The shadow is rising in Middle-earth. Across its lands, darkness, deception, and violence are spreading, emanating from the Dark Lord Sauron as he pursues his quest for dominion over all. But for most of our favorite characters in The Rings of Power season three, there is some solace to be found. Hope arrives in the form of family, friends, partners, and leaders: in a word, fellowship. And so often, it is community that helps to defeat great evil when it comes. But one character is looking out into the shadow alone. As Sauron’s power grows throughout Middle-earth, in the Southlands, Theo is no longer a child, but a man without a king, without a family, and without faith. In our The Rings of Power season three set visit, we witnessed Theo’s transformation firsthand and spoke with Tyroe Muhafidin, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Charlie Vickers, and showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay about the path ahead for Theo. (And you can witness it, too, with three exclusive images of Theo—and a very special guest—directly from The Rings of Power season three.)
On set, Tyroe Muhafidin is almost unrecognizable from the Theo we have come to know in The Rings of Power. In season three, his hair has grown long, his cheeks have hollowed, scars, cuts, and dirt mar his arms and face, and most strikingly, his eyes have hardened into emptiness. Five years in a darkened Middle-earth have removed the last traces of childishness from Theo, a tenderness that had already begun to fade after the death of his mother, Bronwyn. But in season two, we saw Theo reach out for connection, bonding with Isildur over their mutual losses and finding a space in his heart for Arondir, despite their complicated relationship. But Isildur has sailed back across the ocean to Númenor; it has been five years since Arondir and Theo crossed paths; and the promise of Númenórean aid and friendship has turned into a sadistic, oppressive nightmare in the Southlands.
Tyroe Muhafidin begins by telling us about the change that has come upon Theo in the last five years since we saw him on The Rings of Power. More than anything, he notes, his hope has been shredded. And the loss of hope in Middle-earth can be a very dangerous thing. “In the last two seasons, Theo was a very hopeful boy.” Muhafidin explains, “I think he was always stacked up against it, but he always remained hopeful and had faith that a better day would come. But I think we find him at the beginning of the season kind of void of that hope and angered by the pain the world has dealt out to him.”
“We’ve watched him go from being basically a child who has suffered first the loss of his homeland, of his mother, to here. And seeing Númenor go from benefactors to Imperial Númenor… It hurts.”—Showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay
The Rings of Power’s showrunners, JD Payne and Patrick McKay, reveal that the theme of season three is “When everything is falling apart, what matters most to you?” And Theo has been so worn down that little remains important to him except making it from one moment to the next. Muhafidin offers, “I think it’s survival that’s most important to him, and I think that’s the point that his life has gotten to. It’s staying alive. And he’s at a point now where he has nothing to lose, and anything is better than the life he’s living. And I think that’s Theo’s take on what matters most to him currently.”
And it’s no surprise Theo has ended up in this place in The Rings of Power season three. McKay and Payne explain, “Theo’s arc this season is that, as we left him off last season, he was in a colony that had once been helped and lifted up by Númenórean people, but has now become subjugated by Númenórean soldiers as part of the arc in the Legendarium. We’ve watched him go from being basically a child who has suffered first the loss of his homeland, then the loss of his mother, to here. And now seeing Númenor go from benefactors to Imperial Númenor, which is exacting tribute and timber and labor from the Southlanders… It hurts.” It’s an incredibly painful place for Theo, especially as a character who really believed in the power and spirit of the Great Men of Westernesse.
Muhafidin underscores this point, sharing, “It’s just pure betrayal. I think he just feels betrayed. I think in the first season, Númenor did come and save the day. And so they were introduced to him in the first place as a savior, and the Southlanders were given promises by them. And Theo really believed that the Númenóreans were coming to help. And I think the moment when Kemen arrived and said what the deal is, I think that’s when all Theo’s dreams kind of shattered probably, and all hope started to die.”
And for the last five years, “Theo has been enslaved by Númenor. He and all the other Southlanders who sought refuge in Pelargir have now been instructed to chop trees all day, every day, with painful consequences if they don’t. So that’s been their life for the last five years.”
