The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power had its fair share of detractors, but there was one aspect that no one could hate on: the beautiful and evocative settings. Season 1 introduced fans to the Elven cities of Lindon and Eregion. The pair of cities perfectly embodied the regality of the Eldar. Likewise, Khazad-dûm personified the pomp and brashness of Dwarvish society. Finally, Númenor shown with a splendor that foreshadowed Minas Tirith from The Lord of the Rings.
The Rings of Power’s last setting was the Southlands. It wasn’t an exciting place, but it was the location of Season 1’s most consequential storyline: the creation of Mordor. In “Udûn,” Adar’s plan came to fruition. Using a magic sword, he ignited Mount Doom, destroying the Southlands and creating Mordor in one fell swoop. The creation of the evil realm left a lot of people without a home. Thus, Bronwyn decided relocate the Southlanders the city of Pelargir. Here’s why that location is important in the LOTR universe.
Multiple Lord of the Rings Fights Took Place in Pelargir
Pelargir was a pretty important city in The Lord of the Rings. It was one of the earliest Númenórean settlements in Middle-earth, but over time, it became a place of refuge. Many of the Faithful went to Pelargir to escape persecution from the King’s Men. When it was built, it was a port city at the mouth of the Anduin River. However, the catastrophic destruction of Númenor changed the coastline, which meant that Pelargir was 50 miles inland by LOTR’s time period.
Even inland, Pelargir remained an important city. As Gondor’s strength grew, Pelargir was its chief port, and under the Ship-kings, Pelargir became the home of Gondor’s navy. Over time, Pelargir became weaker because of repeated attacks by the Corsairs of Umbar. An attack even killed one of Gondor’s kings. Luckily, all of that ended in The Return of the King, when Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli arrived at Pelargir. They had the Army of the Dead in-tow, which allowed the trio of heroes to liberate the city and commandeer the Corsair’s ships.
Why Pelargir Will Be Important in The Rings of Power
If The Rings of Power follows LOTR canon, Pelargir will be important to the series. Moving there represents a new beginning for the Southlanders. Some of their ancestors had served Morgoth, and after the war, the Elves had watched everyone condescendingly. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a good way to separate the evildoers from the innocents. But after the creation of Mordor, everything has become clear: anyone that stays in Mordor, serves Sauron, while everyone that moves to Pelargir does not.
Pelargir will also be the setting for Isildur’s story. When Season 1 ended, everyone in-story assumed that he was dead, but fans knew that the future king was alive somewhere. Because the Númenóreans left him in the Southlands, it makes sense that he will have to fight his way back to Númenor, and going through Pelargir is the only way to do that. It will be interesting to see how Isildur survived the creation of Mordor and what he’s been up to since then.
