The following contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 1, Episode 3 "Adar," which streams on Prime Video.
There are numerous factions in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Númenóreans, the surprisingly hated Elves, Dwarves and Orcs occupy much of the story and the land in Middle-earth. Yet the human faction is still missing the kingdom of Rohan. The home of the Horse Lords played a huge part in The Lord of the Rings, yet is so far absent from The Rings of Power. The people of the Southlands are lost and directionless -- but Halbrand may be the character to unite them and create the missing empire.
Halbrand is a mysterious character in The Rings of Power. Very little was known about him until Season 1, Episode 3 "Adar." That episode revealed that there is a darkness that lives inside Halbrand but that he is the descendant of Kings. Rohan needs a ruler and Halbrand may be that person, with a catch. He can unite the men of the South and become a strong ruler... or he could create Rohan and fall under the darkness of Mordor and Sauron.
Rohan will definitely be coming to The Rings of Power at some point. Prime Video released promotional posters that showed the Sword of Rohan, guaranteeing its involvement in the series. The only humans outside of Númenór currently exist in the Southlands. Halbrand comes from the Southlands; Galadriel reveals that his ancestors used to rule there when they served Morgoth. Halbrand is desperate for a new start and to defeat the darkness inside him. He could learn to master his dark side and decide to return to the Southlands in order to unite his people. That would be an amazing arc for the character and allow fans to see the formation of an iconic kingdom.
When the ambiguously aged Galadriel reveals that Halbrand has powerful ancestors, she shows him a badge or sigil. This sigil looks a little like a horse face, which could indicate his ancestors' mastery over horses. If people oppose Halbrand when he returns to the Southlands, he may end up banishing them from his new kingdom, which would create the hill tribes that eventually join Saruman during The Lord of the Rings. While Halbrand could lead people against Sauron, it's also possible that he becomes an antagonist based on other clues within the series.
Elendil and his followers go on to establish the kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor, which leaves Rohan as one of the last major human kingdoms. Yet it's also established a dark fate awaits the rulers of men. The Rings of Power were given to the rulers of men and turned them into Ringwraiths. Since Halbrand already has a dark side, once he begins to rule Rohan, he may be given a ring, succumb to its dark power and transform into a Wraith serving Sauron -- a fate he was desperately trying to avoid.
Halbrand is one of the most interesting characters in The Rings of Power because there is a mystery surrounding his path in Middle-earth. He may learn how to grapple with his past and move forward to become a great leader. His leadership could lead to the creation of Rohan and transforming the Southlands into a more unified empire. Yet that accomplishment may also lead to him becoming a Ringwraith and spending eternity as a slave to the darkness. The Rings of Power has many unsolved mysteries to unfold before Season 1 ends, and his fate is one of them.
New episodes of The Rings of Power stream Fridays on Prime Video.