September 17, 2024, 8:05 am | Read time: 16 minutes

The series “The Rings of Power” turned out to be a real success for Amazon. So, it’s no surprise that the streaming provider is continuing it after the first season. Season 2 starts at the end of August on Prime Video. TECHBOOK collects everything you need to know about the series.

Season 2 of “The Rings of Power” is not the end

The sensational and eventful finale of the first The Rings of Power season aired on Amazon Prime Video on October 14, 2022. From the outset, it was evident that this would not mark the end of the fantasy series. Given that the rights for a clearly defined part of the Middle-earth cosmos cost Amazon 250 million USD, it was apparent even before the official announcement of a multi-year concept that the company intended to maximize the value of its license. Incidentally, this makes the project the most expensive series in the world to date!

Amazon has now revealed plans for a total of five seasons. So, season 2 is far from the end. However, due to the elaborate nature of this production, releases may not follow the annual schedule typical of other series. Amazon confirmed the release date of the second season in a trailer. According to this, Rings of Power season 2 will be launched on August 29, 2024.

First trailers give an insight into the plot

There are now several trailers for The Rings of Power. Amazon released the first one on May 14, 2024, revealing the aforementioned start date of the new season but also hinting at some developments within the story. The focus is clearly on the return of the chief villain, Sauron. The trailer also shows how changeable the character played by Charlie Vickers is – an important element that is also mentioned in the original. We analyzed the trailer for Rings of Power season 2 in more detail in a separate news item.

Trailer number 2 was released on August 15, teasing Amazon’s hit series once again shortly before the start of the new season. Sauron once again plays an important role in the trailer. The battle for Middle-earth picks up speed, and battle scenes with elves, dwarves, and humans alternate at dizzying speed. There is an interesting sequence at 1:32, where a person can be seen who many fans of the series believe to be the wizard Saruman. Anyone familiar with the Lord of the Rings films or books will know Sauron as Gandalf’ssuperior. So, are we seeing a new villain here?

Here you will find content from Youtube

To engage with or display content from social networks, we require your consent.

Activate

I consent to having external content from social networks shown to me. This may result in the transfer of personal data to third-party services. Further information can be found in the description of this data processing purpose and in the privacy policies of these third parties.

This is how extensive “The Rings of Power” season 2 will be

The news about the trio of directors also reveals the scope of the new season. As with season 1, season 2 will also comprise eight episodes. Amazon is likely to base the length of the individual episodes on the opening episode. This would mean that an episode would again last between 60 and 70 minutes.

At the beginning of The Rings of Power season 2, Amazon Prime Video will even run three episodes at once this time instead of just two. After that, it will continue on a weekly basis.

This is what the sequel to the Lord of the Rings series is about

In fact, based on Tolkien’s underlying works and the unanswered questions from season 1, we can already make some assumptions about what will happen in The Rings of Power season 2.

Unanswered questions from season 1

Warning: massive spoilers for the previous plot follow here! In the season finale, the villain Sauron finally revealed himself, and we can already look back on some other important moments. “The Rings of Power” season 2 must therefore revisit some unanswered questions.

The most important one is probably how Galadriel will deal with Halbrand now that she has discovered he is actually her personal nemesis. As things stand, she is staying with him, Elrond, and Celebrimbor in Ost-in-Edhil, where the plot could also continue directly. Anyone who has taken a closer look at the original will know the significance of the location and the battle that is still being fought there. However, it is unlikely that this will happen in season 2.

It will also be exciting to see whether we finally get to know a character who is important to her in the series: Her husband, Celeborn. After speculation as to why this important character has not yet appeared in the books, the series itself finally provided the answer. Galadriel thinks that her husband has fallen in battle against Sauron. Amazon has now officially announced the casting of Celeborn, meaning that he will be seen in the second season of The Rings of Power. It is possible, for example, that he is somewhere in the captivity of evil.

Even if Lord of the Rings fans know that the young Isildur cannot be dead, the characters in the series do not. But what happens to him now? In all likelihood, he will be traveling alone with his faithful horse in the former Southlands for the time being. Perhaps he will meet Adar and his orcs there, whose story is certainly not yet finished. The trailer suggests that there will also be an encounter with Arondir.

A popular storyline, which also picked up speed at the end of season 1, was that of the dwarf prince Durin. After the quarrel with his father, it is already clear that the conflict could escalate and end in a battle for the throne. His friendship with Elrond has been an important part of the series so far and could once again be a key factor in this conflict.

