Rings Of Power Season 3's Shocking Opening Death & Character Fallout Detailed By LOTR Star

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3, episode 4, "Gundabad."EXCLUSIVE: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will never be the same after a main character's shocking death.

The Rings of Power season 3, episode 4 ends with Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova) discovering that Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin) has become one of the Nazgnagôl serving Sauron (Charlie Vickers). Despite Arondir being a father figure to Theo in seasons 1 and 2, on Sauron's command, the young man thrusts his sword into the Elf and kills him, marking the end of a prominent character's story.

In an interview with ScreenRant's Grant Hermanns, Muhafidin was asked about how he prepared for the scene, any discussions he had with his co-star ahead of time, and the core emotions surrounding Theo and Arondir in that moment. He explained how the scene was ultimately a "celebration of Ismael" and an emotional culmination for the actors after years of closely working together. Check out his comments below:

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.

As for what he can tease viewers about Theo's journey heading into the back half of The Rings of Power season 3, Muhafidin emphasized that Theo has crossed a line that he can never fully come back from now. At the same time, though, he hints that the character is still going to fight for himself, struggle with inner conflict, and feel guilty, which will inform the decisions he makes next.

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.

While Theo killing Arondir is shocking, it is a development that the show has been building toward, including in this season. Hermanns pointed out that the opening battle in season 3, episode 1, in which Arondir kills a young man who he temporarily hallucinates as Theo, foreshadows their fates being reversed in episode 4. Theo being drawn to the hilt that leads to Mount Doom's creation in season 1 and some of the resentment he's previously felt toward the Elf has also led to this moment.

That being said, before Sauron arrives on the scene, it does seem as though Arondir is getting through to Theo. Muhafidin's comments confirm that his character is going to be haunted by what he's done, and he may not have completely thrown in his lot with Sauron. Redemption and no longer serving the villain are possible, along with not being one of the final nine of the Nazgnagôl.

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Unlike Sauron, Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), Elrond (Robert Aramayo), Celeborn (Jamie Campbell Bower), Gandalf (Daniel Weyman), Isildur (Maxim Baldry), or Elendil (Lloyd Owen), who are all characters created by J.R.R. Tolkien, Arondir was a brand-new individual made for the Prime Video series. This always made his fate more unpredictable, but after being a main Rings of Power character from the very beginning, seeing him die at the hands of someone he loved still comes as a surprise.

Another original creation in the series is Theo's mother, Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi), and she and Arondir were in love. The actor chose not to return for season 2, and it was revealed that the character's wounds in season 1 led to her death. The human and Elf romance is one of the first major relationships introduced in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, but now both characters have been killed, and 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 Wednesays at 3am ET/12am PT.