Isildur is probably one of the most crucial characters in The Rings of Power, because he will later go on to cut the one ring from Sauron’s finger. His story is a precursor to the events of both the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, and his actions have both extraordinary benefits and terrible consequences for the War of the Ring.
In cutting the evil object from the dark lord, Isildur (alongside Elendil and Gil-galad) helps to win the Battle of the Last Alliance and banish Sauron from his physical form, a great triumph for Middle Earth. But then in giving in to the temptation of the ring, rather than destroying it, Isildur ensures that Sauron endures, and is able to rise again. It is this decision that reflects badly upon the race of men and their weaknesses. It is what makes Aragorn hesitant to take the throne of Gondor and reunite the peoples of the world, and it is what leaves the impossible task of sneaking through Mordor to Frodo and Sam.
Already, within the Rings of Power, the audience can begin to see hints of Isildur’s downfall, of his less-than-wise choices, and of how his actions have repercussions for those around him. From the very first time that he appears on screen, he is clearly distracted, staring off into the distance and not doing what he is supposed to be doing.
Aboard the ship, mistakes can take a life in a split second, and not paying attention almost causes the death of one of his shipmates as the boy unloops the wrong rope and is swept off the deck into the air by the force of it. Luckily Isildur spots this at the last moment, and manages to avert the crisis by helping haul his friend back to the ground, but perhaps if he had been more present with his team rather than daydreaming about selfish pursuits, it never would have happened.
Unfortunately, Isildur doesn’t learn his lesson, and the next time he is aboard the boat, he decides to take matters into his own hands and let the rope go on purpose. Moments before, he can be seen standing aboard the boat looking into the West, towards a light glowing on distant shores. It looks very similar to the light of the Undying Lands seen in the first episode as Galadriel and her fellow elves are sent back to Valinor, and out of the light, a strange voice calls Isildur’s name. It is the same voice that distracted him previously, and there are many theories as to who the voice may be.
Some think it may be his mother, who passed away when he was younger, and some think it may be the voice of one of the Valar, trying to warn him not to go down a dark path. Either way, he is drawn in by the voice and the light that he decides there and then to sabotage his career aboard the ship and let go of the rope. The ship master knows that it was deliberate, and kicks Isildur and his two closest friends off the sea guard.
Here is the first sign of Isildur’s character giving into temptation over fulfilling his duty, and how it begins to destroy the lives of those around him. Valandil tells him “since I was big enough to hold an oar, I wanted on that boat. I did everything I was supposed to do to earn it.” Valandil, who is clearly angry, yells after Islidur as he starts to walk away “going, staying, what does it matter? The real problem is him, and that’s not going anywhere,” which suggests that this is not the first time his actions have had negative impacts on those around him, and it certainly won’t be the last.
Isildur was too preoccupied with his own wants and desires to think about the impact that his actions would have upon his friends, and this is a habit that will later put the whole of Middle Earth in jeopardy as he decides to keep the ring of power for himself, believing he can wield it to make Gondor as great as Numenor was. But the ring only has one master, and it escapes him, leading him to his death.
When they need volunteers to go aboard the ships at the end of the episode, to help Miriel and Galadriel sail to Middle Earth and defend the Southlands from the growing number of orcs, Isildur volunteers himself. He will, at some point, become the king of Gondor, and a mighty king at that, who will fight in many wars, and lead brave soldiers against the enemy, so it will be interesting to see how he turns from this truant young man to a valiant leader, and how the subtle seeds of temptation that have already been sewn in the Rings of Power series will come out in full force in his later life.