The Rings of Power: Who Is Fëanor (And Why Does He Matter in Season 2)?

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2, Episode 6, “Where Is He?”.

In The Rings of Power‘s sixth episode of the second season, Sauron coaxes Celebrimbor back to work with a crafty bit of magic – and yet another shout-out to legendary Middle-earth figure Fëanor. So, who exactly is Fëanor, and why is his legacy so important in The Rings of Power Season 2?

Who Is Fëanor in The Rings of Power Season 2?

Fëanor is Celebrimbor’s grandfather, and widely regarded as the greatest Elf-smith in Middle-earth’s history. Over the course of his career, he cranked out the Silmarils and the palantíri, and also invented an alphabet, Tengwar, used through J.R.R. Tolkien’s fictional universe. Fëanor’s skills extended beyond the work table, too. According to Tolkien, of all the Elves, Fëanor was “mightiest in all parts of body and mind.” Translation? He was pretty handy in a fight, and it took a squad of Balrog fire demons to finally finish him off! This all went down in the First Age – centuries before The Rings of Power Season 2.

Related: The Rings of Power: Is Morgoth’s Crown a Big Deal in the Books?

Based on the above – not to mention an idealized statue in Eregion’s main courtyard – you’d assume Fëanor is one of the Elves’ greatest heroes. The truth, however, is more complicated. See, Fëanor had one fatal flaw: pride. He was really, really happy with the Silmarils, and after Sauron’s former boss Morgoth stole them, he went a bit bananas. Fëanor and his sons swore an oath to recover the gems at any cost – and not just from Morgoth, but from everyone. The result was a lot of bloodshed, including the deaths of many of Fëanor’s fellow Elves. As such, Fëanor’s reputation is complicated, to say the least.

Why Fëanor Matters in The Rings of Power Season 2

This is all very interesting – but it also happened a long time ago from The Rings of Power ensemble’s perspective. Who still cares about Fëanor, especially given his dubious legacy? Celebrimbor, for one. As repeatedly referenced in Season 2, Celebrimbor’s greatest weakness is how desperate he is to equal (or outdo) his ancestor’s achievements. It’s partly how Sauron hoodwinks Celebrimbor into forging the Rings of Power: by exploiting the Elf-smith’s creative insecurity. This is in line with Tolkien’s original canon, where Celebrimbor’s Fëanor hang-up is likewise a factor in his unwitting alliance with the dark lord.

Related: The Rings of Power: What Is the Secret Fire in Lord of the Rings Canon?

That said, Fëanor’s backstory is more thoroughly fleshed out in Tolkien’s writings – and not just because The Rings of Power has limited screentime. The Prime Video series also has legal limits on the precise amount of Fëanor-centric content it can use. Anything covered in The Lord of the Rings and its Appendices is fair game; everything else is out of bounds. And considering most of Fëanor’s story comes from The Silmarillion (not The Lord of the Rings), there’s not much left to work with!

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 is currently streaming on Prime Video, with new episodes dropping Thursdays.