Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is on Amazon Prime and introduces viewers to a host of familiar characters – Galadriel, Elrond, and even Sauron. However, there are some characters who’ve been specially created for the prequel series based on JRR Tolkien’s source material. Among them is the Stranger, about whom we know very little, and Theo, a young boy who seems drawn to darkness. 

Theo’s mother is Bronwyn, and his father appears to have fled. The boy lives in a quiet village in the Southlands, where Bronwyn appears to have a brewing romance with the elf, Arondir. 

Speaking about Theo, executive producer Lindsey Weber told IGN “Theo is definitely is a person who’s tempted by the dark side”, adding, “He’s got a single mother. He’s got a lot of questions in his life. He’s wondering about his father. His mother is in a relationship with somebody who the people of his town don’t approve of. He is sort of on the verge of manhood and I think he’s trying to find his path in life and he’s tempted in this moment. And that is certainly something that we hope people will take away from that scene.” 

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Theo appears to act out and comes across a broken sword when he’s playing with his friend. Sauron’s sigil is immediately recognizable and the sword seems to demand blood. Theo’s in a trance for a minute before his friend snaps him out of it. However, an orc attack forces Theo to use the sword and the blood from his hand helps the sword blade replenish. The young boy and his mother evacuate their home, fearing more orc attacks, and Theo takes the sword along. 

A human seduced by Sauron’s blade

The mystery of the sword could shed some light on who Theo is. There are some theories that this is one of Sauron’s swords when he was Morgoth’s general. His sigil is the obvious link, but how it found its way to the small town remains a mystery. Arondir hinted that humans fought for Morgoth and his watch commander told him that it was in the nature of humans to be drawn to evil, which could explain why the sword’s there – to tempt someone to darkness. 

Tyroe Muhafidin, who plays Theo, told Entertainment Tonight that the sword is like the Ring of Power, in its corrupting powers, describing it as his “precious”. 

Theo could be a human seduced by darkness or could have an actual connection to the evil sword by way of his father, whose disappearance has been brought up pointedly. Moreover, the circumstances under which Theo’s father disappeared remain a mystery. 

Theo a future Nazgul?

The sword could also be a Morgul blade, carried by the Witch King of Angmar during the Third Age. However, the Witch King emerged in the Second Age, and some believe Theo could fit the bill. However, this would mean some liberty was taken regarding the source material since the Witch King is one of the Nazgul, who are known to be great warriors or lords among men. 

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Theo is neither, but again, notoriously little is known about the Nazgul in Tolkien’s works, and the mystery surrounding Theo’s parentage could mean that he’ll be a Nazgul as Rings of Power continues. 

Theo drawn in by Dark Elf blade? 

Some believe the sword to be the legendary black blade of Gurthang, which was made during the First Age by a Dark Elf. It is black, broken and buried, and calls for blood – all of which fits into Tolkien’s canon. However, the sword was buried on the banks of Teiglin, a river in Middle Earth, which begs the question of how it popped up in the Southlands.