Amazon Studios The Rings of Power is here. We want all Spoilerites to have the best viewing experience possible and have the widest knowledge base about the Second Age of Middle-Earth. This is a weekly Let’s Get Nerdy article series highlighting a different piece of Tolkien I think you need to know about!
In past articles I have answered the question:
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- What Are the Rings of Power?
- What is Númenor?
- What is the Second Age?
- Who are the Harfoots?
- Who is Prince Durin IV?
- What is Khazad-dûm?
- Who is Celebrimbor?
- What is the Last Alliance of Men and Elves?
- Who is Elendil?
- New Pics! Who are Bronwyn and Theo?
- What is Rivendell?
- The Rings of Power First Reactions Are In
- What is Lindon?
- What are the Nine Human Rings?
- Empire Magazine’s The Rings of Power Covers
- New Character Pictures
- Will Wizards Appear in The Rings of Power?
- New Promo for The Rings of Power
- What is Eregion?
- Leaked! Rings of Power Trailer Breakdown
- The Rings of Power Teaser Breakdown
- New EW Rings of Power Pictures
- SDCC Rings of Power Trailer Breakdown
- Who is Isildur?
- The Rings of Power is Here! Read the Reactions
- Who is the Stranger?
- Who is Queen Míriel?
- Who is Ar-Pharazôn?
- What is the broken black blade?
- What is Mordor?
- What is Mithril?
- What are the Silmarils?
- What is Narsil?
- Who founded Númenor?
- Who is Galadriel’s Brother Finrod?
- Rings of Power Adds 15 New Cast Members for Season 2
- Who is Círdan?
- Will Celeborn Appear in The Rings of Power?
- Are Galadriel and Sauron Enemies in Book Canon?
- Who is Narvi?
- Jamie Bisping Cast as Viran
- Will the Harfoots Settle The Shire?
- What to Watch Before The Rings of Power Season 2
- Will We See More Rings in The Rings of Power Season 2?
- Will Lord Belzagar Appear in The Rings of Power Season 2?]
- Who is Diarmid?
- Will Ringwraiths appear in The Rings of Power Season 2?
- Will Gil-Galad Lead an Army in The Rings of Power Season 2?
- Is the Balrog Durin’s Bane?
- Who is Isildur’s sister Eärien?
- What is Rhûn Where Nori & The Stranger are Headed?
- Will Galadriel Go Dark in The Rings of Power Season 2?
- Where are the Southlanders Going?
- Is Durin Still a Prince?
- How Eärien will use the Palantir in The Rings of Power Season 2
- Is the Rings of Power close to canon? Will it get closer in Season 2?
We don’t have a lot of details about the second season of The Rings of Power, admittedly. It’s still a long way off. However, the drips and drabs which have leaked through to us are putting together a picture of what is, at the very least, inspiring the writers and producers over at Amazon Studios. Over the history of this feature I’ve made a meal of The Last Alliance of Men and Elves. This conflict, as seen in the opening sequence of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings, is an inevitability. It’s the fixed point in time The Rings of Power is hurtling toward. In spite of that, it is an even longer way off than the second season of the show. It’s “the end of all things” (to continue The Lord of the Rings film trilogy references), which would make a perfect book end to the story we were introduced to last year.
One also assumes Amazon Studios is eyeing a 3 – 5 season run for The Rings of Power. Writing very broadly, that range is an average for a streaming show. If this is the case, The Last Alliance of Men and Elves remains a long way off.
However, with the reveal of Halbrand, mention of Aeglos by Benjamin Walker, and the events of the first
season of The Rings of Power, another evitability would seem to be more battles and more losses in the show’s future.
A timely conflict lifted directly from J.R.R. Tolkien’s original book canon – you may be wondering?
The War of the Elves and Sauron.
For long time Let’s Get Nerdy! readers I have written briefly about and alluded to this conflict, but let’s get down into it today:
The War of the Elves and Sauron is a battle between exactly who you think it is based on the name. It took place during The Second Age of Middle-Earth on the fields of Eriador. While you may not recognize the name Eriador we’ve actually seen a lot of this geological region already in The Rings of Power. It’s in between Lindon and the Blue Mountain where we saw Celebrimbor, Elrond, Galadriel, and Halbrand most prominently toward the end of the first season.
Per Tolkien it had long been Sauron’s plan to bring the Elves to yield and place them under his control. If you’re familiar with the origins of the orcs this won’t come as a surprise to you. Disguised as Annatar during this time period
The War of the Elves and Sauron technically begins when Annatar is rejected by Gil-Galad and Elrond, then moves on to Eregion, seduces Celebrimbor and the elf smiths, and begins forging the eponymous Rings of Power. It leads all the way through the fall of Eregion, the fall of Khazad-dûm, and the founding of Rivendell. When framing The War of the Elves and Sauron you kind of think of like World War II. Most of the aforementioned events take place over a 6 – 10 year period.
But, Ashley, you wrote “battle”!
You’re right, I did. The main battle I think we’ll see on the show is the Battle of the Gwathló. It’s driven by Sauron’s desire to reclaim the “three rings for the Elven Kings” and claiming specifically the Grey Havens port of Eregion. Claiming it would have allowed him free flow over the traffic between Middle-Earth and Valinor, effectively cutting off any support the Eldar could have had at the time.
The Númenóreans are a key factor in the elvish triumph in keeping Sauron’s forces at bay – which speaks to a huge portion of The Rings of Power cast we’ve already met. Huge swaths of forest are burned and destroyed in Sauron’s wake forever changing the geography of the region. Eventually combined forces drive Sauron out of Eriador and escaping the destruction of his army with only a single lieutenant on his side.
Featuring The War of the Elves and Sauron more prominently – and maybe even having a character name is just that! – in the upcoming season of The Rings of Power could definitely keep the storyline close to canon with a lot of opportunities to feature characters or storylines which are unique to the show. And, selfishly, I really want to see the Battle of the Gwathló
