Mithril and its “powers” are undoubtedly two of the most controversial aspects of The Rings of Power, as they have effectively rewritten the Tolkien canon. According to the screenwriters, this mineral contains the light of a Silmaril within it and is capable of saving the elves from decline.

This story is completely out of place and far removed from what Mithril actually represents in Tolkien’s works. This series has taken an absurd poetic license that deserves to be analyzed and clarified in all its aspects.

And we will do so in this new special, where we will deconstruct the story written by the screenwriters and simultaneously recount the reality of the matter.

Mithril in The Rings of Power

The Legend in Episode 5

During the fifth episode of The Rings of Power, an apocryphal legend is told, according to which an elven warrior with a heart as pure as Manwe’s (the leader of the Valar) fought against a Balrog to defend a tree in the misty mountains.

The warrior would have infused all his light into the tree to protect it, while the Balrog would have poured all his hatred to destroy it. However, the two fighters were not just clashing to protect this tree, but rather because the last Silmaril was hidden inside it.

During the battle, a lightning bolt struck the tree, forging a power through the strength of the combat between the elf and the Balrog. This phantom power nestled in the mountain’s soil, waiting to be discovered for centuries.

Moreover, this power would have created a mineral capable of containing the light of the lost Silmaril. This mineral is none other than Mithril, the only thing capable of preventing the decline of the elves due to its power. Even Celebrimbor advocates this theory expressed by Gil-galad to a skeptical Elrond, adding that objects made with Mithril could “saturate” the elves with a light similar to that of the Valar and Valinor, thus avoiding their decline.

Obviously, there is no such story in the texts. It was completely invented, disrupting the Tolkien canon, and now we will understand why.

What is a Silmaril?

Silmarils are gems created by Feanor, the greatest craftsman in elven history. Their beauty and light were so great that even the Valar envied them. The story of these jewels is fully recounted in The Silmarillion, although we will not go through it all here.

For now, we will focus only on their ultimate disappearance from Arda. The first Silmaril remained in the possession of Eärendil, illuminating the world with its light and becoming the brightest star for the elves. He never returned to land but remained in the sky until the end of time. If you want to know more, we have discussed it here.

The other two Silmarils were stolen by Maedhros and Maglor, the sons of Feanor. However, these jewels were so bright and powerful that they burned the flesh they came into contact with. Both elves suffered this fate. Maedhros, in agony from the Silmaril’s intense pain, threw himself along with the jewel into a fiery chasm, while Maglor cast the other into the sea.

So, as you can see, no Silmaril was enclosed within a tree. And, above all, no Silmaril is directly linked to the creation of Mithril. It is certainly possible to channel the light of a Silmaril into an object (Galadriel does so with the light of Eärendil, as she “traps” it in the water of her mirror), but not in the case of Mithril, as Tolkien never even hinted at it.

Mithril in the Texts

What Tolkien says about Mithril is fundamentally different from what we saw in The Rings of Power. It is true, as stated in the series, that Mithril was a highly sought-after mineral for its perpetual and enduring luster, but it never had healing powers or any direct connection to the Silmarils.

Mithril is simply a very rare mineral, beautiful to behold, precious, and particularly effective for the purposes it was intended for (we all remember the chainmail shirt given by Bilbo and Frodo). But its role does not go beyond that—it is merely an object.

The Decline of the Elves

As we know, elves are beings who do not die of old age like men but can lose their lives for other reasons. Firstly, there is violent death, and secondly, a sort of “existential malaise” caused by the distance from the light of Valinor.

The Rings of Power emphasizes this aspect, as we see some elves leave Middle-earth to reach the Blessed Realm, where they can fully experience the gift of immortality without feeling the weight of time and the “existential malaise.”

This is a fundamental element of the elven character in Tolkien’s work, as it is the only possible solution to prevent their fading away (remember Arwen?). As you can understand for yourself, the issue of Mithril and the “salvation of the elves” is precisely this.

Tolkien has already provided his solution to save the elves from decline; there was no need to create this foolish construct of Mithril. Valinor is a special place for these creatures, and its light and power could never be replaced by an object or any mineral (perhaps not even by the Silmarils).

This construct diminishes and rewrites the significance of Valinor, trivializing the spiritual aspect behind the elven race. In short, it is an unfortunate choice that seriously raises doubts about the future of The Rings of Power. The screenwriters have gotten themselves into a tunnel from which it will be extremely difficult to emerge without further blunders.