10 Biggest Reveals in Rings of Power Season 2

This article contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power really started to tell his story in season 2, solving many mysteries from season 1. The show is keen on mystery box storytelling, since season 1 teased Sauron’s true identity, dropping hints that he might be one of the original characters on display . After hinting that everyone from the Stranger or Halbrand to Adar or Dilly Brandyfoot was Sauron, the show finally confirmed in the season 1 finale that Halbrand was the right answer. Season 2 opened several mystery boxes of its own and dropped many other bombs.

As an adaptation of high fantasy master JRR Tolkien’s second-age material, the show is addressing The Silmarillion Stories, although it only has the right to The Hobbit And The Lord of the Rings novel and appendices. Fortunately, rights did not present an issue, with the Tolkien Estate approving the show’s use of various elements from other works. For lifelong Tolkien fans and newcomers to the legendary, alike, Rings of power Season 2 has some jaw-dropping Second Age moments. These include victorious canon arcs but also reveals of surprising and powerful original material.

10

Sauron poisoned 13 elves in the first orcs

Morgoth made Adar in one of the Moriondor

in The rings of power Season 2, Episode 1, Adar finishes the Moriondor tale he started telling in Season 1’s Episode 6. In Season 1, Episode 6, Adar was Galadriel’s prisoner and confirmed that he was a Moriondor – One of the first Uruk, an elf twisted into an orc by Morgoth in the First Age. This Lord of the Rings Orc origin story is pulled from The Silmarillion But did not elaborate on the exact process Morgoth used or how many Moriondor there were. However, season 2 set the mystery aside with its completely original Moriondor mythos.

The tables turned for Adar by season 2. No longer the prisoner, he held Halbrand prisoner and told him that he was once bound the way Halbrand was. Adar reveals himself as one of 13 Moriondor – Morgoth bargained with 13 elvesOffer them each something in return for their “New birth.“They were bound and starved on a”Dark and dark top“Before Sauron gave them wine that transformed them. The story doesn’t break canon, but creates an ocean of implications, the bottom of which fans and fanfiction writers probably won’t reach for years.

9

Sauron is a black tentacle monster

Sauron is a black ringing mass while building a body

Of course, one of Rings of power Season 2’s biggest reveal has to be its explicit detailing of Sauron’s shapeshifting process. Tolkien readers will likely be aware of Sauron’s canonical creation and regenerative ability, which was well documented in The Silmarillion. In this collection of stories, Sauron assumed his beautiful form, Annatar, and also a terrible form of “Evil and hatred made visible.“Even more fascinating, The Lay of Leitian Saw Sauron shift fluidly Among different forms, including a vampire, a werewolf, and a mysterious demon form.

Like the Moriondor transformation, Sauron’s shapeshifting was a process that The rings of power Revel in clarifying. The choice to adopt enigmatic magic instead of adding more mundane material like dialogue did not sit well with everyone, but it provided thought-provoking, creative and unforgettable images. After Adar killed Sauron in the flashback in season 2, episode 1, Sauron’s spirit spent what seemed like centuries animating his thick, black blood. Sauron’s black owl shape gradually grew bigger and more tactile by catching and consuming prey. Finally, after catching and ingesting a human, Sauron is able to assume his halfling form.

8

Morgoth’s crown is a powerful weapon

Not even Sauron could survive being stabbed by Morgoth’s crown

One of the best reveals of The rings of power Season 2 revealed that Morgoth’s crown was not only historical regalia but one of the most powerful weapons in Middle-earth. At first glance, Morgoth’s Crown was a highlight of season 2 As a glorious adaptation of The Silmarillion Artifact tackled by Lúthien and Beren in what may be the legendary’s best story. Visually, this was a treat of a Tolkien bone to throw to hungry fans, but the true value of the crown shone through as a plot device.

In the opening flashback of season 2, episode 1, Adar betrayed Sauron at his coronationstabbing him in the back with Morgoth’s pointed crown. One would have thought that as one of the 15 Valar, the least Morgoth could have afforded was a uniform without fatal design flaws. But in an intriguing twist of the showrunners’ invention, the crown was loaded with enough mogul magic to destroy the body of even Morgoth’s second-in-command.

7

Adar can turn back into an elf

Ring of Power Nenia could have saved Adar

No one expected to see the monstrous Adar with all his disfigurement healed, making this a huge reveal in season 2. An original invention of the show, Adar’s half-elf, half-orc appearance was illustrative of Morgoth’s inability to truly create new life. This was thematically significant, as trying to extend life beyond what was naturally available was Tolkien’s key issue in The Lord of the Rings. Regardless, Adar’s torn face matched his anger to a tee.

After taking one of the three magical elven rings, Nenia, from Elrond, Adar put it on and quickly discovered its power to heal and combat the diseases of time. miracle The ring reversed the effects of Morgoth’s Elf-Uruk surgery. If the Elven Rings have the power to undo what Tolkien once described as Morgoth’s most unfortunate act, it puts their power during The Lord of the Rings In perspective. This also makes the level of accomplishment of Sauron and Celebrimbor in their forging abundantly clear.

