Warning: Spoilers follow for season 3, episode 4 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, “Gundabad.”EXCLUSIVE: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power changes forever after a main character’s shocking death. This article examines Arondir’s death, Theo’s role in the scene and what the actors have said about the characters’ future.

Key takeaways:

• Arondir’s death comes when Theo kills the Elf under Sauron’s command in season 3, episode 4.

• Theo’s guilt and inner conflict are central to his story after the killing.

• The actors’ farewell took place over more than two weeks of filming, according to Tyroe Muhafidin.

• Theo’s redemption remains possible, although his choices have put him on a path of no return.

In season 3, episode 4 of The Rings of Power, Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova) discovers that Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin) has become one of the Nazgnagôl serving Sauron (Charlie Vickers). Although Arondir acted as a father figure to Theo in seasons 1 and 2, Theo kills the Elf with his sword on Sauron’s command, ending a prominent character’s story.

In an interview with ScreenRant’s Grant Hermanns, Muhafidin discussed preparing for the scene, his conversations with his co-star and the emotions behind Theo and Arondir’s final moment together. He called the scene a “celebration of Ismael”, describing it as an emotional culmination after years of working closely together:

Yeah, I think ultimately, what I came to the conclusion of was that it was a big celebration of Ismael. I’ve talked to him deeply about this, and how much it meant to me that he gets a really great send off. I think the whole sequence is such a tribute to him and everything he’s accomplished, and he’s fantastic. He’s so good, but yeah, the emotions went everywhere with the scene. We were shooting it over a long period of time. It was over two weeks, and so different days were kind of different vibes. I think some days it would hit him more, and some days it would hit me more. It was kind of mostly like, “This is our last time working together.” That was really sad, and seeing Ismael’s last days on set were really sad. But then also, we had private moments together after, and would have to let some of those emotions loose. We would have to really sit in it, because it was kind of, I think, the best thing for us to do. To sit in those emotions because they were heavy, and we needed to be there for each other, and I think we were. But yeah, it was difficult, but a really, really beautiful send-off to such a strong, amazing character.

Asked what viewers can expect from Theo in the second half of season 3 of The Rings of Power, Muhafidin said Theo has crossed a line he cannot fully return from. He also indicated that Theo will keep fighting for himself while struggling with guilt and inner conflict, which will shape his next decisions.

Yeah, Theo’s now at a place of no return, and he knows that. But I think we’re gonna watch him fight it. I think we’re gonna watch him fight for himself in whatever way he can. It’s hard to say what to expect without just spoiling it. [Laughs] There’s a lot of inner conflict in Theo, and this was such a huge moment for him. While he still has autonomy over his mind and his body, we’ll watch him be racked with the guilt, and watch him suffer with the guilt, and how he deals with it.

The killing is shocking, but season 3 has laid groundwork for the reversal of roles between Theo and Arondir. Hermanns noted that in the season 3 premiere, Arondir kills a young man whom he briefly hallucinates as Theo, foreshadowing Theo killing Arondir in episode 4. Theo’s attraction to the hilt connected to the creation of Mount Doom in season 1, along with his past resentment toward Arondir, also contributes to the moment.

Before Sauron arrives, Arondir appears to be reaching Theo. Muhafidin’s comments indicate that Theo will be haunted by his actions, but they do not confirm that he has completely committed himself to Sauron. The story leaves room for Theo to seek redemption, stop serving the villain or avoid becoming one of the final nine Nazgnagôl.

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Unlike Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), Elrond (Robert Aramayo), Celeborn (Jamie Campbell Bower), Gandalf (Daniel Weyman), Isildur (Maxim Baldry) and Elendil (Lloyd Owen), all characters created by J.R.R. Tolkien, Arondir was created for the Prime Video series. His fate was therefore less predictable, but his death is still a shock after he had been a central character in The Rings of Power from the beginning, especially because Theo is the one who kills him.

Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi), Theo’s mother, is another original character created for the series, and she and Arondir were in love. Boniadi did not return for season 2, and the series revealed that Bronwyn had died from the wounds she suffered in season 1. The human-Elf romance was one of the first major relationships in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power; with both characters now dead, Theo must make his own choices without their guidance.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3, episodes 1–4 are streaming on Prime Video. New episodes are released on Wednesdays at 3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT.