The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3 is nearly here, so it’s time to look back at the recent developments in the series. This upcoming installment is expected to be the most thrilling yet in The Lord of the Rings prequel, as the War of the Elves and Sauron is officially underway. We’ve been teased with the creation of the One Ring and the arrival of those who will become the Ringwraiths. Númenor’s days are limited, and the Stranger is growing his strength. There’s a lot to look forward to, but we must also observe where we have been.
Season 1 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power saw Sauron deceive Galadriel through his human form. Halbrand became quite close to Galadriel, so the big concern in season 2 is that this influence still stands. Add in the fact that Halbrand successfully inspired Celebrimbor to make the Three Elven Rings, and the forces of good aren’t sure who can be trusted. They had reason to be fearful, of course, since Rings of Power season 2 revolved largely around Sauron’s next big deception and the creation of more mighty rings.
Sauron Fools Celebrimbor & Creates The Rings Of Power
Sauron’s biggest crimes in Rings of Power season 2 were against the Elven smith, Celebrimbor. This was a very proud, almost narcissistic figure, which made him especially easy for Sauron to manipulate. It’s not that Celebrimbor was a bad person; he just was all too willing to be flattered. Sauron ultimately convinced him that he was an envoy from the Valar, who recognized Celebrimbor’s talent and wanted his help in creating something spectacular. Sauron then called himself Annatar.
Annatar told Celebrimbor exactly what he wanted to hear, and so the two beings got to work creating the Rings of Power. Seven were made for the Dwarves, which were almost immediately distributed. Nine were then made for Men, though the process here went a bit differently (Sauron’s own blood was used) and the Rings couldn’t quite be handed out to their lucky human owners since Celebrimbor began to slowly break free of Sauron’s control.
Celebrimbor may have been proud, but he wasn’t stupid. He had lived in a bubble of creativity through all that time Annatar was with him, but the peace around him was only a delusion. With a little brainpower, Celebrimbor broke free of Sauron’s spell and discovered that Eregion was under siege. The elf desperately tried to keep the Nine away from Sauron, but ultimately failed. Celebrimbor and Annatar’s friendship ended in Rings of Power season 3 with slow torture and murder.
King Durin III’s Greed Awakens The Balrog
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After Sauron and Celebrimbor created the Seven Dwarven Rings, they were handed out to their new owners. Among them was King Durin III, Prince Durin’s father, who rather quickly fell under the influence of greed and paranoia. King Durin dug deeper and deeper for mithril, though his son, distrusting Annatar and the ring, urged him not to. Unfortunately, Annatar’s deception is once again discovered too late. Durin III comes to see that the prince was right, but only after he uncovered the terrifying Balrog that slumbered beneath Khazad-dûm.
Realizing his terrible mistake, King Durin III sacrificed himself to rebury the Balrog. The last we saw of this character in Rings of Power season 3, he was leaping through the chasm toward the beast as the rocks closed back in around him. There’s no doubt that King Durin has died, which means it will now fall to Durin IV to lead. It’s not an easy cross to bear, especially given the new knowledge of the evil that awaits the dwarves if future generations don’t resist their greed.
Ar-Pharazôn Takes Power In Númenor
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Rings of Power has been setting up Númenor’s destruction since season 1, and season 2 took things a step closer in that direction. Previously, the island kingdoms were ruled by Queen Míriel, whose father had ruled before her. However, the people’s opinion of their queen became rather complicated as she lent Númenórean ships, sailors, and swords to the Elves. There’s a lot of prejudice toward Elves festering on this island, and it has been largely inspired by Miriel’s own cousin, Pharazôn.
Despite his best efforts, Pharazôn was unable to prove that Miriel was somehow deemed unacceptable to rule by the Valar. That didn’t stop him from leading a coup and taking power, however. Elendil and Isildur escaped Númenor, but Miriel refused to flee and instead allowed herself to be captured in hopes of protecting her people.
The Stranger Is Revealed To Be Gandalf
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Rings of Power season 1 saw the Stranger crash to the earth from the sky, and season 2 saw him travel with the Harfoot, Nori, to the region of Rhûn. There, the pair run into who is easily the most mysterious character of Tolkien’s various works. Tom Bombadil never appeared in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, but Rings of Power found a way to loop this strange man into the story.
In Rhûn, the Stranger learns about the evil Dark Wizard that plagues the area, as well as the growing power of the Dark Lord Sauron. Tom Bombadil explains that it is the Stranger’s destiny to stand against them, and, so, they begin training. There are plenty of hints throughout this story, but the truth of the Stranger’s identity is finally revealed by the end of the season when Nori’s Stoor friends refer to the wizard as a “Grand Elf.” This inspires the name Gandalf.
While Gandalf stays in Rhûn to continue training with Tom Bombadil, Nori decides to return to her home.
Adar Lays Siege On Eregion (But Sauron Steals His Victory)
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Adar’s siege on Eregion went about as well as it could have. The villain and his orcs managed to break through the city walls and began to slay any elf they came by. Of course, Adar’s goal wasn’t only to kill his elf cousins. He was a natural enemy to Sauron, and through this siege, he hoped to take the Dark Lord’s legs out from under him. Even with the city taken, however, Adar needed a miracle to ever best Sauron, and he thought he found precisely that in the form of Galadriel’s Ring of Power, Nenya.
Rather than fuel Adar with power, the Ring Nenya cleansed his soul of Morgoth’s corruption. The ugly scars that marked Adar as a Moriondor faded away, and Adar’s mind was cleared of evil. Suddenly, he no longer wanted to achieve all the wickedness he worked toward. Adar’s heart was still with the Orcs, but he no longer desired to harm Galadriel and her kin.
Galadriel was set free by Adar, and she later resisted Sauron’s temptation to hand over Nenya. This allowed her and the other survivors of Eregion to take refuge in the valley that will become Rivendell.
Adar’s redemption came a bit too late, unfortunately. Eregion was in ruins, and Sauron managed to recover the Nine Rings that Celebrimbor had tried so hard to conceal from him. When the orcs arrived in the elf lord’s tower, Annatar needed only a few words to bring them over to his side. Sauron then influenced his soldiers to murder their father, and Adar lay dead in the dirt by the end of it all. With that, Sauron had an army, and several of his enemies were dead. It’s just the place for Rings of Power season 3 to pick things up from.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
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