The first major death in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 3 occurs in Episode 2, and it's a tragic moment that says farewell to an original character and cast member we first met in Season 1. Sadly, that's not the only original character to meet their end at the start of Season 3, because just two episodes later, it happens again.
In The Rings of Power Season 3, Episode 4, which is now streaming on Prime Video, Ismael Cruz Córdova's Arondir meets his end at the hands of Theo, a character he has had a deep connection with since Season 1. In Arondir's final moments, Tyro Muhafidin's Theo reveals himself to be one of Sauron's Nazgnagôl. However, miraculously, he is able to break Sauron's influence just long enough to not only reveal himself to Arondir, but also give him one final warning to leave before it's no longer possible.
Unfortunately, Arondir doesn't listen, and instead tries to talk Theo into taking off Sauron's ring and coming with them. But moments later, Charlie Vickers' Sauron enters the scene, and with one simple command, forces Theo to shove a sword into Arondir's, ending his life.
Arondir's death also means audiences will never be able to witness what could have been a top-tier friendship between him and the traitor orc Marnûkh. Sure, they started off on rocky footing, but by the end of Episode 4, it seemed that a mutual trust and bond had truly been formed between them.
The Direct sat down with The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power star Ismael Cruz Córdova, where we broke down what exactly was going through Arondir's mind when he saw Theo take that mask off, how great it was getting to go out with such an awesome action scene, and his friendship with Marnûkh that will never happen.
Ismael Cruz Córdova on His Tragic Death and the Friendship That'll Never Be
"I Think They Would Have Actually Become Great Friends."
- The Direct: "He had a really interesting relationship with the orc, Marnûkh. In those final moments where he's helping Marnûkh, would you say that relationship had finally reached an amicable, maybe even positive level? Like, had everyone lived and escaped, what would that have looked like?"
Ismael Cruz Córdova: I think so. I think he loves and respects him. I don't think he knows how to express that, other than helping him in a moment of need or teasing him or being slightly aggressive in a way I think most men do with each other... So I do see the nuggets of him actually loving this guy, and seeing this guy for what he is: a misunderstood little underdog with poetry running through his veins. Which is essentially how I would describe Arondir as well, yeah. So I think they would have actually become great friends.
- The Direct: "When Theo unmasks, what goes through [Arondir's] mind in the moment that happened? I'm sure there's like a dozen different thoughts firing off at the same time."
Ismael Cruz Córdova: I like to think that there was something—Arondir is quite sensitive, and I think insightful. I think there's something that kept him, allowed him to face off this being, this creature, and I like to think that little bit came from feeling that it [was feeling] somewhere there... When I saw that mask pulling off, I think there's both heartbreak, heartache, but also deep love, deep absolute deep love, and I think his main goal was for Theo to be okay, not really himself, like for Theo and the rest to be okay, and to make sure that he understood that I still love them, and that there's still some.
- The Direct: "Did [Arondir] think he was going to make it out of that situation, did he already kind of go, 'I probably won't?'
Ismael Cruz Córdova: Honestly, I go back and forth in this answer, but it's like, what these creatures represent, the Nazgnagôl, it's very hard to come out of an altercation with them. It is extremely hard. So there's a big part of me that thinks that by that point he knew that there was a big chance that he wouldn't come out of it. But then again, it was Theo. So then it adds like an element of like, oh wait, maybe? But I do think that the guy has gone through hell and back in many ways. He's with the High Elves in Rivendell, making political and military strategy [and surviving that]. Like, odder things have happened...
- The Direct: "It's sad that your character had to die, but at least you were able to go out swinging, because you know that action scene was awesome, and you got like multiple spotlight moments. How awesome was it knowing that that was going to be your last scene, and how great was it actually filming all of those really cool moments?"
Ismael Cruz Córdova: I mean, it was great. [When they] told me that's essentially what I said. I'm like, you know, they make their decisions, and they write this, and this is not of my doing in terms of, I didn't ask to be killed off or whatnot. But I did say, 'Okay, if this is happening, then let's take him out swinging, and let's make sure that he goes out in [style], and you give me the resources that I need in order to bring it home and make it beautiful.' And I wanted him to go out in heroic glory. We know the guy to be a badass. We know the guy to be a warrior. We know the guy to be an archer. We know all these things. So let's just pop it up and pop it off and show it
