Amazon Prime’s The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power explores the tentative bonds of allyship, but also the bonds of friendship, however unlikely. Here are some of our favorite forming or established friendships that we hope last until the end!
The Lord of the Rings is a franchise rooted in friendship, and how even people from different cultures and identities can form powerful bonds. LOTR: The Rings of Power is the same, but it’s also a show about a brewing war. Allies must be made, and betrayals are inevitable. That being said, there are some friendships in this first season that we are particularly rooting for and hope will last until the end.
Nori and The Stranger
After The Stranger fell to Middle-earth in a fiery comet right in front of Nori, their growing bond has been one of the most compelling things about the show. Nori’s sense of responsibility towards The Stranger and her refusal to give up on him is beyond sweet. And when The Stranger sees he’s made a mess of the Brandyfoot’s reputation amongst the Harfoots, we see him step up to aid her, clearly valuing the friendship they’ve formed. They protect each other, and they care about each other. With such an unlikely duo–the Harfoots still hesitant around outsiders, The Stranger’s true identity still a mystery, and Nori getting spooked by The Stranger’s powers–there are a lot of unknowns for these two, and we hope their bond will be able to withstand them.
Elrond and Durin (and Disa!)
While their reunion was rocky at first, Elrond and Durin’s friendship is both hilarious and admirable. Their constant banter back and forth is extremely amusing, everytime we see them together we know it’s going to be a fun scene. Although Durin initially was paranoid about Elrond’s sudden return and hurt by his absence, Elrond doing whatever he could to make it up to him was very heartwarming to see. Even when Elrond’s bond with Durin was tested in episode 5, his vow being put into question, Elrond was honest with Durin about why Gil-galad wanted Elrond to go to Khazad-dûm–to obtain mithril. And Durin, understanding Elrond’s position, merely teased him and agreed to help save his people.
It’s also worth noting that the trio of Elrond, Durin, and his wife Disa is also one we love to see! Though Disa and Elrond just met, Disa’s always given Elrond the benefit of the doubt and appreciates his company. Plus, Durin and Disa are extremely cute together! With the tension between the Dwarves and Elves, we hope Elrond, Durin, and Disa’s friendship remains unaffected.
Galadriel and Halbrand
Galadriel and Halbrand met in extremely dire circumstances, and both are extremely traumatized by what led them there; Galadriel with her neverending need to keep fighting in her brother’s memory, and Halbrand with his dark dealings he’s yet to reveal but is clearly ashamed of. Seeing the two survive alongside each other while stranded at sea, pushing each other to be the best version of themselves, and confessing their fears about becoming the worst version of themselves–there’s something extremely compelling about their growing friendship. War is afoot, and while they have faith in each other now, we hope whatever comes does nothing to shake it.
Nori and Poppy
With Nori’s adventure-seeking attitude and Poppy’s thoughtful cautiousness, the two Harfoots don’t always agree on everything. However, Nori and Poppy have a ride-or-die kind of friendship that we can’t help but respect. Even when Poppy disagrees with Nori helping The Stranger–he is a stranger after all–Poppy still helps Nori achieve her goals and assists in hiding him, not revealing The Stranger’s presence to the rest of the Harfoots. Nori may not agree with Poppy’s caution all the time, but she always listens to what she has to say and takes it into consideration. Poppy also doesn’t have any family of her own, and Nori and the Brandyfoots are clearly the closest thing she has as she travels beside them even when they’re pushed to the back. As we watch their story unfold, this innocent friendship is something we want to see further developed.
Galadriel and Elrond
This one is slightly more comforting, as we have the foresight from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings to know Galadriel and Elrond will always be life-long friends. However, as tensions rise throughout the series, we hope they will always have each other’s backs. Galadriel and Elrond’s first scene together was them disagreeing on how to go about Galadriel’s concern about Sauron still being at large. Regardless of Elrond’s opposing opinion to leave things be and move on, Elrond did this wanting nothing but the best for her. Galadriel also clearly values his opinion and their friendship and is the only person we’ve really seen her turn to for comfort. Galadriel’s feeling of betrayal towards Elrond working with Gil-galad to get her out of Lindon highlights this. We hope no matter what happens as the series progresses that we’ll see their bond grow stronger as opposed to more distant, and that we see the two make amends.
