The Story of Galadriel’s Brother, Finrod, in The Rings of Power

Finrod is one of the most significant characters mentioned in The Rings of Power, besides Sauron and Morgoth. Although we know that he is Galadriel’s brother and fought in the battle of the First Age, we don’t know much else about him.

So, who is Galadriel’s brother, Finrod? How is he significant to The Rings of Power, the LOTR lore?

Finrod was the King of Nargothrond, heir of Finarfin, and the man who defeated Morgoth in the Battle of the First Age. However, he was defeated by Sauron when he led a small army with Beren. Sauron left his sigil on his face to signify his victory.

We see Finrod in the first episode when he’s talking to a young Galadriel. The few words he spoke to his sister depicted how wise he truly was. The story of Finrod goes all the way back to his grandfather Finwë.

Finwë was the heir of Feanor, whose hammer is mentioned in the second episode of The Rings of Power. He was the first to have been weary of Morgoth and what he meant for Middle-earth.

Morgoth murdered his son, Finwë, and decided to go into battle along with his brothers. This marked the beginning of the war between Morgoth and the elves. This was fought for centuries until their descendant, Finrod, joined the war.

Finrod was the first one to meet with men, learn their language, and protect them from the Elves, who believed men would harm them. He founded the Minas Tirith and Nargothrond and went on to rule the place.

All this occurred during the war, which was soon going to end. When Finrod went into battle with men, he almost died. Barahir saved him; if not for him, Finrod wouldn’t be alive, and perhaps the Battle of the First Age wouldn’t conclude with their victory.

Although Morgoth was gone, Sauron was still at large. Years later, when Finrod was ruling over Nargothrond, Barahir’s son, Beren, came seeking help, and this involved the Dark Lord. So, Finrod and a small troop of men went looking for Sauron, but this time, the Elven King met his tragic fate.

Sauron set a werewolf on them, and although Finrod defeated him, he himself suffered fatal injuries. This is why we see slash wounds on Finrod’s shoulder in the prologue of The Rings of Power. However, his face has the Dark Lord’s sigil engraved on it.

After Finrod’s death, he ascended to Valinor, and it was Sauron’s way of letting everyone there know that he remained undefeated. Galadriel was quite close with her brother, Finrod.

This is one of the main reasons why she couldn’t let go of Sauron. She knew what the sigil indicated, in broader terms, and hence never stopped her hunt for him.

About The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is an American TV series, based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien, developed by J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay for streaming on Amazon Prime. 

Set 3,000 years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, the show will be set in the Second Age of Middle-earth. Beginning with a time of peace, the series will follow the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron and the forging of the rings of power.

The cast includes Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Nazanin Boniadi, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, and Dylan Smith among many others.