Nazanin Boniadi as Bronwyn in The Rings of Power season 1 (2022) next to Arondir drawing an arrow in The Rings of Power season 2 (2024)

Bronwyn is absent from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 due to her actor, Nazanin Boniadi, choosing not to return, presenting the character with a dark fate. As of The Rings of Power season 1’s ending, it became clear that Bronwyn was a central character of the show. Her arc was tied to the fate of the Southlands as she aided Arondir in rebelling against Adar and the orcs. Bronwyn survives the eruption of Lord of the Rings’ Mount Doom and reunites with Arondir and her son, Theo.

With The Rings of Power season 2’s timeline picking up immediately where season 1 left off, many were expecting Bronwyn to return. However, Nazanin Boniadi revealed that she chose not to come back to Middle-earth for a second adventure, marking a change in The Rings of Power‘s central cast. Naturally, questions will be raised over why Boniadi made this choice and what impact this has on the character of Bronwyn.

The Rings of Power season 2’s first three episodes are now available on Prime Video, with new episodes releasing every Thursday.

Why Nazanin Boniadi Doesn’t Return As Bronwyn In The Rings Of Power Season 2

The Actor Chose To Take A Break From Middle-earth

Bronwyn looking down while standing in a kitchen in The Rings of Power.

As alluded to, the choices surrounding Bronwyn in The Rings of Power season 2 were made by Nazanin Boniadi. It is likely that the showrunners of The Rings of Power intended to continue Bronwyn’s story, yet respected Boniadi’s decision nonetheless. The decision in question came shortly before the actor’s decision to step away from acting entirely in 2022, in order to focus on her activism that is tied to her home country of Iran.

Boniadi is an open supporter of the #WomanLifeFreedom movement in Iran, which focuses on amplifying the voices of Iranian women to raise awareness of the human rights crisis in the country. That said, Boniadi explained in an Instagram post in May 2024 that her decision to step away from The Rings of Power was unrelated to her activism, and was more likely a choice that benefited her personally and professionally while having the unrelated benefit of allowing Boniadi to focus on movements she is passionate about.

How The Rings Of Power Season 2 Explains Bronwyn’s Death

Bronwyn Is Written Out Of The Show In Season 2’s Three-Episode Premiere

Nazanin Boniadi as Bronwyn looking confused at something in The Lord of the Rings The Rings of Power.

As a result of Boniadi’s choice not to return, the showrunners behind The Rings of Power season 2 had to find a way to remove her character from proceedings. In The Rings of Power season 2, episode 3, this choice becomes clear. This episode is the first to feature recurring season 1 characters like Isildur, Arondir, and Theo, catching viewers up on what has happened since the battle of the Southlands.

It is explained that Bronwyn was hit by an orc arrow laced with poison, which she quickly succumbed to…

Arondir’s Rings of Power season 2 introduction shows him as much more vengeful than he was in season 1. It is soon revealed that the reason for this is that Bronwyn was killed off-screen. It is explained that Bronwyn was hit by an orc arrow laced with poison, which she quickly succumbed to. This fits with what is known of orcs, with The Hobbit trilogy specifically describing Morgul shafts that almost killed Kili.

Unfortunately, Bronwyn suffered a similar fate only without healing from the elves of The Rings of Power. This leads to an emotional scene in which Bronwyn receives a funeral, orchestrated by Arondir and Theo. The ensuing storyline then details some tension between Theo and Arondir in light of Bronwyn’s death, showcasing that the character will still have an impact on The Rings of Power season 2, all while explaining her absence from the show in light of Boniadi’s exit.