Warning: spoilers ahead for The Rings of Power episode 5The Elves should be immortal, so why are they fading away in J.R.R. Tolkien's Elves don't age beyond their prime years and never fall sick. Compared to the race of Men, Elves are immortal. In The Rings of Power episode 5, however, Gil-galad and Celebrimbor reveal their entire race is fading away. The decay of Lindon's trees reflects an "inner reality" which Gil-galad describes as the "light of the Eldar fading." If this blight isn't halted, Middle-earth's Elves will diminish completely, and The Rings of Power presents this fate as tantamount to dying.
As far as The Rings of Power's lore is concerned, every Elf contains the light of Valinor within them. Over many centuries, this blessed illumination fades away and, if allowed to extinguish, the Elves will fade along with it. Fortunately, the process can be reversed by reconnecting with the light of Valinor. Sailing back to the Undying Lands would presumably do the trick, but Gil-galad and Celebrimbor believe mithril can work just as well. They claim the Dwarves' recently-discovered mineral was accidentally created by the light from a Silmaril, and since the Silmarils contain essence from the Two Trees of Valinor, mithril can fix the Elves.
How The Rings Of Power's "Fading" Compares To The Lord Of The Rings
The Elves gradually fading away is not a new concept to Middle-earth to the Undying Lands, however, the Elves' hröa would age "apace with the fëar," thereby restoring their immortality. The Elves' fading is said to be a consequence of the darkness Morgoth brought to the realm.
The Rings of Power borrows the basic elements of Elves fading away and Valinor offering the path to salvation, but embellishes the rest. Elves containing a literal light from Valinor and needing to top themselves up every few thousand years is largely original to The Rings of Power, as is the story of mithril being forged from the light of a Silmaril.
Is The Rings Of Power's "Fading" Story REALLY True?
The mithril origin story and prophecy of the Elves' doom in The Rings of Power episode 5 represents a wild expansion of J.R.R. Tolkien's original lore - but is it genuine? In Tolkien's Middle-earth mythology, Sauron disguises himself as "Annatar" and infiltrates the Elves, convincing Celebrimbor and the smiths of Eregion to craft the Rings of Power. Neither Sauron nor Annatar have shown themselves explicitly in The Rings of Power yet, but it's possible the Dark Lord is already in Eregion and making his presence felt from the shadows.
Sauron would know about the Elves' fading problem, but perhaps he embellished this shocking truth with fanciful claims about a Silmaril's light acting as the cure. Maybe Sauron needs mithril for his Rings of Power master plan to succeed, so concocted a bogus story about the mineral restoring Elves' immortality to deceive Celebrimbor, thus ensuring Gil-galad and Elrond would strike a deal with Moria for vast quantities of the precious commodity. The Rings of Power may eventually reveal that mithril really is just a naturally-forming super-ore, and the only way Elves can stop themselves fading is by returning to the shores of Valinor.
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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power continues Thursday/Friday on Prime Video.