The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is approaching the end of its epic second season, which picks up after Sauron finally reveals himself to Galadriel and sets about causing more chaos throughout Middle-earth. Now adopting the guise of Annatar, the Lord of Gifts, Sauron gets to work crafting the remaining rings of power, including the seven for the Dwarf-lords and the nine for the kings of Men. Now privy to his schemes, the Elves take the last chance they have to stand against Sauron before he becomes more powerful than ever before.

Season 2 of The Rings of Power has made a habit of inserting key characters from J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium back into the story after they were previously cut in Peter Jackson’s iconic film adaptations twenty years ago. This includes the powerful Tom Bombadil, one of the most egregious absences in the original trilogy. However, one of the biggest characters in The Rings of Power does appear in The Fellowship of the Ring–albeit very briefly in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo. Nevertheless, this vital character was initially intended to appear in a much more prominent role in the film before his scenes were left on the cutting room floor.

Gil-galad Originally Had a Much Bigger Role in Fellowship of the Ring

Mark Ferguson plays Gil-galad in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Cast & Character Guide to the Elves in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2

Elf

High King Gil-galad
Benjamin Walker

Lord Celebrimbor
Charles Edwards

Lady Galadriel
Morfydd Clark

Círdan
Ben Daniels

Elrond
Robert Aramayo

Arondir
Ismael Cruz Córdova

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Fans would be forgiven if they didn’t recognize that High King Gil-galad, the ruler of the Elves in Lindon during the Second Age of Middle-earth, appears in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The character makes a brief non-speaking appearance in the film’s prologue, depicting the final battle in the War of the Last Alliance. Gil-galad is seen leading the Elves into battle against the forces of Sauron in Mordor, but this is the last we see of the powerful king during the conflict. The character makes one further appearance in the movie, as audiences see him receiving the Elven Ring of Power, Vilya, alongside Círdan and Galadriel. However, the character is neither named nor given any speaking lines in the film, leaving casual fans completely unaware of his significance in Tolkien’s legendarium. However, Gil-galad was initially intended to have a much larger role in Fellowship of the Ring‘s opening sequence.

In the original cut of the film, the leader of the Elves would have featured more prominently in the battle at Mordor. Gil-galad, played in Fellowship of the Ring by Mark Ferguson, would have been shown in several different instances during the battle, showing just how powerful a character he is. Eventually, he would engage in a one-on-one duel with Sauron himself, leading to his demise. However, these scenes were cut from the movie, leaving Gil-galad nothing more than a footnote at the beginning of a larger story. Interestingly, these scenes are not included in the Extended Edition of Fellowship of the Ring either, with the opening sequence playing largely the same.

The Rings of Power is Giving Gil-galad the Credit He Deserves

Gil-galad is Played by Benjamin Walker in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Decades after Gil-galad was largely cut from The Fellowship of the Ring, Prime Video’s The Rings of Power is giving the character a chance to shine. Set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, The Rings of Power aims to give audiences a better vision of the world before the forging of the One Ring. The Elves are given special attention in the series, as they struggle to continue their lives in a land that is growing increasingly dark. In this time of trial, they are led by their High King, Gil-galad, who struggles to decide whether the Elves should remain in Middle-earth or return to Valinor. Played by Benjamin Walker, Gil-galad is depicted as an Elf with an incredible burden on his shoulders, with the very fate of his people resting upon his decisions.

As Sauron continues to rise in Middle-earth, Gil-galad eventually obtains Vilya, one of the Elven Rings of Power, which allows him to prolong the Elves’ departure. From this point, Gil-galad becomes an even more interesting character, as the ring begins to influence his decisions, for better or for worse. The ring causes tension between Gil-galad and Elrond, who doesn’t trust its power, leading the two Elves to be somewhat wary of each other by the end of the second season. Nevertheless, viewers know that Vilya and the other rings of power will play major roles in the future of the Elves in Middle-earth–as will Gil-galad.

What Happens to Gil-galad?

Gil-galad Dies in the Final Battle of the Second Age

The Lord of the Rings Franchise

Film
Year
IMDb Rating
Rotten Tomatoes Score
Streaming

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
2001
8.9/10
92%
Max/Prime Video

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
2002
8.8/10
95%

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2003
9.0/10
94%

The Hobbit Trilogy
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
2012
7.8/10
64%

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
2013
7.8/10
74%

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
2014
7.4/10
59%

Prime Video
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
2022-Present
6.9/10
84%
Prime Video

Upcoming Spinoffs
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
2024
Upcoming

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum
2026
Upcoming

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In The Silmarillion, Gil-galad proves himself to be one of the strongest characters in Lord of the Rings when he challenges the dark lord Sauron head-on to an epic battle during the Battle of Mordor. The Elf king teams up with Elendil, a Númenórean and the first king of Gondor, to fight the dark lord while their forces continue to battle around them. The two powerful warriors manage to keep Sauron at bay for some time, but they eventually prove unable to overcome his strength. Elendil is killed, leaving Gil-galad to continue the fight–but only for a few moments. According to the account of Elendil’s son, Isildur, Sauron grasped Gil-galad by the throat and blasted him with intense heat, burning him to death.

Before his death at the hands of the dark lord Sauron, Gil-galad’s ring had been given to Elrond, who took it to Rivendell, where it remained until the end of the Third Age. Gil-galad’s passing also ended the line of the High Kings of Noldor, of which he was the last. His heroism had helped bring Sauron down, but it cost the Elves dearly. Nevertheless, Gil-galad died valiantly, refusing to yield to the darkness.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is finally giving Gil-galad his moment in the sun after the character was mostly erased from the film adaptation of The Fellowship of the Ring. The Elven king was a true leader and a hero during one of the darkest periods in his people’s history and he died a hero to help protect what they had built in Middle-earth.