The reveal that Halbrand is Sauron in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power changed audiences’ perspectives of Galadriel’s character and her future role in The Lord of the Rings. The elf had been a powerful, nearly omniscient force in the Third Age of Middle-earth, and while she was a beloved character, there was little about her that average audiences could find relatable. However, her involvement with Halbrand in The Rings of Power changed this.

In The Rings of Power, Galadriel allied herself with a man named Halbrand, and the two developed a close bond as the season progressed. However, the season 1 finale revealed that Halbrand was Sauron, whom Galadriel was sworn to destroy. The Dark Lord tried to tempt Galadriel to fall in The Rings of Power and be his queen, but she denied him. Her revenge then involved a new personal vendetta because of his deceit. If these events were considered canon and applied to Galadriel’s Lord of the Rings character, it could completely change how her actions were seen.

Galadriel’s Role In Lord of the Rings Has More Emotional Impact Now

Long after the events of The Rings of Power, Galadriel helped Frodo on his Lord of the Rings journey by watching over the hobbit, which was pivotal in his success. While the new origin story developed for The Rings of Power did nothing to change or contradict her future actions, the knowledge that Galadriel had once been deceived into friendship by Sauron added an emotional impact that had previously been missing from the character. There was more personal resonance for Galadriel that the One Ring be destroyed, as it would be her making amends for her allowing Sauron to help forge the rings of power.

Significant changes like this are often met with mixed reviews from die-hard fans since they can interfere with the canon story outlined in Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. Aspects like Isildur’s set-up in The Rings of Power were under heavy scrutiny, for example. However, many details of Galadriel’s rise to power in Middle-earth were left out of author J.R.R. Tolkien’s works. So, since the Halbrand friendship in The Rings of Power only changed the perspective on Galadriel’s character and not her actual story, it can be enjoyed at a distance (even if it isn’t considered canon).

Why Doesn’t Galadriel Go Back To Valinor Until Sauron’s Downfall?

More significant changes to Galadriel’s story in The Rings of Power were the motivation behind her original departure from Valinor and her refusal to return. In Tolkien canon, specifically Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth, the Ñoldor left against the will of the god-like beings in search of the Silmarils in the age before Rings of Power. In the effort to escape, Galadriel’s people killed other elves and were therefore exiled. Centuries later, the Ñoldor made up for this act and were welcomed back to Valinor. However, as a chief actor in the rebellion, Galadriel was still exiled. Meanwhile, The Rings of Power stated that her people departed their home continent to fight Morgoth.

This ban was lifted after Galadriel assisted Frodo in defeating Sauron and when she made a wish that the hobbit was able to live the rest of his days in the peace of Valinor. Instead, The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power version of events implied that Galadriel could not return because she vowed to defeat Sauron before again laying eyes on her home. Regardless, Galadriel was guaranteed a place in the Undying Lands eventually, but the way she got there and the emotional implications of her journey varied.