One of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power‘s more junior characters, Theo, doesn’t really factor into the second season’s marketing campaign. So, is Theo in The Rings of Power Season 2, or did he get the chop?
Is Theo in The Rings of Power Season 2?
Yes, Theo will return in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2. What’s more, he’ll be portrayed by the same actor, Tyroe Muhafidin. It’s easy to see why many fans thought the Southlander wouldn’t be back for The Rings of Power‘s second batch of episodes, though. Aside from Theo’s absence from Season 2’s trailers (and Muhafidin, from its press circuit), Nazanin Boniadi – who portrayed Theo’s mother Bronwyn in Season 1 – dropped out of Season 2. As such, it’s not a huge stretch to assume showrunners J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay wrote Theo out of the series along with his mom. However, that’s not the case, and Theo will definitely be back in Season 2.
Moyens I/O can confirm this first-hand; having already seen Season 2’s three-episode premiere, take it from us that Theo remains very much a part of the show’s narrative (that’s all we’ll say for now, though). This isn’t top secret intel, either. While Prime Video hasn’t exactly spotlighted Theo’s involvement in Season 2, the streamer also isn’t trying to hide it. Notably, Muhafidin briefly features in one of The Rings of Power‘s recent wave of featurettes (embedded above), hyping up the second season’s incoming Ent characters. So, regardless of Theo’s wider fate within the show’s planned five-season story, for now, he’s safe!
Will Theo Become the Witch-King in Season 2?
Theo’s inclusion in Season 2 will come as welcome news to proponents of a theory linking him to a legendary Lord of the Rings baddie: the Witch King of Angmar. But will this transformation actually happen? It’s hard to say at this stage. Author J.R.R. Tolkien left plenty of gaps in the Witch-King’s backstory. We don’t know his name or where he originally came from, just that he was once a mortal man, a formidable sorcerer, and influential enough for Sauron to sling him a Ring of Power.
So, assuming Theo brushes up on his spellcraft and takes on a more senior position within Middle-earth’s human community, he could become The Rings of Power‘s Witch-King at some point (Season 2 seems a tad early, though). That said, Tolkien also leaned towards the Witch-King hailing from Númenór, not the Southlands – although The Rings of Power has overruled the scribe before!
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 debuts on Prime Video on Aug. 29, 2024.