“He’s kind of settled in the fact that he doesn’t have anyone... And that may make him turn to people that he probably shouldn’t.”—Tyroe Muhafidin
Of course, this pain for Theo is layered over wounds barely healed in The Rings of Power season three. The death of Theo’s mother is still a fresh wound in his heart. And without Bronwyn, there’s no one to really tie Theo to goodness and no one to help him make his way through painful times. Muhafidin notes, “I think the biggest thing about Theo losing Bronwyn is that he lost his last role model, or at least a loving role model. I think the biggest thing about Bronwyn was that she always taught Theo to look for the light, to look for the hope, to believe that a better day was coming. And she also just showed him real genuine love, and it was kind of his only source of love his entire life. And I think the moment that was stripped from him was the moment everything began to fall into pain from then on. So I think losing Bronwyn is still affecting him now because he doesn’t have anyone, and now he’s kind of settled in the fact that he doesn’t have anyone. And I think he probably believes that no one’s going to come. And that may make him turn to people that he probably shouldn’t.”
And, well, judging by our The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season three exclusive images of Theo… We get a sense of who “people he probably shouldn’t” might be. Of course, whenever there’s a despondent soul with some kind of unfulfilled desire in their heart on The Rings of Power, we can be sure to find Sauron lurking in the corner behind them.
McKay and Payne share that all of Theo’s hardships have rendered him incredibly vulnerable to Sauron’s particular brand of evil on The Rings of Power season three. They note, “Theo’s now in a place where he’s really susceptible to someone like Sauron. We’re going to find out some tantalizing things that connect back to season one, to something about who Theo might be and how that leads into why Sauron sees something in him and what he wants to bring out.”
Theo might not be the first character we recall as having a history with Sauron in The Rings of Power. But the pair did cross paths when Sauron was still committed to his role as Halbrand, King of the Southlands. In fact, Theo was the first person to devotedly chant “Strength to the Southlands!” in honor of “King Halbrand” as Galadriel led Sauron away to heal his wounds after Mount Doom’s explosion in season one.
“I played with this idea… I speak to Theo for a moment in a Northern accent as a moment of recognition... little flashback to Halbrand to say to Theo, ‘I remember you.‘“—Charlie Vickers
In Theo’s mind, Sauron’s old Halbrand persona lingers, although the deception colors it negatively in The Rings of Power season three. Tyroe Muhafidin notes, “I think Theo and all the other Southlanders are aware of the deception that Sauron played as Halbrand and all that. I think they’ve all found out that they were given a fake King. But I think this also adds to the sense of betrayal Theo feels and the pain the world has brought him. The Númenóreans betrayed him, but so did Sauron, and that was a big pain. And so the Southland is definitely angry and hurt by the Dark Lord, but everyone is hurting because of the Dark Lord. And when they don’t have anyone to turn to, most of the time there’s only one person that is there.”
Charlie Vickers, who plays Sauron, notes that past meetings are on Sauron’s mind as well. “You see pretty early on that Sauron recognizes him, and there’s a moment where I talk to Theo, and I played with this idea, but I speak to him for a brief moment in a Northern accent as a moment of recognition. It’s a little flashback to Halbrand almost to say to Theo, ‘I remember you.’ Something to jog his mind to be like, ‘Oh yeah, we have this shared history.’ And basically Sauron sees enormous potential in him.”
Vickers further teases, “There is a moment when Sauron identifies something in Theo, a certain darkness. And he thinks, ‘Oh, there is more to this young man than I thought there was.'”
And once Sauron has his eye on you, things become incredibly dangerous. Because, of course, as Payne and McKay remind us, “Sauron always knows how to talk to you in just the right way to find where you might be vulnerable. So we’re going to have to watch and see how Theo responds to that.”
Vickers agrees and shares that the most terrifying thing about Sauron is that he “offers hope, and it’s kind of through the hope that that’s how he gets people. It’s like a hope for a better future, in the case of someone like Theo, a hope for a better life.”
And Muhafidin concludes the thought, noting, “I think Theo’s in a place of desperation. It’s a point where he has nothing to look forward to, and he has not a single glimpse of light left in his life or to look towards. They cross paths, and I think Sauron can see how desperate and how vulnerable Theo is and sees a lot that there that he can potentially play with or manipulate.”
