|
This article's content is marked as Mature The page contains mature content that may include coarse language, sexual references, and/or graphic violent images which may be disturbing to some. Mature pages are recommended for those who are 18 years of age and older.
If you are 18 years or older or are comfortable with graphic material, you are free to view this page. Otherwise, you should close this page and view another page.
|
“
|
Finally... all will fear me and rejoice!
|
„
|
|
~ Celebrimbor moments before merging into Talion.
|
|
“
|
This isn't about your petty vengeance. Or mine. This is about restoring order to Mordor. To all of Middle-earth. The end you fought for? You are but a vessel... and there are others.
|
„
|
|
~ Celebrimbor betrays Talion.
|
|
Celebrimbor, also known as the Bright Lord, is the deuteragonist of the video games Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Middle-earth: Shadow of War. Having been corrupted by the One Ring long ago, Celebrimbor now exists as an undead wraith, determined to not only get his revenge on Sauron but also to replace Sauron as a would-be ruler of Middle-earth. This is reflected in how he is the "Bright Lord" to Sauron's "Dark Lord".
He is voiced by Alastair Duncan, who also voiced Senator Steven Armstrong in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, and Curtis Blackburn in Killer7.
History[]
Backstory[]
Celebrimbor was a Ñoldorin prince, last of the House of Fëanor left in Middle-earth, ruler of the Second Age realm of Eregion, He was the son of Curufin, fifth son of Fëanor and Nerdanel.
One day, he was approached by Sauron in his fair form who introduced himself as 'Annatar the lord of gifts'. In this form, Sauron claimed he was sent as an emissary of the Valar and gifted Celebrimbor a mithril smithing hammer, much to Celebrimbor's amazement and gratitude, commenting that "it is so fine a gift." Eventually over time 'Annatar' earned Celebrimbor's trust by sharing his incredible knowledge of ringcraft ultimately deceiving Celebrimbor into forging the 16 rings of power. In secret, however, Celebrimbor used everything he learned to forge the 3 greatest rings Vilya, Narya, and Nenya.
When Sauron created the One Ring, Celebrimbor along with the other elves immediately felt the ring's presence and became aware of 'Annatar's' true identity and intentions. The elves then immediately removed their rings of power thus thwarting Sauron's plan for domination. In fury, Sauron invaded Eregion and, despite managing to defeat Sauron's minions, Celebrimbor was powerless when the Dark Lord arrived in person and Eregion was destroyed. He and his family were all taken to Mordor in chains, and Celebrimbor was brought before Sauron to the heart of Mount Doom, where Sauron used the One Ring as well as the Black Speech of Mordor to brainwash Celebrimbor. Unable to resist the One's incredible power, Celebrimbor unwillingly pledged his allegiance to the Dark Lord, handing over his knowledge on the location of the other rings.
The two smiths would work on perfecting and refining the One Ring further in order to mask its incredible power. It is very possible that it was during this period of time that the duo visited Helm Hammerhand on his deathbed and gifted him with a ring of power subsequently saving his life but also dooming him to an eternity of servitude as one of Sauron's Nazgûl. In time Celebrimbor not only successfully masked the ring's power but in addition gave the One Ring "a will of its own".
When Sauron picked up the finished ring with thongs to examine their great masterpiece, however, Celebrimbor regained his senses. Seeking to redeem himself and save Middle-Earth as well as his family, Celebrimbor immediately slipped the now completed One Ring into his finger and escaped from the shocked and furious Sauron.
For a time, his efforts appeared to be successful as one by one Sauron's war chiefs fell under the control of the newly proclaimed Bright Lord, even as Sauron threatened Celebrimbor for his treachery and attempted to intimidate him into returning what he stole. However, the power of the One quickly began to corrupt Celebrimbor as he continued to use it, to where his initial desire to save his family became twisted into a desire to avenge them, as he believed they had been slain, refusing Sauron's offer to release them if he returned the Ring, so much so that even Sauron noted how he was becoming no better than that which he sought to destroy.
Eventually, the final war chief fell, infuriating Sauron to where he finally decided to step into the field, starting the final battle of the conflict between them, revealing Celebrimbor's family alive but in chains. Enraged by the sight, Celebrimbor charged through Sauron's orc army to reach the Dark Lord alongside the army he had built. The Bright and Dark Lords of Mordor fought ferociously as their armies clashed in a devastating battle. Despite his best efforts, however, even having nearly completely mastered the One Ring, Sauron proved to be a formidable enemy as he undid the mind control upon his minions, reminding Celebrimbor that everything he had, the powers of the One Ring, were all originally his. Though Celebrimbor was able to bring Sauron to his knees, he soon realized the folly of his approach in using the Dark Lord's weapon against him: Before he could finish off his downed enemy, Sauron displayed his dominion over the One Ring by summoning it from Celebrimbor's finger back to his own.
