Prime Video’s The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power is a recent project inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth. It shows a different time period, giving a fresh story about the creation of the Rings of Power. While the series is new, it has familiar elements. It includes established characters, references to well-known events, and many backstories that Tolkien fans might recognize. The show acts like an unofficial prequel.
One storyline takes viewers to Númenor, a civilization that has vanished by the time of the War of the Ring but is still present, though declining, in The Rings of Power. The series hints at Númenor’s fall, with former Queen Regent Miriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) knowing of a prophecy about the doom of Númenor.
The prophecy says it will start with the arrival of an elf. This hints at Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), who arrives in Númenor in Season 1. Along with finding Númenor’s lore, the prophecy introduces a familiar element: a palantir!
Fans of Tolkien’s works know about palantiri, which are spherical crystals with great power. They let their master see beyond their own time. The word “palantir” means “far-sighted” in Quenya, the Elvish language. Palantiri are important in The Lord of the Rings and are shown to have influenced Middle-earth’s history before the Rings of Power.
Tolkien created the Seven Stones, which are linked to the Seven Stars symbol that Elves believed signaled Morgoth’s downfall. The history of these artifacts is not fully known, but Tolkien mentioned that Elves gave some to the Númenorean Faithful. This makes the presence of a palantir in The Rings of Power logical.
According to the story, powerful palantiri were made by Elves of Valinor in the First Age. By the time of The Lord of the Rings, during the Third Age, only a few had not been damaged by time. This is also seen in Peter Jackson’s film trilogy.
Tolkien wrote that many palantiri were made, but after Númenor’s destruction, Elendil (Lloyd Owen in The Rings of Power) brought only seven to Middle-earth, spreading them among the surviving Númenoreans. These seven include the Osgiliath stone, the Annúminas-stone, the Itnil-stone, the Orthanc-stone, the Anor-stone, the Amon Sûl-stone, and the Elostirian stone, also known as Elendil’s Stone. The Elostirian stone cannot communicate with the other stones.
Palantiri may not look impressive at first glance, but they are powerful. Tolkien described them as black crystals of various sizes, from one foot to sizes needing several people to move. They allow communication between users and the ability to see events from the past or future.
The palantiri respond to their user’s power. The user can see what they wish if they have a strong will and mind. If the stones are placed in good locations, they can see anywhere in the world. However, the palantiri do not show sound and only communicate through thoughts.
Although palantiri do not lie about events, those with bad intentions can use them to show half-truths by hiding context. This can lead to misunderstandings and chaos. The palantiri have influenced Middle-earth’s history in several ways. All seven known Seeing Stones should be in Númenor for Elendil to save, but so far, only one has appeared in The Rings of Power.
The stone owned by the dying king of Númenor, Tar-Palantir (Ken Blackburn), shows a dark future for Númenor. Miriel sees the island submerged and destroyed. She hopes to change this fate with Galadriel’s arrival, even though the vision continues to be grim.
At the end of Season 1, Elendil’s daughter, Eärien (Ema Horvath), finds the King’s palantir. She loses trust in Miriel and uses the palantir against her. The palantiri were gifts from the Elves, but most Númenoreans have abandoned the old ways. Eärien’s use of the palantir turns Númenor against Miriel, allowing Pharazôn (Trystan Gravelle) to take control.
In Season 2, Episode 5, “Halls of Stone,” a different vision from the palantir appears. Elendil sees himself leaving the city instead of Númenor’s destruction. This changes Miriel’s long-held hope that Númenor’s fate might be different. Elendil represents hope for Númenor as he survives and takes the palantiri to safety.
While the palantiri in The Rings of Power have not been used for evil so far, their power can be dangerous in the wrong hands. Sauron uses palantiri for his gain, influencing visions to control others. In The Lord of the Rings, Sauron uses the stones to monitor and weaken his enemies. For example, he influences Saruman to build an army and tricks Denethor into despair, leading him to suicide.
In The Two Towers, when Pippin steals a palantir from Gandalf, it leads to mistakes and wrong assumptions by Sauron. Sauron believes the One Ring is with Pippin and that Saruman has captured him. This leads Sauron to think he has almost won.
When Aragorn looks into Saruman’s palantir, Sauron wrongly believes that Aragorn has won and stolen the ring and palantir. This is far from the truth as Frodo holds the ring. Aragorn challenges Sauron, who retrieves his forces and turns away from the battle. This mistake allows Frodo to proceed and leads to Sauron’s further defeat.
Palantiri can be used for evil, but their impact depends on who uses them. Though none have fallen into Sauron’s hands in The Rings of Power, their potential for misuse remains high. The palantiri have already proven to be influential, showing their deceptive nature.
In The Rings of Power, while the stones have not yet reached their full potential for causing harm, their presence adds a layer of intrigue and danger to the story. They are tools of immense power that reflect the complexity of the world Tolkien created.
Their ability to reveal visions, manipulate perceptions, and influence outcomes demonstrates their significant role in Middle-earth. As the series progresses, the use and misuse of the palantiri will likely play a critical role in shaping the narrative and the fate of its characters.
