Summary
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerseason 2 dropped its full trailer, which references a Tolkien character that underwent polarizing adaptations in the show and Peter Jackson movies.The Rings of Powerseason 2will adapt content from J.R.R. Tolkien’sThe Lord of the Ringsand its appendices, focusing on the limited content available on the Second Age. This finite messaging on the show’s chosen era led it to create some controversial original material and characters to bulk out the source material. Butthe show may be more faithful to the source material than the moviesin at least one regard, as suggested by the trailer.
The Second Age ofLotR’s Middle-earthwas fraught with difficulties in Tolkien’s world, whichThe Rings of Powerseason 2 will document. Examining the rise of Sauron, season 2 will unite the narratives of its many characters. Galadriel will take a backseat to Celebrimbor in season 2, who will “arguably become the principal protagonist,” according to showrunners speaking toTotal Filmin a print feature.Sauron is the backbone underpinning the story, affecting all characters and tempting Celebrimbor to his doom, which the trailer cleverly addresses while comparing its Sauron to Jackson’s.
Every New Tolkien Location In The Rings Of Power Explained
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power jumps all across Middle-earth and even beyond, but many of these locations will be unfamiliar to audiences.
The Rings Of Power Season 2 Trailer References The Eye Of Sauron
Adar Discusses Sauron’s Eye In The Trailer
The fantasy legend J.R.R. Tolkien described the Eye of Sauron in his legendarium, whichThe Rings of Powerseason 2 traileralludes to in its dialogue and footage. The trailer offers a close-up of Adar saying “sooner or later.” Adar’s voiceover continues over different footage, saying “Sauron’s Eyebores a hole. The rest of him slithers in.” Tolkien used the term “Sauron’s Eye” inThe Lord of the Ringsto describe Sauron’s intelligence, rule, control, and power. So,Adar is making canonical use of the term here.
This voiceover is layered on top of a scene of a hand over a glowing, orange orb which may be a Palantir, and a subsequent scene of a burning sunset behind a lone horserider. Thesetwo flickering, fiery spheres recall the iconic Eye of Sauron from Peter Jackson’s movies, cementing the trailer’s Eye of Sauron reference.The Rings of Powerseason 1 finaleconfirmed that season 1’s original character Halbrand had been Sauron in hiding all along, but this trailer constitutes the show’s first reference to the Eye of Sauron.
How Peter Jackson’s Lord Of The Rings Movies Changed The Eye Of Sauron
Peter Jackson Took The Eye Of Sauron Literally
Peter Jackson’sLord of the Ringsmovies took Tolkien’s descriptions of the Eye of Sauron literally, using creative license to cast Sauron as a giant, disembodied eye on top of Barad-dûr. This eye was not a feature of Tolkien’sLord of the Ringsnovel and removed Sauron’s physical presence in the story.Sauron had a body throughoutThe Lord of the Rings, as evidenced by Gollum’s unfortunate memory of being tortured by Sauron, who had “only four fingers on the Black Hand.”
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerseason 2 will air on August 05, 2025.
Peter Jackson’s decisionto imagine Sauron’s Eye as literal inLord of the Ringswas in many ways, a stroke of genius. It was starkly original, evincing a portrait of a supernatural villain the likes of which the world had never seen.Sauron is one of the greatest villains that literature has to offer, his terrifyingly oppressive, inhuman power reaching Frodo even miles away. Jackson’s Sauron communicated this aptly, but didn’t explain how Gollum was tortured, and missed the myriad opportunities of exploring Sauron’s blackened body.
Will The Eye Of Sauron Be Literal In The Rings Of Power?
Adar Was Using The Eye Of Sauron As A Metaphor
InThe Rings of Power’sseason 2 trailer,Adar’s use of the term “Sauron’s Eye” is metaphorical, unless there’s a gigantic, disembodied eye in season 2 which the show hasn’t yet suggested in either of the three trailers released so far. This seems very unlikely, and Adar’s metaphorical use of the term makes sense. Sauron’s allies and enemies alike referred to him as a great eye throughout the Third Age inThe Lord of the Rings,whileThe Silmarillionused the term “Eye of Sauron” in its Second Age material.
Sauron’s Eye symbolized Sauron’s surveillance and tyranny, and Jackson’s Eye captured this well, despite completely inventing Sauron’s appearance.
While perhaps more reverent than tongue-in-cheek in tone, the trailer’s reference to Peter Jackson’s divisive literal Eye of Sauron holds Jackson’s version of Sauron up against its own. Sauron’s Eye symbolized Sauron’s surveillance and tyranny, and Jackson’s Eye captured this well, despite completely inventing Sauron’s appearance.The Rings of Powerinvented the Halbrand persona but correctly attributed a body to Sauron, using the canonical name of Annatar forSauron’s fair form.
The Rings of Poweris the first on-screen adaptation to secure the rights to use the name of Annatar, which appears inThe Silmarillion,a work that no one currently has the rights to adapt in its entirety.
It is open-ended in Tolkien’s work at what point the"Sauron’s Eye" terminologycame into usage among Sauron’s forces, and when it came into usage among his enemies.Adar’s use of the “Sauron’s Eye” term could pose an exciting suggestion thatThe Rings of Powerwill show its origins, and that perhaps it originated in Adar’s derogatory usage, which could end up being a power play on Sauron’s part or Adar’s part. If not, the trailer remains a smart nod to Peter Jackson’s movies and the term will remain a tasteful Tolkien Easter egg inThe 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.
