As the Firstborn Children of Ilúvatar, Elves were the most graceful race in Lord of the Rings. They were beautiful, wise and could be fierce when necessary. And during the First Age, the Elves fought against the power of Morgoth, as Elves like Fingolfin, Fëanor and Eärendil became figures of legend and helped shape the history of Middle-earth. Even as late as the Third Age, the Elves Elrond and Galadriel played key parts in the War of the Ring. One Elf, however, never got enough attention they deserved: Ciridan the Shipwright.
There’s one thing about Ciridan that made him physically stand out from everyone around him. Unlike every other Elf in Middle-earth, he had a beard. No reason was ever given for why he alone could grow facial hair, but it was the perfect visual reflection of his age and wisdom. Here’s a quick look at Ciridan the bearded Elf.
Originally born as Nowë, Ciridan was a Teleri -- a division of Elves that came to Valinor much later than the other two groups -- though Ciridan never made it to Valinor, opting to stay in Middle-earth and become a skilled shipwright. Thus, he gained the name Ciridan, which meant shipwright in the Elvish language of Sindarin. During the First Age, Thingol became High King of the Sindar, while Ciridan was Lord of the seafaring Falathrim Elves.
The chaotic First Age lasted 590 years as Morgoth warred against the Elves and the other peoples of Middle-earth. During those years, and during the War of Wrath, most of the oldest and strongest Elves met their demise. So, as the Second Age began, only a few great Elves remained: Celebrimbor, Gil-galad Galadriel, Elrond and Ciridan. They each took a realm to rule over, and they will each likely play a key part in Prime Video's upcoming The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Out of those Elves, though, Ciridan will play an especially significant role. As his beard made clear, he was easily the oldest Elf alive in Middle-earth, and he will likely take on the role of wise sage in the series. He could even serve as this series’ Gandalf figure, which would make perfect sense because Ciridan was known among the Elves as having a special gift for wisdom and foresight. As such, he, along with Gil-galad and Galadriel, received the three Elvish Rings of Power.
Although Gandalf was the last to arrive, Ciridan’s foresight allowed him to see that the grey wizard would play the largest part in defeating Sauron, so he gave his ring, Narya, to Gandalf to use in his fight against evil. And after Sauron was defeated, all of the Ring Bearers went to Valinor on one of Ciridan's Elvish ships, only for the elder Elf to stay behind to continue overseeing the departure. Eventually, Ciridan did get to depart Middle-earth, being on the last Elvish ship to set sail for Valinor.