Will We See The Return Of Celebrimbor In The Rings of Power Season 3?

Season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power showcased the rise and fall of Celebrimbor, the Lord of Eregion, who forged many of the Rings of Power alongside his accomplice Annatar, the Lord of Gifts. The character was central to the plot of Season 2, especially in relation to Sauron, which raises the question: will we see Charles Edwards (Celebrimbor) return in any way in The Rings of Power Season 3?

To get the obvious out of the way, Celebrimbor of course died in the Season 2 finale at the hands of Sauron who pierced him with a spear and pushed him against a pillar in his workshop. It would be near impossible (unless J.D. Payne & Patrick McKay steer heavily away from the source material) to see him return in the present day or come back to life, but that is not what this article will be delving into. Instead, we will be dissecting how Charles Edwards could return to push forward the plot of Season 3, whether that be flashback scenes, memory/dream sequences or even haunting certain characters.

Charles Edwards as Celebrimbor

Flashback Scenes

The Rings of Power has utilised flashback scenes in pivotal character moments in its first 2 seasons, such as when Galadriel has her talk with Finrod under the tree which is then used by Sauron to manipulate Galadriel in the Season 1 finale (which ultimately fails). Finrod’s words “Sometimes to find the light, we must first touch the darkness” in that flashback scene is the underlying theme for the whole Season which culminates in the finale where Galadriel is given the decision by Sauron to join forces with her. So this raises the question, could Celebrimbor also serve this same purpose to one of our characters in Season 3, similar to Finrod. Both are deceased characters that meant a lot to the main heroes and can serve as encouragement in tough moments so maybe this theme could be developed with Celebrimbor this time.

Celebrimbor’s Image Manipulated by Sauron

Conversely, as mentioned earlier, just like how Sauron pretended to be Finrod to manipulate Galadriel, Sauron could use this same tactic whilst in confrontation with other characters. Elrond could be one example as we know Elrond was very close to Celebrimbor and saw the city of Eregion fall whilst leading the remaining hostages away in the Season 2 finale. Potentially, his motivation in Season 3 could be to try and uphold Celebrimbor’s legacy and the legacy of Eregion through the foundation of Eregion. This could lead to Sauron using this against him and having Elrond remember scenes from the past, such as when Celebrimbor spoke to Elrond about his father Eärendil in Season 1, which could pull on his heartstrings even more.

Galadriel could also be another target for this manipulation as Sauron has already tried once, and Galadriel was one of the final characters to interact with Celebrimbor in Eregion Season 2 episode 7, where Celebrimbor gave her a final emotional speech of keeping strong and to persist against the darkness. So pulling on this moment could be another opportunity for the Dark Lord to play on Celebrimbor’s emotional message to try and encourage Galadriel to do something and maybe even make her fall into his trap.

Celebrimbor and Galadriel

Haunting Sauron

The most intriguing possibility is that Celebrimbor could return to haunt and psychologically get in the head of Sauron whilst he is trying to finally forge the One Ring to Rule Them All. Celebrimbor was Sauron’s partner and unknowing accomplice in creating the Rings of Power and maybe now that Celebrimbor is gone, Sauron could face some struggles or even get frustrated during the process and this frustration could be exacerbated by Celebrimbor almost haunting him throughout the process. This could be through callbacks or imaginary moments where Celebrimbor taunts Sauron or makes fun of him when something goes wrong. A similar example is Macbeth where Macbeth is haunted by visions of Banquo’s ghost after this death. Incorporating a similar psychological element here could add depth and nuance to their relationship, while also highlighting just how instrumental Celebrimbor was to Sauron’s rise during the Second Age.

Ultimately, while Celebrimbor’s physical story may have come to an end in Season 2, his presence in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power could still loom large over the narrative moving forward. Whether through flashbacks, emotional memories, or even psychological hauntings (particularly in relation to Sauron), there are multiple compelling ways for the character to return without undermining the weight of his death. More importantly, keeping Celebrimbor in the story in these indirect ways would reinforce his importance to the forging of the Rings and the shaping of Middle-earth’s fate.