The Season 2 trailer hints at a number of major events at once.
Amazon recently released a teaser trailer for the second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The series returns to our screens on August 29, but in the meantime, here’s a look at what’s in store for viewers in this new chapter of the epic saga.
The following text contains spoilers for upcoming events in Season 2.
The Detailed Story of Annatar, the Lord of Gifts
In the teaser, we see a slightly altered Sauron – he has grown elven ears and turned blond. According to The Silmarillion, Sauron took the form of the elf Annatar, a messenger of the Valar, in order to gain the trust of the elves of Eregion, share his “wisdom” with the elven smiths led by Celebrimbor, and forge those very rings with their hands.
And, of course, secretly imbuing the resulting jewelry with properties hidden from the forge, such as the enslavement of the wearer’s will by Sauron himself. Judging by the trailer, the Sauron/Annatar/Celebrimbor arc will be central to the second season.
The Creation of The One Ring
The trailer suggests that the amount of magical jewelry in Middle-earth will increase dramatically in Season 2. Three Elven rings were forged in the Season 1 finale, and in the Season 2 trailer we see the wearers of these rings comparing their new attire.
In another shot, we see the Dwarf King Durin III admiring a ring with a huge blue gem – most likely one of the Seven Dwarf Rings. And at the very end of the trailer, Celebrimbor throws nine golden rings into the fire, clearly meant for men.
And since all 19 rings have been born, the creation of The One Ring is not far off – perhaps this event will be the end of season two.
The Beginning of the War of the Elves and Sauron
According to book canon, the elves learned of the Dark Lord’s plans to enslave all of Middle-earth and made him leave their land. In revenge, Sauron gathered a vast army of orcs in Mordor and besieged the elven city of Ost-in-Edhil, the capital of Eregion.
Thus began the eight-year war between the Elves and Sauron, a conflict in which the villain lost and was forced to forget his plans for a thousand and a half years. In the trailer, we see fiery boulders flying toward a peaceful Elven city at night. This may be just the beginning of the siege of Eregion.
The Full-Fledged Appearance of the Balrog
At the very beginning of the trailer, Durin IV warns that some ancient evil power has returned. And even though the video shows us the elven form of Sauron at that moment, the dwarven prince seems to be referring to the Balrog.
We’ve already had a glimpse of the monster sleeping in the caves beneath Khazad-Dum, and showrunner Patrick McKay promised that the demon would appear in all its glory in Season 2. It will most likely be the cause of the destruction seen in the trailer.
Al-Pharazon’s Usurpation of Power
Another shot in the trailer shows a giant eagle in the capital of Numenor.
According to the canon, giant eagles served as the executors of Manwe’s will, and three eagles watched over the happenings on the island from the top of the sacred mountain of Meneltarma in the center of Numenor.
The trailer makes it look like the eagle is supporting Ar-Pharazon, but it’s more likely the other way around. According to the books, Al-Pharazon seized power on the island and tried to declare war on the gods.
And the messenger from Manwe clearly wanted to warn him against rash actions. If the usurper in the frame drew a sword, it was probably not to protect the bird, but quite the opposite.
