Summary
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerseason 2 is set to continue Sauron’s story, and in doing so will almost inevitably solve one key mystery about the franchise’s iconic Ringwraiths. The Ringwraiths, otherwise known as the Nazgûl, were some ofthe most powerful characters inThe Lord of the Rings. Standing alongside Sauron in the books and Peter Jackson films, they were originally Men, but their time bearing a Ring of Power eventually turned them into wraith-like beings.The Rings of Powerseason 2 may explore these monsters further, developing the storyline around its titular magical items.
While Peter Jackson’sLord of the Ringsfilms covered Sauron’s grab for power in the Third Age, that was not Sauron’s first attempt to rule Middle-earth, and the show televises Sauron’s previous bid for domination. As such, the show has started setting up characters on either side of the playing field - Elrond and Gil-Galad firmly oppose Sauron, while a trio of witches and a Balrog lie on Sauron’s side. Within this context,The Rings of Powerseason 2could now expand on what may be Sauron’s most important fighters, the Nazgûl.
Sauron’s Identity Fully Explained: All Your Questions Answered
Sauron’s identity has been a running theme throughout Amazon’s The Rings of Power. Here are all your questions answered after the season 1 finale.
The Rings Of Power Season 2’s Timeline Has To Include The Nine Kings Of Men
The Ringwraiths Originate Around The Time of Season 2
More rings will be forged in season 2, and Sauron canonically gave nine of these to the Men that became the Nazgûl. AsThe Rings of Powerseason 1 ending explained, one of season 1’s main characters, Halbrand, was actually Sauron. Sauron is now “maneuvering out in the open”, in the words of showrunner Patrick McKay toThe Hollywood Reporter. This sets up season 2 to be the season where Sauron will exit whatever period of repentance he may have been entertaining and move head-on into rising to power. This storyline could, in turn, show the origins of the Nazgûl.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerwill air on August 13, 2025.
If the show introduced the Ringwraiths in season 2, it would fit withthe Second Age timeline. The show already revealed the three Rings of Power that the Elves possess, although these were made last out of all the rings in canon. It’s clear from the season 2 trailer that season 2 will show the forging of more Rings of Power, which in lore was followed by the forging of the One Ring. In line with the chronology of the books,season 2 could show Sauron giving nine of these rings to the Men that will eventually become the Ringwraiths.
The Rings Of Power Can’t Avoid Identifying The Nazgûl
The Rings of Power Season 2 Will Explore The Rings In More Detail
It wouldn’t logically work for the show to bring in the Rings of Power without revealing the identities of its bearers. However, the Ringwraiths were largely shrouded in mystery in author J.R.R. Tolkien’s fictional world of Middle-earth. It is known that some rings were given to Númenóreans and one was given to an Easterling, Khamûl. Other than this, the only identification given was one of the Ringwraiths being the Witch-king of Angmar.The Rings of Powerseason 2 will showSauron’s plan for the ringsunfolding over multiple episodes, so it will likely tackle this mystery.
In season 2, Sauron will likely bring war to the Elves over the Rings of Power, as per the story in lore and some of the scenes in the trailer. Although it is unconfirmed how Adar factors into this, season 2 will probably tie the villains’ storylines together to get Sauron an Orc army with which to fight the Elves.The show will find it hard to dive deeper into Sauron’s strategy around the rings, showing his army and team in detail, without showing which nine Men get given the Rings of Powerand become the Ringwraiths.
Why The Rings Of Power Revealing The Nazgûl Identities Doesn’t Break Canon
Exploring The Nazgûl Could Work For The Show
There are a few reasons why it wouldn’t break canon or conflict with the themes or values of the books to solve the mystery of the Nazgûls’ identities. There are some points of his legendarium that Tolkien left deliberately enigmatic, such asthe character Tom Bombadil. However, Tolkien didn’t go into too much detail about the individuals on Sauron’s side, as the stories were told from the perspectives of his opponents. So,in showing the Ringwraiths’ origins,The Rings of Powerseason 2 would just be filling in gaps, taking advantage of multiple seasons to tell a more detailed story.
…the Ringwraiths were key to Sauron’s strategy andTheLord of the Ringsstory, soRings of Powerseason 2 has a good case for introducing them.
Tolkien already provided some information about the Nazgûls’ identities, proving that they weren’t supposed to be tabooor secret. They just weren’t a driving point of the narrative and it therefore wasn’t necessary to reveal them. As to what could be called Sauron’s “cabinet”, the Ringwraiths were key to Sauron’s strategy andTheLord of the Ringsstory, soRings of Powerseason 2 has a good case for introducing them. Someoriginal characters inThe Rings of Powerhave worked better than others, but this is an example of how the show could create lore-friendly new characters.
The Rings of Powercould introduce original characters that will be transformed into the Ringwraithsover a few episodes, but it is also possible that the show already debuted those who will become them. There are already a fewRings of Powercharacters that could become a Ringwraith. Theo, for instance, is harboring some kind of darkness, as evidenced by his attraction to Sauron’s sword hilt. Pharazôn’s son,Kemen, is another candidate, as a Númenórean seeking more power ahead ofThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerseason 2.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Cast
Set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power explores the forging of the iconic rings, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, and the epic events leading up to the stories in J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novels. The series chronicles the creation of legendary characters and the historic alliances and rivalries that shape the fate of Middle-earth.