But in real life, Vickers and Muhafidin are one another’s biggest fans and absolutely gush about their shared moments.
Muhafidin reveals, “I mean, it was incredible to work with Charlie. Charlie is just an absolute dream. One of my biggest inspirations. And now, as an actor working with him, to be able to see someone as humble and kind and generous as him automatically switch as soon as the camera is rolling to the most evil person you’ve ever seen is incredible. You can see it in his eyes, and working off of him, it was so easy to be terrified because he just plays it so well. But as soon as the camera cuts, you’re automatically comfortable with him. He’s just so great. So yeah, that’s Charlie.”
Charlie is just an absolute dream. One of my biggest inspirations… To be able to see someone as humble and kind as him automatically switch… to the most evil person you’ve ever seen is incredible. —Tyroe Muhafidin
And likewise, Vickers enthuses about seeing Muhafidin grow up on the set of The Rings of Power. He reveals, “It was an absolute joy to get to work with Tyroe, who is just such an amazing guy. My first temptation is to say ‘kid’ because that’s what he was when we started this show seven years ago. But he’s a man now, and his journey into adulthood has mirrored Theo’s journey, and it’s been remarkable to watch. So to get to work with him, having gone on that journey this season, and to work with him so closely was an absolute joy. And the scenes we share are some of my favorite scenes in the season.”
And those positive qualities aren’t just in Tyroe Muhafidin. McKay and Payne remind us, “There are really positive qualities in Theo too, though. He’s brave. He stood toe-to-toe with Galadriel and escaped the firestorm. He was in a position potentially to be some kind of a leader in Pelargir when his people settled there.”
And there is someone out there in the wide world of Middle-earth who still cares about Theo, someone who might be able to steer him out of shadow and into light: our favorite elf, Arondir.
Muhafidin notes of Theo’s potential last connection to good in the world: “Arondir’s been away fighting battles and fighting wars while Theo’s been enslaved. And I think the entire time Theo was hoping that Arondir would come back as he always did, but this season he doesn’t come back, and I think Theo stops waiting for him.”
But for Arondir, the thought of Theo is never really very far away in The Rings of Power season three. Ismael Cruz Córdova shares, “I think definitely you can see Arondir step much more into his elven elderness this season, but he still holds that kind heart that almost feels human.” And Theo is what keeps that connection with man alive.
Cruz Córdova offers, “I think there’s still just a lot of longing. There’s a lot of wanting to understand how Theo is, where he’s at. And I think in a continuation of this very, very soft spot that he has for this boy that is his son, essentially, but also the understanding of how much the circumstances have affected him and broken him. Because if Arondir himself is broken and he’s hundreds of years old, maybe more, what would that do to a kid? And he’s very aware of this. In season one, I think it’s episode five, where Arondir tells Theo, ‘The curse that you have found in these few years of your life, it took me centuries to find.’ So he really acknowledges that this boy has had such a rapid experience with so much. And I also still think that he will always, forever, feel a little responsible because he always feels that he wasn’t able to protect Theo as much as he promised he would. So I think he’ll always have that in the back of his head, back of his mind.”
McKay and Payne further share, “Arondir is someone who is feeling like maybe he has been negligent in some of his responsibilities. His job was to watch the Men of the Southlands, and then especially after Bronwyn’s death, he felt a quasi-paternal responsibility over Theo. But he’s gotten sucked into being at the battlefront, fighting alongside Galadriel to help protect Rivendell and the elves. His reasoning is that if they don’t stop Sauron, then whatever happens to Theo will be terrible anyway. So he needs to try to stop Sauron, and then he can go to Theo. But at the beginning of the season, he’s really feeling pulled toward those other responsibilities with Theo as well. He still feels this paternal role.”
“That’s something I don’t know if Arondir ever thought he would have, a son out of that relationship that life gave him.”—Ismael Cruz Córdova
And, as we saw in season two of The Rings of Power, Arondir and Theo are capable of seeing one another’s grief in ways that can be helpful instead of harmful. Cruz Córdova shares that Arondir will also grieve Bronwyn “forever and ever, because you go back to elven memories not dimming.” And so, “Elves’ relationship with the past is very different. You can step into it as a reality. So that’s as much the joy and the love of having a son and acquiring that as much as the grief. They’re equally present for someone whose memories don’t lose intensity because they do not dim. So Arondir is holding that. There’s the massive loss for him. He will forever, it feels to me, he’s one of those people that thought he’d mate for life, and I think he does feel that he found his true love. And then where does this boy fit into his life? Because that’s something I don’t know if Arondir ever thought he would have, a son out of that relationship that life gave him.”
