I don’t think it can possibly be overestimated how fucking important Celeborn would have been in second age politics, specifically to Gil-galad. I don’t think I see this pointed out enough, and I don’t think it’s possible for it to be pointed out enough.
The fall of Doriath left three (or two, depending on how old you think Thranduil is, either way he was probably a small child if he had been born yet) Sindarin princes alive. Assuming Elmo, Galadhon, and Galathil died in the dwarven invasion or second kinslaying (which they probably did, we never hear anything about them afterward), that takes total princes of the Sindar from nine (or eight) to three (or two).
During the second age, Oropher and Thranduil bugger off and live in their little isolationist forest kingdom. That leaves Celeborn.
See, Celeborn married Galadriel, a lady of the Noldor (despite being only a quarter Noldor but I digress). Galadriel is one of the few remaining Noldor royals in the east (the rest are Elrond and Gil-galad). So, Celeborn, our final free agent prince of the Sindar, is kind of entangled with the Noldor. And over time, I think it becomes obvious that Celeborn is far more involved with Noldorin politics than anything else.
He’s present for the fall of Eregion (most troops in this conflict were either from Eregion or sent by Gil-galad under Elrond’s command), then the founding and first siege of Rivendell. He lives in areas controlled by the Noldor (Eregion/Rivendell specifically), and theoretically is kind of played about with by Gil-galad, who one hundred percent sees the advantage in what he brings to the table.
And nowhere, I think, is Celeborn’s ancestry more important than during the siege of Barad-dûr. Make up your own mind about whether or not Celeborn was there, but Gil-galad would have been a fucking idiot not to bring him.
Let’s get into it. There are three elven kings commanding troops in the Last Alliance- Oropher, Amdír, Gil-galad. Oropher is characteristically ornery and gets himself and a fuck-ton of other people killed at the Battle of Dagorlad (this is the origin of the Dead Marshes) because he doesn’t listen to Gil-galad (for anti-Noldor reasons). Amdír dies during the siege, theoretically pretty early on.
This leaves Gil-galad with a fuck ton of Sindar and Sylvan soldiers who I cannot see being particularly inclined to listen to him. So what’s the best move? Thranduil and Amroth (who are both stupid AF, ngl- Thranduil is hot-headed and loyal to Oropher and one hundred percent not listening to Gil-galad, and everything to do with Amroth’s life and times is just stupid, I’m sorry, I just can’t get over how dumb it is), are now in charge of their peoples, but how effective are they going to be? Neither of them are super loyal to Gil-galad, and both are grief stricken and likely rather volatile for that reason.
What’s the move? Celeborn. Celeborn is the ace up Gil-galad’s sleeve here. He puts Celeborn in charge of liaisoning with Thranduil and Amroth’s armies. Because they will listen to Celeborn, the last prince of the Sindar. And Celeborn is loyal to Gil-galad as much as he’s loyal to either of them. Because of Eregion, because of Rivendell, because of Elrond and Galadriel.
Gil-galad never has a problem like Oropher going off mavericking in the Dagorlad again. Because Celeborn has his back. Just more reasons why Celeborn is the bestest most underrated character in the legendarium.
