Rings of Power’s Ismael Cruz Córdova on Learning Arondir Dies

Theo is now being corrupted by one of Sauron's rings and has been sent to capture Galadriel, played by Morfydd Clark. Arondir steps in, and the two fight on Mount Gundabad. Sauron appears and orders Theo to kill his former mentor and friend.

A video call in March 2025

Córdova said the showrunners, JD Payne and Patrick McKay, told him the plan on a Zoom call. He sensed it would be intense. He told his mother, who was downstairs, "They're either going to turn me into a villain, or they're going to kill me off."

That same morning, he had learned his father had a cancer diagnosis. McKay laid out the arc, ending with the line Córdova recalls as "Then Episode 3 and then Episode 4, and then you die."

Córdova said he kept a straight face while gripping his trousers under the table. He described the feeling as gratitude: for life, for time, and for the chance to play the character.

Promotion has been hard, he said. He has taken a number of breaks from press junkets because "it's actually becoming a little rough to talk about it so much." He said he has held these feelings for almost two years, and that he is waiting for the right time to watch his final episode.

The orc who could have been a friend

In a separate interview, Córdova discussed Arondir's bond with the orc Marnûkh. He said Arondir's hostility came from what orcs had done, not from hatred of orcs as a people.

"He just represented the killing of the love of his life and a lot of strife that came from that," Córdova said. As Arondir learned more about Marnûkh, he began to see himself in him. Córdova called Marnûkh "a poet nonetheless, a lover nonetheless."

Had circumstances allowed it, Córdova said, "I think they would've been great besties." He also said he is proud that Arondir stands for anyone who feels different or othered, and offers them hope.

The same interview raised the possibility of Arondir returning through the Halls of Mandos. Córdova did not confirm any return.