The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 3 Focuses on Córdova’s Intense Training

In The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which takes place in Middle-earth’s Second Age and is based on events described in the appendices of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, Ismael Cruz Córdova portrays an Elven warrior named Arondir: a Silvan Elf who has been tasked with helping to defend the Men of the Southlands, and who is an ace archer.

Any Woodland Elf who’s proficient with a bow invites obvious comparisons with Legolas (Orlando Bloom), the effortlessly cool fan-favorite Elven warrior in The Lord of the Rings novel proper and film trilogy, and The Rings of Power seems to have leaned into this analogy by giving Arondir’s heroic martial deeds a very similar acrobatic flair. This may be very crowd-pleasing, but it’s a lot to ask of an actor who does most of his own stunts.

Fantasy Action with Far Fewer Illusions Than You’d Expect

“Udûn,” the sixth episode of the 2022 first season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, features what was at the time of its release the most massive battle sequence in the show, in which the Orc-lord Adar sends his army on a campaign to take over the Southlands. At one point in this battle, Arondir gets into a veritable wrestling match with an enormous Orc. This sequence was accomplished practically, with tangible physical interaction between the two actors.

Córdova explained to Variety that he required eight months of training for this episode and three months of preparation for this single scene. “There are no stilts or or [sic] camera tricks,” he asserted; he actually had to climb onto his moving co-star and pretend to strangle him. “There were no rigs, no wires, we were not being supported by anything. I was on the back of this massive man trying not to fall.”

Even more taxing was the filming of a moment wherein the Orc slams Arondir back-first into a stone column. Córdova was obliged to keep his head tucked down against his chest in an effort to spare his neck whiplash. However, this wasn’t altogether successful. “My neck was just destroyed,” he recalled, “I was like a robot walking around.” Thanks to his training and filming requirements, he “lived in a perpetual state of soreness… full of bruises.”

Season 2: Ramped-up Scale and Action

The action centerpiece of the 2024 second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is the Orc army’s assault on the great Elven city of Eregion. Here, too, Arondir valiantly joins in the fray, and Córdova’s behind-the-scenes work was likewise just as heroic this time around. In the seventh episode, “Doomed to Die,” Arondir helps to bring down a towering Troll; to film this scene, Córdova was obliged to jump onto and climb what he described in another Variety interview as “a big structure that had all these mats around it and nets and chains.”

Once again, Córdova was responsible for nearly all of his own stunts. “I only have a tiny bit of a stunt that I have a double for,” he explained, “because it was supposed to be one take and we had to split it – but the rest is me… In Eregion, I’m actually up there on that tall wall, and I jump.” Moreover, it was essential for him as an actor never to lose sight of what made Arondir tick during all the fighting and acrobatic maneuvers: “I was trying to also change a little bit of the texture of the movement to signify a little bit more of his anger and grief.”

Looking to the Future: Arondir in Season 3

Of course, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power still has a promising future ahead, with filming for its third season – in which Sauron, the Lord of the Rings, will begin his project of forging the One Ring itself – already underway. Not much else is yet known about this season, but judging from one behind-the-scenes sneak-peek teaser posted on X on September 24, Ismael Cruz Córdova’s future in the series appears equally promising.

This 21-second clip from the The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’s X account showcases Córdova’s latest training in sword-fighting choreography. Accompanied by an epic soundtrack, Córdova delivers roundhouse kicks and mimes sword-strikes with a seemingly effortless grace, laying waste to the battalion of stunt fighters besieging him. “Watch and learn, baby,” he declares triumphantly at the end.

One can only imagine how awesome those moves will look against legions of Orcs on the battlefield. Season 3’s premiere date remains TBD, so it’s unclear how long we’ll have to wait to see Arondir’s next martial heroics, but we may wait assured that Ismael Cruz Córdova will bring his usual A-game to the character.