The Lord of the Rings show is set to premiere on Sept. 2 on Amazon, and while the plot details continue to sprinkle out, what has not been shown is the characters that will be appearing. Some characters in the novels are a given, while some might not even appear in this adaptation of the Second Age. With so few details, it is tough to say, but given the timeframe, some characters are almost guaranteed to appear.
Even if these characters do appear, they either might not play as big of a role as they did in the books, or their role might be more prominent. Given that the show has already confirmed some original characters, it is hard to imagine that some of the characters that appear in the novels will be featured more prominently. Regardless, with the ever-expansive lore of Lord of the Rings, any of these appearances could expand the live-action universe further than The Hobbit did.
Amdir
The first king of Lorien, Amdir played a pivotal part in the Battle of Dagorlad. Pivotal in the means of providing lore behind the Dead Marshes. Depending on when the show takes place during the Second Age, fans might see Amdir either a lot or very little. While not the biggest character in the Lord of the Rings history, his role is pretty important when it comes to anything Lorien.
If the show ends off with the Battle of Dagorlad, that is likely when Amdir will make an appearance. He might not be the best-selling character in the universe to bring in viewers, but he provides a rather sad role to the famous Last Alliance of Elves and Men with his army facing several losses. If he does appear, it could provide an even darker look at the battle than what Fellowship of the Ring showed.
Oropher
Much like Amdir, Oropher could play a similar role in the show. However, given his character is much like how the Elves wanted to distance themselves in the movies, Oropher could provide that same look into how the Elves want to be independent. Still, given how powerful Sauron becomes, it could also be a way to see into the Elves' ultimate choice of ing with Men to fight him.
Oropher is another character that would play a small role if he were to appear. Still, he could end up being a side character that many fall in love with, especially if the show chooses to dive into him in more depth than the books did. Besides one of the often criticized flaws of the LOTR films is that they strayed from the books, so the show will likely do the same, good or bad.
Ar-Pharazon
A great side villain to Sauron, Ar-Pharazon is not often talked about in the mainstream, but he is certainly a bad guy. If the show decides to dive into the Valar, Ar-Pharazon is an excellent antagonist to the rest of the characters. Plus, it could paint a picture of how manipulative Sauron is to the world of men.
The war against the Valar could be an excellent piece of the show if that is the route they are going. While things get more mystical in this conflict, it could make for some excellent visuals. If Ar-Pharazon is introduced into the show, fans will need to prepare for some dark stuff to happen.
Tar-Miriel
The forced wife of Ar-Pharazon, if the show were to introduce the side antagonist, Tar-Miriel will likely make an appearance as well. Depending on how dark the show goes, Tar-Miriel could provide a picture of the hardships women still face today let alone in a middle-aged type setting. There is not much regarding her history, but the show can definitely expand upon this.
She can be a central piece when Ar-Pharazon goes to war against the Valar. Given that this is an adaptation, they can also change much in her story as well. She has a very vague ending, so the hope is that she would have something more impactful.
Tar-Palantir
An interesting character to say the least, Tar-Palantir could play a huge foreshadowing role for the films and any future shows. His gift of foresight can play a big role in how the story is portrayed in the show.
Tar-Palantir would also provide a more sad and somber feeling to the show. He is a character torn between a rock and a hard place in many instances. There is not much to his character in of battles, but he would provide that foresight into the future of the show, and films, depending on when the show takes place within the Second Age.
Glorfindel
If the show brings in the Valar, Glorfindel is almost a guarantee to show up. This is especially the case since he is an emissary of them. During this time, Glorfindel is not a prominent figure, but the show can provide a visual of everything he helped do to aid Gil-galad and Elrond in dealing with Sauron. He played a pivotal part in helping aid the Elves during the conflict but the books did not tell this.
A show wanting to expand on the live-action lore can definitely provide a way to tell Glorfindel's story within the Second Age. Given Elrond has already been confirmed, it is highly likely Glorfindel will play a role in the show as well.
Blue Wizards
The Blue Wizards were referenced prominently in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey by Gandalf. Although, he did not provide much information on them. Given the timeframe of the show, this could be the first opportunity to see the Blue Wizards in live-action. Their story is rooted in mystery, especially because J.R.R. Tolkien changed the story with them and was rather vague even in his revision of their story.
The show might not feature them prominently but could help bridge the gap in the mystery. It is said they played a big role in preventing Sauron from overwhelming the Last Alliance in the books. Given how popular wizards are to fans of Lord of the Rings, it is likely the Blue Wizards will make an appearance, and more surprisingly have their good deeds shown.
Anarion
Although Isildur and Elendil were both shown in Fellowship of the Ring, Isildur's brother, Anarion has not been. If the show showcases in more detail the Battle of Dagorlad and Siege of Barad-dur, then Anarion will play a prominent role. So far, he has only been mentioned in Return of the King.
Anarion in many ways is a great warrior like Aragorn. Much like Aragorn, Anarion shares the same unmistakable qualities like his strength of will and his comion. There is a lot to expand upon his character and especially given the amount of history his brother Isildur provides, seeing the brother-dynamic could be interesting and provide a lot of lore.
Entwives
The Entwives were also mentioned in the films. Since the show takes place in the Second Age, they could definitely make an appearance. Given their fate in the books, it could provide an even darker look to just how evil Sauron is.
Considering the love for the Ents in the films, it would be interesting if the Entwives did appear. As stated, their fate showcased on the show would be heartbreaking but provide just why the Ents felt so sad and rageful in the films. It also provides the necessity of protecting the forests in the films and why the Ents reacted the way they did when Saruman burned and cut down all the trees. Although, one of the often discussed aspects of the show is it could stray away from the LOTR film universe, one of the known facts is there is just not much that says whether it will or not.
Valar
For non-book readers of Lord of the Rings, the Valar are essentially the gods of the Lord of the Rings universe. While not very prominent during the timeframe of the film, they were much more prominent in the Second Age. It is hard to say how the live-action show will deal with this more mystical side of Lord of the Rings, but the Valar are very likely to make an appearance.
Given how diverse the characters are in the Valar, it is an excellent opportunity to introduce them into live-action lore. The introduction of them could also provide the beginnings of Middle Earth and the universe to a more mainstream audience that does not want to tackle The Silmarillion.