The new teaser trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power‘s second season hints that Sauron’s legendary stronghold, Barad-dûr, will make an appearance. So, is Barad-dûr really in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2?
Is Barad-dûr in The Rings of Power: Season 2?
We can’t say for certain yet – but it sure looks that way. If nothing else, the spiky structure in The Rings of Power Season 2’s teaser fits Barad-dûr’s general description. It’s a dark tower situated in a shadowy realm. This aligns with J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings canon, in which Barad-dûr is located in Mordor, the land “where the shadows lie.” Of course, Tolkien also describes the part of Mordor that Barad-dûr occupies as a barren place with a gigantic active volcano in the middle. By contrast, The Rings of Power Season 2’s mystery fortress is seemingly surrounded by snow-capped mountains. So, we could be dealing with another of Middle-earth’s sinister citadels here, instead.
Then there’s the Middle-earth timeline to consider. According to The Lord of the Rings and associated works, Sauron breaks ground on Barad-dûr in 1000 SA (or 1000 years into the Second Age). His orc construction crews don’t complete the fortress until around 1600 SA. Meanwhile, The Rings of Power Season 2 depicts Sauron’s war with the Elves over the Prime Video show’s titular fingerwear, which kicks off much later, in 1693 SA. So, the timeline supports Barad-dûr’s presence in The Rings of Power‘s second season. And even if it didn’t, the show takes liberties with Tolkien’s established chronology anyway!
How Does Tolkien Describe Barad-dûr in the Lord of the Rings Books?
Tolkien’s main goal when describing Barad-dûr is seemingly to impress on readers just how massive it is. Barad-dûr is the biggest stronghold in Middle-earth during the events of The Lord of the Rings, and Tolkien never missed an opportunity to point this out. In The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo observes “wall upon wall, battlement upon battlement” during a vision of Sauron’s lair. The Two Towers‘ narration later characterizes Barad-dûr as “rising black, blacker and darker than the vast shades amid which it stood.” The same passage also notes “the cruel pinnacles and iron crown of the topmost tower of Barad-dûr,” indicating the tower has multiple turrets.
Tolkien also mentions a viewing station, “The Window of the Eye,” from which Sauron could survey Mordor. Peter Jackson’s big screen Lord of the Rings adaptations interpreted this as two giant prongs between which a literalized Eye of Sauron manifested itself. Tolkien’s writings reference Barad-dûr’s many fortified gates, as well (which differ from the surrounding realm’s entrance, the Black Gate of Mordor). Crucially, the main thing keeping all this standing is the One Ring’s power. Once that’s destroyed in The Return of the King, Barad-dûr crumbles.
