Who is Celebrimbor in The Rings of Power? Charles Edwards character explained

Those rings will come from talented hands of Elven smith Celebrimbor - one of Middle-earth’s most important and influential figures.

At the end of season 1, Celebrimbor crafted the first of the titular Rings of Power - Nenya, Narya and Vilya - free from Sauron’s influence, with the hope of halting the passage of time for the Elves in Middle-earth, and keeping their fading light shining bright.

The trailers for season 2, however, show that Celebrimbor looks to be an even more central figure in this upcoming season - tied up with Annatar (Sauron in disguise) as he looks to craft more and more Rings of Power.

But who is Celebrimbor? What are his aims? Who is the man behind the character? We’re here at RadioTimes.com to answer those questions for you.

Minor spoilers ahead.

Who is Celebrimbor in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?

Like many of the characters in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, our on-screen Celebrimbor is tweaked slightly from his iteration in Tolkien’s original work - older and possessing an incredible amount of experience, as well as the title Lord of Eregion.

Celebrimbor, in both the show and the books, comes from a long line of Elvish smiths - most notably Fëanor, the greatest of them all.

Fëanor crafted the Silmarils, three gems created using the essence of the two trees of Valinor.

The Silmarils are seen as the greatest creation of the Elves, so it’s fair to say that Celebrimbor has quite the legacy to live up to - something which his character emphasises to Elrond in season 1.

What will Celebrimbor be doing in season 2 of The Rings of Power?

We know that Sauron will return to Eregion in the guise of Annatar, an emissary of the Valar, there to instruct the smiths of Eregion, particularly Celebrimbor, in the art of ring-making.

But, as the trailers make it plain, Celebrimbor’s manipulation by Sauron won’t go all that well for him, as his usual austere and dignified appearance fractures under the weight of his actions, and the pressure placed on him by the Dark Lord.

Based on knowledge of the Second Age, evidence in the trailer, and a track name on the now released score for season 2 by composer Bear McCreary, the Siege of Eregion is just around the corner.

Celebrimbor will be in the thick of that action, and looks to be a major player in season 2.

What is his relationship to Sauron?

At the end of season 1, we saw the seeds of a fascinating dynamic between Celebrimbor and Sauron, at that time in the disguise of Halbrand.

In part, it’s down to an incredible chemistry between Charles Edwards and Charlie Vickers, as anyone who’s seen them together on the season 2 press tour can attest to.

Mainly, though, it’s down to the fascinating complexity of Celebrimbor’s character and state of mind, and the will and awareness of Sauron to manipulate that.

Given his family legacy, and the current plight the Elves are Middle-earth are faced with, Halbrand/Annatar/Sauron will offer him a chance to stand above even his legendary grandfather, Fëanor, as a genuine saviour of the Elvish race.

Speaking to The Telegraph, actor Edwards touched on the dynamic between his character and the one brought to life by Vickers.

"Celebrimbor wants to do good, but he also wants to be famous and remembered. He’s vain, and susceptible to Sauron’s predatory suggestion. There’s a lot of mind games going on, a lot of gaslighting."

Who plays Celebrimbor in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?

Celebrimbor is portrayed in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power by English actor Charles Edwards.

Edwards has had a lengthy career both on screen and on stage, featuring in shows like Downton Abbey, The Crown and Colditz, while also appearing on stage in plays such as Best of Enemies - where his turn as Gore Vidal earned him a nomination for Best Actor at the Laurence Olivier Awards.

Before Edwards's casting, Celebrimbor was initially pictured by a lot of fans as a classical Elf from fantasy - imagine Legolas at a forge, essentially. Edwards wanted to push back on that.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Edwards described how fans viewed his character initially as a "hunk with a hammer", before going on to say, "When I first read that on the threads I thought, 'Hmm… That’s probably not how I’m going to play him.'"

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 premieres on Thursday 29th August 2024 on Prime Video. Sign up now for a free 30-day Prime Video trial.

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