In Peter Jackson’s The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring, they had a Cave-troll. In the opening episode of The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power Season 1, Galadriel battled a Snow-troll, making short work of her chilly foe. And now, in Season 2, a fresh brute will be making its entrance into Middle-earth – ready to deal out serious damage with its significant stature and grouchy demeanour. Get ready for Damrod the Hill-troll, stomping his way into J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay’s epic fantasy saga.
Like his fellow Cave- and Snow- trolls, the Hill-troll is not to be messed with. In fact, McKay refers to Damrod as the “eater of dragon bones” – a diet that few in Middle-earth could stomach. He’ll be voiced by Benjamin Walker, and joins the throng of the nefarious Adar, the ‘Father Of Orcs’ (a part played by Joseph Mawle in Season 1; he’s replaced in Season 2 by Samuel Hazeldine), bolstering the ranks of darkness that Sauron is fostering amid his rise to power. But inspiration for Damrod came from an unlikely place. “[He] was inspired in part by Mike Ehrmantraut in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul,” says McKay, “if you look at the way he moves and his casual sense of strength.” Sounds like this troll will be even grumpier than the usual kind.
Get ready, then, for casual carnage courtesy of Damrod in The Rings Of Power Season 2. Now, start the brainstorm for what kind of Middle-earthian troll we could encounter in Season 3.
Read Empire's full The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power Season 2 feature – going on set, and speaking to showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay; stars Charlie Vickers, Morfydd Clark, Sophia Nomvete, and Daniel Weyman; director Charlotte Brändström, and more – in the August 2024 issue, on sale Thursday 4 July. Pre-order a copy now – choose the Galadriel cover, or the Sauron cover. The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power Season 2 comes to Prime Video from 29 August.