The Shocking Death in Rings of Power Was Initially Much More “Gory”

Rings of Power Season 2’s penultimate episode featured a shocking and graphic character death, with the demise of Mirdania portrayed in a less gruesome manner than originally filmed, as Amazon opted to cut the more brutal version from the final edit.

The Siege of Eregion in Rings of Power stands out as one of the most impressive TV battles since the iconic Battle of the Bastards from Game of Thrones. This epic clash delivers catapults, swordplay, trolls, archers, explosive action, and a significant amount of blood shed.

However, in Season 2 Episode 7, viewers were stunned by the tragic fate of Mirdania, Sauron’s loyal Elf companion, known for her striking resemblance to Galadriel. Throughout the episode, she remains by Sauron’s side, watching as Celebrimbor’s sanity deteriorates behind closed doors.

In a gripping turn, Celebrimbor attempts to unmask Annatar as Sauron, but Mirdania refuses to believe him. In a shocking moment, he pushes her off the high city wall, leading to her brutal murder at the hands of an Orc wielding an axe. It is revealed that Sauron had manipulated Celebrimbor into committing the act by forcing him to grab her arm.

Mirdania and Sauron in Rings of Power — Prime Video

Moments before disaster…

Initially, an extended and significantly more violent version of Mirdania’s death was filmed, but it was ultimately cut from the episode.

Vic Armstrong, the second unit director of Rings of Power, revealed to Slash Film: “We had shot a really gory sequence where she gets thrown off the castle wall, followed by the Orcs killing her.”

He continued, “Charlotte [Brändström], my director friend who helmed the scene — she’s an amazing director and a close colleague — asked for some extremely gruesome moments! So, I delivered. I filmed her being thrown from the roof, capturing the fall and the moment of impact, and then showing the orc attacking her. At one point, he was supposed to hold up her shoulder and arm while drinking her blood. However, they decided it was just too gory, which I find hard to comprehend,” he chuckled.

Brändström also mentioned the challenging conditions they faced during production, stating, “The rain, the mud, the cold, and the incredibly long nights… Everything, including us, was muddy. It was relentless.” Additionally, DP Alex Disenhof added that “the set took almost a year to build, posing an enormous logistical challenge for all of us.”

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