Galadriel well if she came across as a war-hungry Elven commander who wanted nothing except to see Sauron dead. The importance of Frodo’s quest was made clearer when the wise and level-headed older Galadriel was adamant that the risk to her people was too great for them to remain in Lothlorien. Even though Frodo and the Fellowship had her blessing, she could not risk her home and people by staying to provide direct aid.

This extends to other aspects of Galadriel’s personality in The Rings of Power that simply wouldn’t have worked for Lord of the Rings too, such as her being drawn to The One Ring itself. Even though the movies showed a glimpse of Galadriel being tempted by The One Ring, it wasn’t the same kind of resposne as the character’s journey in The Rings of Power. If anything, Amazon’s younger Galadriel is sewing the narrative seeds that explain why Blanchett’s version was so vocal about both her desire for The One Ring and why she would not touch it. Ultimately, neither version of Galadriel can be said to be the best, as they both serve a different purpose in very different stories.

The older Galadriel played by Cate Blanchett couldn’t carry The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’s narrative the way that Morfydd Clark’s younger version does, for example. Yes, if viewers always imagine Galadriel is an old and aloof Elven queen, then Clark’s hot-headed young warrior won’t feel right. However, the Amazon show simply wouldn’t work if Galadriel was simply Blanchett’s character but younger. Many plot elements have hinged on Clark’s Galadriel having a chip on her shoulder and personal vendetta against Sauron, as well as her youthful tendency to fall sway to temptation (especially now the titular Rings of Power are starting to appear).

Conversely, The Lord of the Rings wouldn’t have used Galadriel well if she came across as a war-hungry Elven commander who wanted nothing except to see Sauron dead. The importance of Frodo’s quest was made clearer when the wise and level-headed older Galadriel was adamant that the risk to her people was too great for them to remain in Lothlorien. Even though Frodo and the Fellowship had her blessing, she could not risk her home and people by staying to provide direct aid.