The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has added another Elf character to season 2, and his appearance has invited another wave of criticism. The Prime Video series has been under fire since the very beginning regarding its approach to Middle-earth, and this is unlikely to change anytime soon. While much of this is completely fair, arguments could be made about the appearance of the Elves. There have been complaints that they don’t look how people have typically imagined Middle-earth’s fair race, which has carried on into Rings of Power’s version of Círdan.

Círdan the Shipwright will be in The Rings of Power season 2, and a sneak peek (via EW) reveals how he will look as portrayed by actor Ben Daniels (The Crown). As exciting as this is for some audiences, the image of Círdan has sparked more outrage on websites like Twitter and Reddit since Círdan is the first Elf in a Lord of the Rings adaptation to sport a beard. The Elves of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies were always long-haired and clear-faced, which is how Tolkien often described them. Rings of Power has frequently challenged this, and Prime Video is accused of continuing this with Círdan.

Círdan The Shipwright Is Described To Have A Beard During The Third Age In Tolkien’s Works

Criticism About Círdan’s Beard Doesn’t Make Much Sense

The problem with the criticisms surrounding Círdan’s appearance in The Rings of Power is that Tolkien himself stated that the Elf had a beard. While it’s true that an Elf with a beard was a rare occurrence in the author’s fictional world, it seemed to be associated with the very oldest within the race. Since Círdan’s facial hair was only described in the Third Age, when he was the oldest Elf remaining in Middle-earth, it could be argued that he wouldn’t have grown it yet in the Second Age. Still, the criticism regarding Círdan’s appearance seems to have very little to do with the canon character himself.

The Rings of Power season 2 begins streaming on Prime Video on August 29, 2024.

The Appearance Of Rings Of Power’s Male Elves Has Been Divisive

Rings Of Power’s Elves Differ From Past Adaptations

Círdan having a beard has only added fuel to the fire of an existing debate. The male Elves of Rings of Power have been heavily criticized since before the first season was even released since many of them do not line up with Tolkien’s general descriptions of Elves. Many refer to Jackson’s version of Elves in his Lord of the Rings movies as the correct reflection of Tolkien’s race—white-skinned with long hair. For this reason, Elrond and Celebrimbor’s short hair was seen as an affront, and Arondir being Black only added to the outrage.

The fact that this criticism has carried over to Círdan’s beard further proves that the outrage regarding the male Elves in Rings of Power has very little to do with canon.

The fact that this criticism has carried over to Círdan’s beard further proves that the outrage regarding the male Elves in Rings of Power has very little to do with canon. Rather, the frustration comes from the fact that Prime Video’s version of the characters doesn’t match peoples’ personal imaginings of how they should look. This is fair, to an extent. It’s jolting to add variety to what was previously understood to be a monolith. However, there’s no meaningful reason that the Elves of The Lord of the Rings, or any of the other races, must look any one way.

Is There Any ONE Way That Tolkien’s Elves Are Supposed To Look?

People Often Generalize The Elves’ Appearance

Tolkien often described the races of The Lord of the Rings in bulk, describing physical variations that might exist within individual groups, tribes, or kingdoms. This is because the author’s work followed the “found manuscript” trope, which meant they are supposed to be recorded histories about various civilizations long past. Just as we might generalize the appearance of Ancient Egyptians, Maya, or Europeans, the same is often done with the races of Middle-earth. Still, there is never any indication that the Elves of Middle-earth must have certain characteristics.

Tolkien never said that his Elves had pointy ears, but it is often assumed that they did. Similarly, he never said that they all had long hair. While there was never any indication that the Elves had different skin colors, it was also never crucial to the stories and their themes. In the case of Círdan, it certainly seems that The Rings of Power hit the nail on the head, embracing the differences that Tolkien himself described. As far as the series’ other Elves, some further variations hurt nothing.