Narsil and its Lord of the Rings history, explained – Why Elendil's new sword in The Rings of Power season 2 is more important than you may realize

(Image credit: Prime Video)

There aren't too many swords in The Lord of the Rings that can elicit as much excitement as Narsil.

Of course, in the Third Age, we know a certain future King of Gondor will use it to help save Middle-earth, but the weapon has a surprisingly deep, significant history before then – and it appears it's all getting set in motion with Miriel's gift to Elendil during The Rings of Power season 2 ending.

Below, we'll run through exactly why Narsil matters, its significance in the Second Age – and what it means for the immediate future of Prime Video's Lord of the Rings series.

Be warned, some 'spoilers' (if you can call decades-old Tolkien stories and histories that) for The Rings of Power season 2 and Lord of the Rings follow. You have been warned.

What is Narsil?

Viggo Mortensen in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King — (Image credit: New Line Cinema)

Simply put, Narsil is a sword that, years after the events of the current season of The Rings of Power, would be wielded by Isildur (yes, that Isildur) to help defeat Sauron for the first time during the War of the Last Alliance.

There, Isildur – who, lest we forget, is the son of Elendil – cuts Sauron's hand while he is wearing The One Ring. That causes the Dark Lord to lose all physical form and, instead, emerge as a more corporeal being in the Third Age (as seen in the Fellowship of the Ring's prologue).

Owing to that act, Narsil is broken and is given the fitting moniker of the Sword that Was Broken. Its shards are later put together again, with the sword re-christened as Anduril. It is then taken into battle and used by Elendil and Isildur's ancestor Aragorn at Mordor's Black Gate – the final stand of Sauron's forces.

Will Narsil be used in The Rings of Power?

Right now, all that's been seen of Narsil is when Miriel gifts it to Elendil during The Rings of Power season 2 finale.

"My place is here," Miriel tells her former captain. Once it becomes clear she won't be leaving Numenor with Elendil, she bestows upon him a familiar looking sword.

"It is called Narsil," Miriel says. "The White Flame," Elendil responds, who takes the sword out of its scabbard to examine it.

Miriel then tells Elendil to "reclaim his lordship" (the ex-Sea Guard has been branded a traitor after Pharazon's decree) and, with Narsil, "his destiny" too.

Later, Miriel is shown in chains and Elendil is seen riding away from a burning Numenor – but what's next?

While we can only speculate at this juncture, Narsil should have a major impact going forward in The Rings of Power season 3 and beyond.

Given that The Rings of Power is aiming for five seasons, we wouldn't be shocked to see the War of the Last Alliance form a significant part of the fifth and final season. If that's the case, the journey of Narsil should take us from Elendil's hip, through to his likely ascension, the founding of Gondor, and its use by Isildur on Sauron on the battlefield.

For more, check out our picks for the best shows on Prime Video.

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.