What is the history behind the Master of Rivendell?

It seemed for the longest time that no one but Peter Jackson could tell a story within J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth universe. Although Guillermo del Toro was briefly involved with the inception of The Hobbit films, it was ultimately Jackson who helmed the trilogy. However, early reactions to The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power suggest that showrunners J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay have delivered a spectacle worthy of Amazon’s costly investment.

The Rings of Power tells a familiar story from The Lord of the Rings’s universe. The dark lord Sauron has forged the all-powerful One Ring, and only an alliance of elves and men can defeat him. The famous opening sequence of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring chronicles what happens during this war. The Rings of Power promises to include more details about the heroes of this era, including a few fan favorites from The Lord of the Rings.

Elrond (Hugo Weaving) has a pivotal role in Jackson’s trilogy. Not only does he call together “The Fellowship of the Ring” itself, but he leads the elves in their voyage away from Middle Earth. Robert Aramayo stars as a younger version of the character in The Rings of Power, long before he grows to become the cynical figure that fans are familiar with. Elrond is one of the most important characters within Tolkien’s universe. Elrond observes the entire history of Middle Earth; he sees both the good and evil that men are capable of, and ultimately leads the Elves to depart from human affairs.

RELATED: 'Lord of the Rings': Everything You Need to Know about Elrond Before 'The Rings of Power'

Beyond the primary stories themselves, Elrond is featured in Tolkien’s The Silmarillion. Unlike The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion is essentially a historical guide to the events within Middle Earth. Elrond is born in the First Age to the half-elven mariner Eärendil and his wife, Elwing. Although Elrond is born in a peaceful community, he’s soon called into action during Sauron’s rise to power.

Sauron’s many attempts to conquer Middle Earth are well documented in The Silmarillion. Although he is thought to be defeated following Elrond’s foundation of Rivendell, the dark lord rises again with the armies of Mordor at his disposal. The early trailers for The Rings of Power have hinted that a younger Elrond is more enthusiastic about working with men. However, he ultimately learns that his faith is misplaced during the epic battle at Mount Doom.

The Rings of Power may have a multi-season story arc planned out, but we already know how Elrond’s story ends. The Fellowship of the Ring shows us that Prince Isildur ignores Elrond’s advice, and refuses to destroy the One Ring. This proves to Elrond that men are incapable of resisting the temptation of power. His distrust of mankind is clear within The Lord of the Rings, particularly as he advises his daughter Arwen (Liv Tyler) about her love of Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen).

Elrond isn’t featured in The Hobbit novel, but the appendices of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King provide some details about what he was doing during this era. This is what Jackson used as inspiration when Weaving reprised his role in The Hobbit trilogy. Elrond gives shelter to the Dwarves during their quest to take down Smaug, and ultimately helps Saruman (Christopher Lee) rescue Gandalf (Ian McKellen) from the Necromancer. Elrond clearly has his doubts about the possibility of Sauron’s survival, but Saruman manages to convince him not to look any further.

By the time of The Fellowship of the Ring, Elrond has learned his lessons about putting faith in those who are seduced by the One Ring. He calls together his council to create the “Fellowship” that will destroy Sauron’s source of power. He is surprised by Frodo Baggins’ (Elijah Wood) offer to bear the ring; he doesn’t initially believe that a creature that small can handle the burden. Elrond’s change of heart marks one of the most heartwarming storylines in the trilogy.

Elrond’s involvement with human affairs grows more complicated in The Two Towers. He believes that regardless of what happens during the new war with Sauron, the Elves must leave Middle Earth and depart for Valinor. He begs Arwen to come with him; Aragorn is bound to die a human death. However, Elrond’s compassion ultimately emerges when he communicates with Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) and dispatches the elves to save Aragorn’s forces at Helm’s Deep.

Elrond may not believe that the elves have a fate in Middle Earth, but he cannot discredit his daughter’s love in The Return of the King. After Arwen makes the decision to remain, Elrond aids Aragorn once more by giving him the sword of Elendi, giving him power over the Army of the Dead. This allows Aragorn’s forces to protect Gondor, where he will ultimately rule as the one true king.

The Return of the King may have been criticized for having too many endings, but Elrond helps bring the series to its ultimate conclusion. The defeat of Sauron marks the “Dominion of Men.” Elrond departs with Gandlf, Galdriel, and the Elves, and Frodo ultimately decides to join them. Although he is not as expressive in his emotions as the young hobbit is, Elrond shows his compassion for everything that the heroes have ended.

It will be fascinating to see how The Rings of Power depicts Elrond. Although Weaving’s performance is beloved, a great prequel has the ability to cast a character in a new light. You can’t think about Viro Corleone without mentioning Robert De Niro’s role as the younger gangster, and Ewan McGregor’s depiction of a young Obi-Wan Kenobi continues to earn praise. If The Rings of Power lives up to expectations, then we may never be able to watch the original trilogy the same way again.

Liam Gaughan is a film and TV writer at Collider. He has been writing film reviews and news coverage for eight years with bylines at Dallas Observer, About.com, Taste of Cinema, Dallas Morning News, Schmoes Know, Rebel Scum, and Central Track. He aims to get his spec scripts produced and currently writes short films and stage plays. He lives in McKinney, TX.

Sign up for Collider's newsletter for exclusive news, features, streaming recommendations and more