Dominion over Middle-earth is the main goal of the Dark Lord Sauron (Charlie Vickers). He now sees a clear path to achieve this by using the power of the rings. The second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will premiere on Prime Video in just over a week, setting the stage for a clash between heroes and villains.
Comments from the series suggest that the villains will be more aggressive in Season 2. Annatar, also known as Sauron, will manipulate master elven smith Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards).
Sauron, the Great Deceiver, has the ability to change his form and identity, which viewers will see more of in the new season. By August 29, viewers will encounter not just one, but two Dark Lords.
A new featurette from IGN reveals that Vickers won’t be the only actor portraying Sauron in the upcoming season. Jack Lowden will also play an earlier version of Sauron. Lowden confirms that his scenes occur a thousand years before Season 1, right after the fall of the first Dark Lord, Morgoth.
Some Bombadil Tunes Are Coming With “Rings of Power”
Morgoth had created the orcs, but after his defeat, Sauron aimed to take control. The orc, Adar (formerly Joseph Malwe, now played by Sam Hazeldine in Season 2), will appear, highlighting the beginning of the conflict between him and Sauron over control of the orcs. This twist also helps explain why Adar did not recognize Sauron as Halbrand in the first season.
This development shows the broad range of Sauron’s powers and his threat as a foe. Even with her vast knowledge and experience, Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) was outsmarted by Sauron in Season 1.
So, it raises concerns when we see Sauron—disguised as Annatar—speaking to Prince Durin IV (Owain Arthur) in the featurette. Despite being a strong warrior, it remains to be seen how Durin handles Sauron’s cunning words. His relationship with his father, King Durin III (Peter Mullan), is also expected to face challenges as hinted in the SDCC trailer.
If the marketing for Season 2 of The Rings of Power is accurate, it will bring death to elves and men alike. However, this adversity will also bring forth heroes from all parts of Middle-earth, who will fight against the odds. Fortunately, the new season will not be all dark.
The arrival of Tom Bombadil (Rory Kinnear) will add a unique touch. Although he is powerful, Bombadil is known for his joyful singing and will assist The Stranger (David Weyman) in mastering his powers. Weyman says:
“But in this scenario, it’s Tom Bombadil who’s got the power and the energies and knows how to wield them. Suddenly, The Stranger is having to be responsive and reactive, and we’ve never seen him in that territory before.
So, it’s gonna be quite exciting to see how The Stranger feels when suddenly the boot’s on the other foot. Tom Bombadil is full of mischief. He is enigmatic, he is whimsical, and he sings.”
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 will premiere on August 29. Watch the new featurette and stream Season 1 on Prime Video.
