What Happens to the Elves Going to Valinor in The Rings of Power?

The first episode of Amazon Prime’s Tolkein spin-off starts more or less where the novels ended, with Elves seen traveling to their mysterious homeland. But what happens to the Elves going to Valinor in The Rings of Power? Here’s what you need to know.

What Happens to the Elves Going to Valinor in The Rings of Power?

To answer this question we first need to remind ourselves exactly what Valinor is — the Elven homeland, a peaceful, almost utopian-sounding continent where Elves live for eternity. It’s heaven for Elves, basically, where Elves go once they have completed everything they wanted to achieve in Middle Earth. Remember that Elves originally came from Valinor, traveled to Middle Earth, and then returned there once they had more or less earned their right of passage.

When we see Galadriel and her fellow Elves sailing toward the bright lights of Valinor, we’re essentially witnessing a mass death — sort of. The Elves on the boat are basically succumbing to their fates and returning to their homeland, never to be seen again. They are ascending, albeit not technically dying since they are immortal. In an interview with decider, showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay explain:

“We also think there’s something intriguing about the theme of death and deathlessness in Tolkien generally, and in the elven world. You know, the elves are immortal, but they’re only kind of immortal. They sort of have a time limit on their immortality. And to achieve it, they have to go back home, which is also sort of dying and going to heaven, and the ambiguities and layers within that were something that we embraced.”

Ultimately, Tolkein never categorically explains what happens when you reach Valinor, only that Elves who return there never return. We obviously know that the ringbearers venture there after having conquered Sauron at the conclusion of Return of the King, presumably as a reward for them having saved Middle Earth. They do not die upon arrival, however, and simply live out the rest of their days there (they are not granted any sort of immortality).

That should give you a solid overview of what happens to the Elves going to Valinor in The Rings of Power? For more handy information on the show, including how long Dwarves live, search Twinfinite or check out some of the related content listed below.