The Rings of Power introduces many characters from The Lord of the Rings throughout its first two seasons, and this has led viewers to speculate about who else could potentially appear in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Third Age story. While The Rings of Power characters like Galadriel and Elrond are obviously relevant during the War of the Ring, some of the show’s seemingly original characters have also turned out to be major players from the Third Age. This includes the Stranger, who is actually Gandalf, and Halbrand, who is revealed to be Sauron at the end of The Rings of Power season 1.

Theo is another character at the center of many theories since The Rings of Power began, as he starts the series with a suspicious interest in the hilt he finds in Tirharad — an object that’s connected to Sauron. This has led many to suspect that Theo could become a darker figure from Lord of the Rings, like the Witch-king of Angmar or even a Nazgûl. His friendship with Isildur in The Rings of Power season 2 also suggests he could become the King of the Dead. There are many options, but all of them would continue a frustrating series trend.

The Rings Of Power’s Biggest Theo Theories Would Continue A Frustrating Series Trend

He’d Be Another Mystery Character Meant To Surprise Audiences

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As evidenced by its Gandalf and Sauron reveals, The Rings of Power has a tendency to introduce characters who are more than they seem, then drag out the mystery surrounding their identities. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing — done well, it can spark conversations and speculation about the show. However, after doing this with Sauron and Gandalf, the Lord of the Rings series risks feeling repetitive if it continues to take this approach. It shouldn’t rely on twists like these to keep the narrative engaging.

The Amazon series can benefit from original characters, too, and Theo’s story doesn’t need to tie into The Lord of the Rings directly to be effective.

The confirmation that Rhûn’s Dark Wizard won’t be Saruman offers hope that The Rings of Power isn’t over-relying on this trope. However, it would probably be a good idea to leave the show’s original characters alone as well. While the notion of getting deeper backstories for the Witch King and King of the Dead is exciting, they don’t need to be set up the same way the series’ Sauron and Gandalf reveals are. The Amazon show can benefit from original characters, too, and Theo’s story doesn’t need to tie into The Lord of the Rings directly to be effective.

Theo Doesn’t Need To Be A Lord Of The Rings Character For His Story To Work

The Southlands Story Adds Much-Needed Context To LOTR

Making Theo a character from Lord of the Rings isn’t the only way to make his narrative meaningful to the Third Age story. The Lord of the Rings doesn’t spend much time exploring the Men of Middle-earth who follow Sauron, nor does it offer much insight into the creation of Mordor. The Rings of Power‘s Southlands story adds necessary context, fleshing out minor details that make this version of Middle-earth feel fully realized.

Additionally, characters like Theo can show the impact of Sauron’s first rise to power on ordinary people. The Lord of the Rings only follows Tolkien’s heroes, so there isn’t much time to dwell on the effects the War of the Ring has on the rest of Middle-earth. It’s obviously devastating, though, and Sauron’s first reign would also hurt plenty of innocent people. Through Theo, The Rings of Power can offer that perspective, highlighting how harmful Sauron really is.