Diksha Sundriyal
Prime Video’s ‘The Rings of Power’ presents a bunch of complicated characters, not all of whom can be categorized as the good or bad side. There are times when we root for the bad guy and dislike the ones fighting for the good side. In the midst of all this confusion and chaos, if there is one character who has unanimously won hearts, it is Berek, Isildur’s horse. The second season puts both Isildur and Berek in very treacherous situations, and there are times when it feels like they might not survive the situation. Luckily, things haven’t gotten so bad so far. SPOILERS AHEAD
Berek and Isildur’s Connection is Stronger and More Important Than It Appears
Berek is introduced in the first season of ‘The Rings of Power,’ where Isildur, returning from the sea, is more excited to greet him than his own sister. While it is meant as a jest at the time, each further step in their journey proves that Isildur shares a strong bond with Berek. The Numenorean and his horse ride into battle when it comes to Middle-Earth. In one scene, when Berek is injured, Isildur’s father tells him that a horse experiences more pain from the pain of his rider than his own.
This also serves as a reference to the importance of the bond between a horse and his rider in Tolkien’s lore, something that we also see with Isildur’s descendant, Aragorn, and his horses. This theory is confirmed in the final episode when Isildur is lost following the eruption of Mount Doom. Everyone believes he is dead, and the Numenoreans prepare to go back home, but Berek refuses to leave. Isildur’s father believes that this is the horse’s way of showing his grief, but in reality, Berek knows that his rider is still alive and can’t bear to abandon him.
The second season further adds to this strong connection between Berek and Isildur. The horse rides into the dangerous land, now occupied by Orcs, and has to fight all sorts of dangers while finding a way back to Isildur, who is held captive by the giant spider, reminiscent of Shelob from ‘Lord of the Rings.’ Putting his own life at risk, Berek does everything he can to save his rider and eventually succeeds in freeing Isildur. The duo then flees the cursed lands of Mordor to head back to safety. However, trouble surfaces soon after when they are attacked by a group of Wildmen, who take away Berek.
Considering that Berek traveled such a long distance and put himself through so much trouble to save Isildur, it only makes sense that his rider would also do anything to save him. However, unlike Berek, Isildur needs help, and he gets it from Theo, who offers to accompany him to the forest, find the Wildmen, and sneak Berek away from them. The plan is simple. Being outnumbered, Isildur and Theo don’t want to attract too much attention, so they have to quietly get Berek away from the encampment while the Wildmen are busy talking around the fire.
Despite his efforts to keep it as silent as possible, Isildur attracts attention when one of the Wildmen hears something untoward and alerts the rest of his group. This is when Theo walks in, taking away the attention from Isildur and distracting the Wildmen long enough for Isildur to free Berek and ride away with him. Unfortunately, Theo himself is taken captive, and Isildur is forced to go back for him. He discovers all the Wildmen gone, along with Theo. He is also smart enough to know he cannot look for the boy himself, so he returns to base.
When he comes back into the forest, it is with Arondir and a group of men. Berek, however, is not by his side. In fact, throughout the search for Theo, Isildur keeps Berek away from harm’s way by keeping him safely tied up in the stables rather than taking him into uncharted waters. So, for all intents and purposes, Berek is completely safe and sound, even though his rider is almost eaten by a mud monster and crushed by the Ents.
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