Now reunited with his ring, the Dark Lord rose again restored to his full might and easily struck down the powerless Celebrimbor, taking him back to his fortress of Barad-dûr in chains. Enraged by his near-defeat, Sauron struck down Celebrimbor's wife and daughter as he was forced to watch helplessly before returning to his fair form and approaching the defeated elf lord. The Bright Lord shared one final look of mutual hatred with his adversary before being brutally beaten with the very hammer gifted to him upon their first meeting, forever scarring his face. Finally, Sauron finished him off with the hammer' s claw.
For his role in the creation of the rings of power and his treachery in working with the deceiver coupled with his own personal desire for vengeance Celebrimbor was both denied and unable to find peace and instead wondered the lands of Mordor waiting for the opportunity to strike back against the Dark Lord once more.
As A Wraith[]
Years later, Celebrimbor's wraith would become bound to the recently killed Gondorian Ranger Talion. Joining forces with him, Celebrimbor convinced Talion they were on the same side, and they began waging war with Sauron's Uruks in the lands of Mordor. Eventually though, Talion learned that Celebrimbor was actively preventing him from passing on to be with his slain family, but even after this deception was exposed, Celebrimbor convinced Talion to maintain their bond so they could keep up the fight against Sauron (a fight in which Celebrimbor cared more for revenge than protecting Middle-Earth's people).
After defeating Sauron, Celebrimbor and Talion maintained their bond for the purposes of forging a new ring of power to counter Sauron's own. With this, Celebrimbor secretly plotted to not only take his revenge on Sauron, but also amass more power for himself and take the lands of Mordor for his own as the Bright Lord. This stood in contrast to Talion's goals, as Talion wished to actually keep Middle-Earth safe. One of the many bones of contention between them was the fate of the Gondorian fortress Minas Ithil: Celebrimbor cared not for what happened to it, arguing that it would "go the way of all flesh", whereas Talion was set on keeping it safe. This along with his growing obsession with the New Ring, showed his turn into villainy.
Quotes[]
Part 1[]
Part 2[]
Gallery[]
Images[]
Celebrimbor before becoming a Wraith.
Celebrimbor and Sauron in his fair form.
Celebrimbor fights against Sauron.
Celebrimbor captured by Sauron's minions.
Celebrimbor after creating the one ring for Sauron.
Celebrimbor in his memories.
Celebrimbor in the Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor story expansion, The Bright Lord.
Celebrimbor leading his army against Sauron.
Celebrimbor in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor.
Celebrimbor in Middle-earth: Shadow of War, merged with Talion.
Celebrimbor attempting to negotiate with Shelob for his ring, telling her he will bring Sauron in chains.
Celebrimbor branding an Orc.
Celebrimbor betraying Talion.
Celebrimbor offers Eltariel the ring so that they can defeat Sauron.
Celebrimbor and Eltariel confront Sauron.
Celebrimbor fights Sauron once more.
Celebrimbor manages to defeat Sauron, attempting to dominate him.
Celebrimbor being forcingly merged by Sauron.
Celebrimbor and Sauron in the great eye; fighting for dominance.
Celebrimbor escapes from the great eye upon the destruction of the One Ring.
Videos[]
Middle-earth Shadow of War- Sauron Final Boss Fight and True Ending
Trivia[]
- As an Elf turned to Darkness by the One Ring and planning to overthrow Sauron as a supposed "Bright" Lord to his Dark Lord, Celebrimbor is, in essence, the embodiment of everything Galadriel feared turning into, and indeed what she nearly became when offered the One Ring by Frodo Baggins.
- His being an excellent Elven blacksmith who forged items of great power coveted by a Dark Lord and then went mad in his attempts to reclaim those same artifacts, is all quite similar to the story of his grandfather, Feanor, who like Celebrimbor is one of the few Elves in the mythos to qualify as a villain.
- In Shadow of War, one of the ways for Talion to finish off an Uruk has Celebrimbor's form materializing and killing the Uruk with a ghostly apparition of his smithing hammer in a manner identical to how Sauron killed him.
- His voice actor also voiced Alfred Pennyworth in The Batman. This is an interesting coincidence, as Talion (who Celebrimbor aids and works with), voiced Batman in Batman: The Telltale Series.
- The only reason Celebrimbor's rebellion ended in failure was due to the One Ring forsaking him at a critical point and returning to its true master. In the biggest twist of irony, this feat was only possible due to Celebrimbor's earlier modifications on the ring in order to give it "a will of its own". If the elf lord had not modified the One Ring to include this ability then it could well be possible that he would have succeeded in his rebellion.
- It is possible that Talion and Celebrimbor truly considered each other friends and brothers in arms given their connection and similar pasts. This can be evidenced in Shadow of War where if the player decides to pursue the lost Gondorian artifacts the two would at times banter and joke with each other.
- Alastair Duncan and Troy Baker would work together again in 2018's God of War.
See Also[]
Navigation[]