And for Theo, the relationship is no less complicated, but also no less bittersweetly hopeful on The Rings of Power. Muhafidin shares, “I don’t think Theo has ever fully allowed himself the space to love Arondir. I think he’d grown up as an oppressed person, and the elves were oppressors. And I think, just off the bat, that’s a hard thing for Theo to get over. And although Arondir has protected him multiple times, Theo also blames Arondir for the loss of his mother, because as much as they were oppressors, they were also supposed to be protectors, and Arondir was supposed to protect him, and he didn’t. And Theo blames Arondir for the death of his mom. Whether that’s fair or not, that’s another debate. So Theo holds so much resentment towards Arondir, but I think there is some sense of undeniable love there. I think he’s the only person to have shared a connection as strong as the one Theo had with Bronwyn. And that loss is something that they both share very deeply, and I think it was a very big point that they both relate to.”
But can Arondir help Theo look to light and hope as his mother, Bronwyn, once did in The Rings of Power season three? Cruz Córdova mulls it over. “Can Arondir be that good for Theo? I think so. I mean, I think Arondir has acknowledged in action and word that he is not high and mighty; that’s the familiarity that he has with humans. He sees them as so perpetually flawed and so okay with that, and for that to be in their nature, and so is he. He carries a lot of both light and darkness. I feel like you can always feel that he could turn at any point, but I definitely think that he softens extremely so much with Theo. Arondir softens so much. There’s just this pure love and respect on so many levels. Arondir made a promise. Theo is also all that’s left from the love of his life. But in his own right, Theo is just an admirable man to Arondir, given everything that he’s been through. And again, it’s an unconditional kind of love.”
And in Middle-earth, love is often enough. Or often it isn’t. Only time will tell when it comes to Theo.
But what about other aspects of Theo in The Rings of Power season three? A mystery still remains about his father. Will we learn more about that? Muhafidin teases, “You could say that.”
And aside from Sauron, might we see Theo meet anyone else interesting this season? Muhafidin offers, “I think there’s a reuniting of some sort later on in the season, which I think is really beautiful, and there are some really heartfelt scenes coming up.” But who with? The Rings of Power‘s showrunners won’t keep you in suspense, but they won’t say much either. They reveal, “We had the idea of revisiting that sort of nascent friendship, mentorship, between Theo and Galadriel in The Rings of Power season three, but in a very different way and in very different circumstances, and that’s all we’ll say.” McKay notes, “Their performances are so wonderful in that scene from season one, I have to tell you. I love that episode, and both Tyroe and Morfydd are so touching and lovely when they’re under that tree after the explosion of Mount Doom. It’s some of our favorite stuff from that season.” Wonderful enough, the showrunners could not but return to the pair-up.
“We had the idea of revisiting that sort of nascent friendship, mentorship, between Theo and Galadriel in The Rings of Power season three.”—Showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay
Ultimately, the showrunners sum The Rings of Power season three’s Theo up for us like this: “This is a kid whose soul has always hung in the balance from the very beginning. He was never the wealthiest, nor the most powerful. He’s not the elves, he’s not the Númenóreans, he’s fatherless, and he loses everything. He loses his home; he loses his mother. The only family he has left is an elf who once gave him and his people a hard time every day. And that makes him very much a good target for Sauron.”
But not all who are targeted by Sauron are lost. Muhafidin concludes, “I think this is a real defining moment for Theo—this season. I think he really finds out for himself who he is destined to become.”
The Rings of Power season three and the next chapter of Theo’s journey release on November 11.
Explore our other The Rings of Power season three Set Visit pieces here: The Forging of Dark Lord Sauron, A Deep Dive into Orcs, A Piece of Adar Lives in Mordor, 13 Details We Learned on Set, All About Rivendell, Theo’s Journey.