Sauron Thinks Galadriel Is Falling for Him in ‘The Rings of Power’ Season 3, and Morfydd Clark Just Shattered the Fantasy

Few pairings in Middle-earth have sparked as much debate as Galadriel and Sauron. The Prime Video series spent two seasons building a strange, dangerous bond between the elven warrior and the Dark Lord, and fans haven’t stopped talking about it. With season 3 on the way, a new arrival has everyone wondering whether the ‘Rings of Power’ love triangle is about to get even more complicated.

The new season premieres on November 11, and it introduces Galadriel’s long-absent husband, Celeborn. Jamie Campbell Bower, best known as Vecna in ‘Stranger Things’, plays the role. With a third figure entering the picture, plenty of viewers assumed a classic love triangle was coming.

The cast has now weighed in, and Morfydd Clark’s answer was short and pointed. Speaking to SYFY Wire, Clark said, “Sauron thinks he might be in a love triangle, but he’s not.” In her view, the only person caught up in the triangle is the one who believes he is.

Charlie Vickers, who plays Sauron, backed up that reading. He said Sauron lacks a bit of self-awareness and assumes everyone wants to spend time with him and follow his plans. In reality, Vickers noted, the Dark Lord is working hard to manipulate people who simply aren’t listening.

The theory didn’t come from nowhere. In season 2, Galadriel told Sauron her mind was shut to him, yet he had offered her a crown and a kingdom, and the show kept the tension between them alive. Screen Rant argued that the series had already built a love triangle around Galadriel over two seasons, and that Celeborn’s arrival turns it into a square.

That earlier triangle involved Elrond, though Clark and the showrunners have said that a kiss between those two characters was platonic. The showrunners also leaned into the idea in an earlier talk, confirming that “a little bit of a love triangle” was a fair description of the setup with Celeborn.

Celeborn has been missing since the first season. Galadriel told Theo that she believed her husband might have been lost in the War of Wrath, because she hadn’t seen him since it ended. His return in season 3 sets up a reunion that has been years in the making.

It won’t be simple, either. Galadriel’s complicated history with Sauron, who spent season 1 disguised as Halbrand, makes the reunion especially delicate. Vickers joked that when Sauron and Celeborn meet, it will be awkward, since Sauron has been hanging out with Celeborn’s wife.

This season, One Ring to rule them all. Watch the official trailer now, then witness Season 3 beginning November 11. https://t.co/YjH5I0bCEu

— The Lord of the Rings (@TheRingsofPower) October 21, 2026

Clark’s line also says something about how the season frames the Dark Lord. Vickers noted that Sauron may not have been listening closely to Galadriel’s rejection, and that in his mind, she didn’t reject him at all. That kind of delusion fits a villain who believes his plans should be everyone’s priority.

It also matches the new direction the showrunners have promised. Sauron is no longer pretending to be someone else, and the season centers on him forging the One Ring. A Dark Lord with grand ambitions and a blind spot about his own appeal makes for a more interesting villain.

The trailer suggests Galadriel’s journey will be heavy. Empire noted that she is plagued by visions of Sauron while Middle-earth barrels toward the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. The official synopsis says she continues her evolution into the wise and powerful Lady of Lothlórien.

That is a lot of emotional weight for a character caught between a husband and a former enemy. Clark’s comment makes clear that her Galadriel isn’t entertaining Sauron’s fantasies, even if the Dark Lord thinks otherwise.

Fans have already embraced the casting of Bower as Celeborn. After a recent trailer gave a closer look, commenters called him the perfect fit, while the footage hinted at intriguing dynamics between the three characters. Even without a true love triangle, the tension between them should be a major storyline.

The season arrives in three parts, with four episodes on November 11, two on November 18 and two on November 25. By then, viewers will know exactly who is really in love, and who is only imagining it.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!