6

Bronwyn is dead

Bronwyn did not survive the injuries of Season 1

Bronwyn was a huge character in The rings of power season 1, so the confirmation of her death in season 2 was a massive reveal. Bronwyn’s time on the show was cut short By her actress, Nazanin Boniadi, exiting the show. Focusing on other projects, Boniadi left Theo without a mother and Arondir without a romance on the show. After some time to say goodbye to Bronwyn’s important character would have been ideal.

However, the Southlands arc ended anyway in season 1. Since Adar successfully turned the Southlands into Mordor near the end of season 1, The actual role of ​​the Southlanders in the show has already finished at the beginning of season 2. That’s why Boniadi’s exit wasn’t as hard a blow to the show as it could have been.

5

Adar was a good man after all

Adar and Galadriel could have been friends

Adar was given some of the show’s best character development, and his disturbing moral ambivalence slowly wore away from him. In Season 2, Episode 6, Adar negotiated with half-respectShowing perhaps more diplomacy than Galadriel herself. But he was still angry and cynical until now The rings of power Season 2 finale. Then Adar finally heard what everyone was trying to tell him in his error and hypocrisy. Discarding all lies, he opened up to Galadriel and offered true equality and partnership.

His arc complete, it was symbolic poetry that Adar turned to reveal a pure and youthful Elvish faceHealed by wearing Galadriel’s Ring of Power. In giving up the addictive ring to Galadriel, Adar not only gave his one chance of a normal life, but did what no other character showed himself to be able to do, making him season 2’s shock hero and a truly devastating character death. Adar will be missed in season 3.

4

Durin G sacrificed himself to bury the Balrog

The train of the Balrog Durin earned its name

The Balrog was just one brilliantly divisive moment in The rings of power season 1, and it was used in season 2, in Durin’s story, to great effect. Durin III is a Tolkien character outlined in “The Lord of the Rings” Appendices and watching him develop with his son, Durin Eve, was very endearing and dramatic. Durin III was awarded one of the Dwarves’ Rings of Power by Sauron, and it slowly corrupted him throughout the season. The dwarves are hardy creatures And were much more resistant to the rings than people.

While they never fully submitted to Sauron’s control like the Ringwraiths, Dwarves were perverted in greed. The ring’s hold on Durin interrupted an already floundering relationship with his son. So, when Durin III catastrophically honored the BalrogAnd then immediately redeeming himself by attacking it to protect his son, it was a tragic but satisfying payoff. Burying the Balrag also explained how it could happen that it would never be discovered until the third age.

3

Tom Bombadil lives in Rhûn and trained Gandalf

Tom Bombadil vs. Sauron

Tom Bombadil, in general, was one of the best Tolkien characters of all time. The rings of power Season 2. Not only was Tom adapted for the screen for the first time in history, but he was also given a controversial, non-canonical storyline. Tom is not mentioned in Second Age stories in Tolkien’s books. In season 2, Tom was living in Rhûnwhich was far from his home The Lord of the Rings – The old forest. Tom Bombadil didn’t want to let the old forest in The Lord of the Rings.

Although he may not have always been this way, as Gandalf suggests in the book. In another original step, Tom Bombadil met the stranger In season 2, who was Gandalf. Although he avoids getting involved in war in the book, Bombadil goes out of his way to support Gandalf in his opposition to Sauron in the show. Bombadil’s pacifism symbolism was one enjoyable facet of his character. However, he also saved the hobbits from Barrow-wights and then armed them, proving that the show’s version of the character was justified.

2

Sauron can shapeshift into Galadriel

In theory, Sauron could shift into anyone

Sauron’s regeneration abilities were documented in the first episode of season 2, and he was shaped from Halbrand in Annatar in episode 2, but the real reveal came when he morphed into Galadriel in episode 8. Sauron was right to point out that he and Galadriel had several things in commonWhat drove their compelling relationship in seasons 1 and 2. But he was wrong to assume that taunting her with previous conversations would sway her to his side, indicating one of his most fatal flaws – a certain lack of empathy and understanding of other hearts.

For example, Sauron would have guarded the Cracks of Doom if he thought that anyone could resist and destroy the One Ring. Tolkien’s books did not say anything about Sauron’s closet shift in exact imitation from other people. However, like the vast majority of the show’s original material, this idea didn’t break canon, it embellished it. Sauron’s gender-bending doppelgänger moment was brilliant, mind-boggling, and made sense thematically. Sauron knows every corner of Galadriel’s body is somewhere between creepy and inspired, considering their strange mutual obsession.

1

The stranger is Gandalf

The identity of the stranger is finally revealed

Finally crushing the biggest mystery box of season 2, the last episode finally revealed that the stranger is Gandalf, as many have guessed a long time ago. The penny dropped beyond all doubt when he vocalized “big eleven,“ Repeat the store’s nickname for him out loud. Not long after, he confirmed to Tom Bombadil that he realized his name was Gandalf. The show’s smart move to leave the stranger’s identity revealed until the season 2 finale allowed the previous episodes to give Celebrimbor the focus he deserved.

This revelation takes the stranger’s role in the show from lighthearted fun to powerfully significantWith the opportunity to impact Tolkien’s world forever. Gandalf’s presence in the show creates a strong symmetry to Sauron, confirming that Rings of power is more of a dark revenge story or a villainous origin story that panders to contemporary expectations. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is a story that pits darkness against light in a beautiful face-off, exploring the past of beloved characters while creating new characters to love.