In the highly anticipated second season of Amazon’s The Rings of Power, the dark forces of Middle-earth are poised to escalate their nefarious agenda. A newly released trailer offers a tantalizing glimpse of Sauron, the infamous Dark Lord, emerging in a radically different guise – a fair-haired, regal-looking elf known as Annatar.
This striking transformation from Sauron’s previous appearance as the rugged Southlander Halbrand is a calculated deception rooted in J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendary works. According to the author’s lore, Sauron, possessing the ability to shape-shift during Middle-earth’s Second Age, assumes the persona of Annatar (“Lord of Gifts”) to infiltrate the Elven realm of Eregion and manipulate its skilled craftsmen into forging the remaining Rings of Power.
“In the trailer, we see Sauron surrounded by elves with swords pointed at his handsome face, clad in regal robes and sporting flowing golden hair,” described entertainment journalist Graeme McMillan. “This is a far cry from the rugged aesthetic of Halbrand – a strategic move by the Dark Lord to deceive the elves under a new, fair disguise.”
While the first season of The Rings of Power depicted Sauron’s initial success in coercing the elves into creating three rings, his ultimate goal is to forge the One Ring that will dominate the wills of all other rings. To accomplish this, he must convince Celebrimbor, the renowned Elven smith, to resume the ring-making process under the guise of Annatar.
“Sauron’s transformation into Annatar sets the stage for the birth of the One Ring, which could potentially be season 2’s shocking finale, leading into the subsequent season,” speculated entertainment writer Sabrina Cornelius. “This fulfills the core premise of the show – the origin of the Rings of Power themselves.”
However, a cloud of uncertainty looms over Amazon’s rights to explicitly adapt the Annatar storyline from Tolkien’s writings. While the streaming giant had secured rights to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings books for the show’s first season, the name “Annatar” is not mentioned in those texts. Recent reports suggest Amazon may have obtained permission to incorporate elements beyond the Lord of the Rings appendices, potentially allowing for Annatar’s inclusion.
As the forces of darkness gather strength and the forges of Eregion reignite, audiences can expect The Rings of Power season 2 to delve deeper into Sauron’s machinations, culminating in the creation of the legendary Rings of Power that will shape the fate of Middle-earth.