Elrond - Portrayal in Adaptations

Portrayal in Adaptations

Cyril Ritchard voiced the role of Elrond in the 1977 Rankin/Bass animated film of The Hobbit, created for television. In Ralph Bakshi's 1978 animated adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, Elrond was voiced by André Morell. When Rankin/Bass attempted to finish the story (left incomplete by Bakshi and his financial backers) with The Return of the King in 1980, actor Paul Frees voiced Elrond in the same style as Ritchard, who had since died. In the Rankin/Bass version, Elrond was depicted with a pointed beard and a crown of stars floating around his head.

Matthew Locricchio played Elrond in National Public Radio's 1979 radio production of The Lord of the Rings.

Hugh Dickson played Elrond in BBC Radio's 1981 serialisation of The Lord of the Rings.

In the 1993 Finnish television miniseries Hobitit, Elrond is played by Leif Wager.

In the movie trilogy directed by Peter Jackson, Elrond was portrayed by Hugo Weaving. Elrond's personality differs (see below), and after communicating telepathically with Galadriel sends a battalion of Elves, led by Haldir to aid the defenders of Helm's Deep, an action found nowhere in the book. Also, some events concerning Elrond in The Return of the King are altered. Elrond himself met with Aragorn at Dunharrow, gave him Andúril, a sword reforged from the broken pieces of Isildur's sword Narsil, and told him to take the Paths of the Dead. In the book, his sons Elladan and Elrohir, along with a company of Rangers led by Halbarad, met Aragorn on the road from Isengard to Helm's Deep, prior to the Rohan (Middle-earth)#Muster of Rohan. Elrohir gave Aragorn a message from Elrond, reminding him of the Paths of the Dead. They also brought a royal banner of Gondor, made by Arwen, which Aragorn subsequently used. Aragorn simply took the reforged sword with him when leaving Rivendell much earlier in the story.

In the 2006 musical adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, Elrond was portrayed by Victor A. Young.

In video game The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II Elrond, after planning the war in the North and sending the Fellowship to destroy the One Ring, forms an alliance with the Dwarves to repel Sauron's forces, defending Rivendell from goblin assaults. He leads the first strike in the final battle at Dol Guldur, joined by other Elves and Dwarves, enabling him to defeat Sauron's remaining forces. The Evil version of the game portrays Elrond and Arwen being two of the few survivors of Sauron's attacks, with Rivendell the last stronghold; all other powers of Good, including the Fellowship, Galadriel, and Eagles, join with them, but all are slain, and Sauron triumphs over Middle-earth.

Elrond is also one of the major Non-Player Characters (NPCs) in The Lord of the Rings Online. Residing in the Last Homely House in Rivendell, he is frequently consulted by players seeking council in battling threats to the northern lands of Eriador.