Season two of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power introduces us to a mysterious new character by the name of Estrid. Estrid appears to be a human character from the Southlands who crosses paths with Arondir and Isildur. But is she more than she seems? Although Estrid is not a The Lord of the Rings name we recognize from the lore, it’s possible this The Rings of Power character just might be an important figure that paves the way for the salvation of Middle-earth.
Jump to: Who Is Estrid on The Rings of Power? // Is Estrid Evil? // Is Estrid Isildur’s Love Interest? // Could Estrid Actually Be a Character From The Lord of The Rings‘ Lore? // Estrid as Isildur’s Wife on The Rings of Power
Who Is Estrid on The Rings of Power?
But just who is Estrid on The Rings of Power? Well, we honestly don’t know too much about her except for the fact she’s already keeping secrets. It seems like Estrid is a normal human who was living in the Southlands when Mount Doom erupted and turned the land into Mordor. After the eruption, she was taken prisoner by Adar and the orcs but was set free again when Sauron, as Halbrand, manipulated Adar into letting the people of the Southlands go from his prisons. After that, she was trying to find the rest of the Southlanders in the area around Mordor when she met Isildur in the woods.
In The Rings of Power‘s first episodes, we see that Adar had been offering the captives a choice, pledging allegiance to him and the Orcs or death. Those who chose life were branded with the mark of Mordor. Estrid appears to have such a brand of Mordor on her. Naturally, Estrid hides this mark from Isildur and Arondir after they meet her on the road to Pelargir. At the end of The Rings of Power episode three, Estrid obscures the brand by burning herself with a knife on top of it. In episode four, we learn that she indeed is part of the “Wild Men” who took the mark of Adar.
Is Estrid Evil on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?
So, is Estrid evil on The Rings of Power? That seems to be a bit hasty. After all, when given a choice between death and pledging yourself to the forces of darkness, choosing life doesn’t necessarily mean you agree with what your captors stand for with your whole heart. Estrid could still be evil, but just because the mark of Mordor ended up on her neck doesn’t mean that she is.
Of course, in interviews, it was teased that The Rings of Power‘s Arondir is suspicious of Estrid, feels she’s hiding something, and doesn’t trust her. Arondir does seem to be a pretty good judge of character, so his distrust might be a much bigger signifier that The Rings of Power‘s Estrid isn’t quite as pure as Isildur might want to believe her to be.
Isildur and Arondir discover Estrid’s mark in The Rings of Power season two, episode four. Isildur is quick to turn on her, feeling betrayed by her omission. But eventually she saves his and Arondir’s life from an angry swamp monster when she could have ran and left them for dead. After a few more tense exchanges, it seems the trio has come to an understanding.
Is Estrid Isildur’s Love Interest on The Rings of Power?
In the first episodes of The Rings of Power, Isildur and Estrid get pretty close, pretty fast. From her initial stabbing of him on the road to sharing deep pains about their dead mothers by the fire, the two are forging a bond. But is Estrid Isildur’s love interest on the series? Well, all signs point to yes. Unless it turns out she’s really the human manifestation of Shelob or something, it feels like romance is in the air for Estrid and Isildur. Estrid and Isildur even almost kiss in The Rings of Power episode four. Supposedly, though, Estrid is searching for her betrothed all this time. He’s back on the scene now, after the Ents who captured him let him go, so we’ll have to wait and see how Estrid and Isildur navigate things from there.
All of this leads us to suspect that though Estrid may be a morally gray character at the moment on The Rings of Power, the series is actually setting her up to be an important, albeit unexplored, character from The Lord of the Rings‘ lore.
Jump to: Who Is Estrid on The Rings of Power? // Is Estrid Evil? // Is Estrid Isildur’s Love Interest? // Could Estrid Actually Be a Character From The Lord of The Rings‘ Lore? // Estrid as Isildur’s Wife on The Rings of Power
Could Estrid Actually Be a Character From The Lord of The Rings‘ Lore?
Although Estrid is now a character on The Rings of Power, most of us probably don’t associate the name Estrid with The Lord of the Rings. But we sure do associate the name Aragorn with it. And Aragorn, of course, is famously a descendant of Isildur. (Hence his wielding of “the blade that was broken” Narsil [reforged as Andúril] in The Lord of the Rings, the sword which Isildur originally used to cut off Sauron’s hand and Ring.) Aragorn is a descendant of Isildur through his fourth son, Valandil (another name that now carries more meaning for us after The Rings of Power). But in addition to detailing his sons, Tolkien writes that Isildur had a wife—paving the way for Estrid to play an important role.
Isildur’s Wife in The Lord of The Rings Companion Book The Peoples of Middle-earth
Isildur’s wife is never given a name in any of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings works. We actually know almost nothing about her. Isildur’s wife is primarily mentioned in the book The Peoples of Middle-Earth, wherein J.R.R. Tolkien’s son complied additional The Lord of the Rings writings authored by his father. The Peoples of Middle-Earth notes that in the Second Age, year 3429, “Sauron attacks Gondor from the neighbouring land of Mordor. He destroys Minas Ithil and burns the White Tree. Isildur escapes by ship down Anduin, and sails north from Anduin’s Mouths to Elendil in Arnor, with his wife and sons; he bears with him a seedling of the White Tree, grown from its first fruit in Middle-earth.”
The specific time of Isildur’s marriage to his wife, when they met, or her identity is not noted in this The Lord of the Rings text at all, nor in any other. However, before the above singular overt mention of Isildur’s wife in The Peoples of Middle-Earth, it is written that the first son of Isildur, Kiryandil, was born in Númenor in 3299. While we couldn’t swear to it, the implication of this timeline is that Isildur met and married his wife at least 20-ish years before the fall of Númenor in 3319.
Estrid as Isildur’s Wife on The Rings of Power
Given that The Rings of Power will be five seasons long, and this season covers the siege of Eregion, it seems likely that next season will turn its eye on Númenor, its civil war, and its ultimate fate. With the idea that Isildur might meet his wife sometime before this comes to pass, season two of The Rings of Power seems like the perfect time to begin embarking on the story of Isildur’s romance. And who has appeared in Isildur’s sights but Estrid? While all of this could be a misdirect, it does feel like The Rings of Power is setting up Estrid to be Isildur’s mystery The Lord of the Rings wife.
If Isildur and Estrid fall in love, then it will be a great opportunity to shed light on an important Tolkien character who has never before been detailed. After all, Isildur’s wife will be by his side through so many of his trials and tribulations in the Second Age of Middle-earth. Unnamed in The Lord of the Rings as she is, Isildur’s wife must have played an important role in helping Isildur to escape the fall of Númenor, to found Gondor, and to bring the armies of men and elves together in their last stand against Sauron. And, unknowingly, if Estrid does indeed become Isildur’s wife on The Rings of Power, then she will forge a lineage that will one day bring the golden age of Man to all of Middle-earth. That’s quite a lot for a character whose name we just learned.
Jump to: Who Is Estrid on The Rings of Power? // Is Estrid Evil? // Is Estrid Isildur’s Love Interest? // Could Estrid Actually Be a Character From The Lord of The Rings‘ Lore? // Estrid as Isildur’s Wife on The Rings of Power
Originally published on August 29, 2024.