Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Rings of Power Season 2, Episode 5.
I didn’t realize that I was here for a specific character The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 until their story broke my heart. As of the end of The rings of power Season 2 Episode 4 Intriguing storylines are teased for Galadriel and The Stranger specifically. in the wake of lord of the rings Titular rings of power being crafted, the former’s exciting reunion with Adar is teased while the latter reaches the house of old Tom Bombadil in the land of Rhûn.
However, one disappointment I had with The rings of power Season 2, Episode 4 was the lack of action on the other side of Middle-earth, as the fate of Númenor was left unexplored. luckily, The rings of power Season 2, episode 5 makes up for it, with Númenor’s cast of characters in Rings of power Returned. Above the political tension and brewing conflict on the island nation of people, I was surprised to find that I cared about a specific character of The rings of power More than I thought I did.
Valandil’s death scene in The Rings of Power Season 2 is absolutely heartbreaking
Isildur’s childhood friend proved to be an unsung hero of the Rings of Power
The character in question is Valandil, whose death proves an effective tragic scene As the situation in Numenor worsened. In a show filled with elves and people known from The Lord of the RingsI often find there’s no shortage of characters I care about, but Valandil isn’t one I’d put at the top of my list. However, his death scene in The rings of power Season 2, episode 5 was really shocking and drew the most notable reaction from me of anything in the installment.
Valandil is the name of Isildur’s youngest son, which makes his namesake’s death in the Rings of Power even more tragic.
The death of Valandil in The rings of power Season 2, episode 5 came in the hands of a character I have always disliked but now hate. Kemen, the son of Pharazôn, proved to be a nasty figure in this episode, committed to his father’s new rule by shutting down a shrine in Númenor dedicated to honoring the fallen. Present at the shrine were Elendil and Valandil, paying tribute to those lost in the Battle of the Southlands, including Isildur, who both still believed to be dead.
Only when Valadnil surrendered and the tension died down again, Kemen stabbed him in the back, eliciting from me a real shock of shock, when the character died…
Perhaps I was so invested in Valandil’s death due to the scene expertly playing with suspense. Kemen’s initial introduction and Elendil’s barely contained anger cause tensions to spike before settling. Kemen then destroyed an important aspect of the shrine, causing Elendil to react, raising the stakes again. Valandil helped his captain and gave Kemen a notable beating down before proving to be the better man by dropping his sword. Only when Valadnil surrendered and the tension died down again did Kemen stab him in the back, eliciting a real gasp of shock from me as the character died in Elendil’s arms.
Valandil was barely a side character before his The Rings of Power death scene
I didn’t realize how much I cared for Valandil
Another reason why I was shocked Valandil’s death was so affecting was his minimal screen time beforehand The rings of power Season 2, Episode 5. While Valandil was first introduced in the third episode of Season 1, the nature of The rings of power‘s expansive timeline and multiple storylines means he’s hardly even a side character. With so much of the focus on the main players of each section of Middle-earth, Valandil understandably received less attentionDespite being involved since the early installments of the show.
But, at his death, I realized how good The rings of power Used Valandil’s minimal screen time to make him a character whose death was truly heartbreaking. His commitment to Númenor has been evident since season 1, and his promotion to lieutenant saw him play a vital part in the Battle of the Southlands. In the wake of Isildur’s “death,” Valandil was given more of a celebratory, deep arc, defending not only the honor of Númenor from the likes of Kemen, but also the memory of Isildur and the legacy of MÃriel after Episode 3’s Great Eagle appearance.
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The rings of power Season 2, episode 5 summed up the bit-part moments of development in his death scene. When his rivalry with Kemen came to a head, Valandil continued to prove his honor by defending a restrained Elendil from attack and standing up for the people of Númenor in the wake of Pharazôn’s brewing tyranny. His kindness was exemplified by him sparing Kemen’s life, leading to the shocking visual of a sword piercing through his chest from behind.
What effect the death of Valandil might have on the current story of the Rings of Power
The death of Valandil could cause a domino effect on Elendil and his family
Besides causing my own shock, Valandil’s death will likely have implications for The rings of powers number history. For one, it may cause a crisis of faith regarding Eärien, Elendil’s daughter. In anger over Isildur’s death and the fate that befell many others on Miriel’s quest for Middle Earth, Eärien was a strong supporter of Kemen and Pharazôn, though showed notable warmth towards Valandil in The rings of power Season 2, Episode 5. Now that Kemen has killed Valandil in cold blood after the latter sent, Eärien can see the error of her ways and turn against his father.
This could see her reunite with her own father, Elendil, who will undoubtedly be affected by Valandil’s death. Elendil has thus far been somewhat neutral in the Númenor power struggle, obeying MÃriel’s commands to accept the new rule of Pharazôn. However, Valandil’s death and the other deplorable actions of Kemen and his father could see Elendil openly oppose the new king. Not only could this lead to a potential civil war in The rings of power season 2, but it could also see Elendil’s Palantir vision come true as he turns his back on Númenor for good.