An important setting in The Rings of Power season 2 is once again the island kingdom of Númenor. As shown in the visions of Palantír, it is doomed to destruction. The reason for this is called Ar-Pharazôn, and the season finale has already given a foretaste of the smoldering conflicts between him and the Queen-Regent.

And even if the answer to the identity of the “Meteor Man” seems to have already been determined for many viewers, his journey is also likely to become important. The stranger with the mysterious powers is now on his way to Rhûn with Nori. In this context, the three mystics will probably also play an even bigger role.

More rings of power

‘Lord of the Rings’ fans know, of course, that the three forged rings are by no means the end of the story! The Elf Celebrimbor forges a total of 19 of them – and Sauron himself then forges another one.

The three Elven rings – Narya, Nenya, and Vilya – now exist in the series. In the books, they are worn by Galadriel, Elrond, and Cídar, who later bequeaths his ring to the wizard Gandalf. These rings are actually the last to be forged, so in this respect, the series The Rings of Power already deviates from the original. Of course, this could also fuel the plot, as Galadriel and her personal development are central to the series.

The dwarves will receive seven rings, one of which will also be given to the so-called Durin people we already know from the series. Sauron’s plan only partially works out in this respect, however, as the dwarves are too tough to turn into Nazgûl. It is unlikely that these seven rings will appear in The Rings of Power season 2. However, Durin III has already been seen in the trailer with a glowing ring – a hint?

The kings of men are given a total of nine rings. They are all corrupted by the rings and later become the familiar Ringwraiths. At least this plan could already be hinted at and/or implemented in parts in the upcoming season.

And most importantly, of course, is the one ring that Sauron himself forges in the flames of Mount Doom. Through this ring, Sauron ultimately controls some of the other ring-bearers and reads their minds.

Villain of the films also appears in the series

At the end of the first season of The Rings of Power, the identity of the great villain Sauron is revealed. Galadriel’s relationship with him will certainly be an important element of the second season. However, as the fan site Fellowship of Fans reports, a second villain is likely to appear in the series – also a familiar name from the original.

We are talking about the spider creature Kankra (Shelob in the original). This hairy antagonist plays a not insignificant role in the third (or fourth) book and the third film in Peter Jackson’s series, as she protects Cirith Ungol’s passport.

In Rings of Power season 2, which takes place thousands of years before the events surrounding Frodo, we are apparently to see a younger version of the spider. There is talk of at least one brief guest appearance. So it remains to be seen whether this will be a brief appearance and, therefore, more of a fan service or whether Kankra might play an important role in the plot. She may meet Sauron in the now destroyed Southlands. Another option is that she comes up as the daughter of Ungoliant, an antagonist important to the Elves, as according to Tolkien mythology, she destroyed the Light of the Trees of the Undying Lands.

Amazon acquires further Tolkien rights

Another interesting leak relates to the rights situation. So far, Amazon has only acquired the rights to the appendices of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings novels. In the meantime, however, the company is said to have sought additional permission, apparently with success. Specifically, it also concerns a text from the Unfinished Tales and another that takes up the journey of the so-called Istari. In principle, these are the messengers of the gods (or powerful beings) called Valar. In Middle-earth, they ultimately appear as wizards. They include the wizards Gandalf, Saruman, and Radagast, known from the films, as well as two “blue wizards” named Alatar and Pallando.

Based on this new rights situation, one can draw quite extensive conclusions about the further plot of Rings of Power – even in season 2. This would support the theory that the stranger is actually a wizard (probably Gandalf), as many assume. He and Nori are on their way east to the region of Rhûn. Incidentally, the inhabitants there are important allies of Sauron in the ensuing War of the Ring, so things could get dangerous for the stranger and his companion.

More on the topic

Amazon hit series Charlie Vickers reveals exclusive details about season 2 of “The Rings of Power” to TECHBOOK

In season 2 Lady Gaga gets role in popular Netflix series “Wednesday”

Netflix Start of “Stranger Things” season 5 confirmed! All the info on the series finale

The cast of “The Rings of Power” season 2

In season 1, viewers were not only slowly introduced to the Middle-earth of the Second Age, which was still unknown, at least in cinematic terms. We were also introduced to many characters, some of whom we already know from the books, while the series makers invented others. Probably, we will meet most of these characters again in The Rings of Power season 2, as there have been few character deaths in season 1 so far. We can expect to see these characters – and their actors – in the sequel:

• Morfydd Clark as Galadriel – Elvish army commander
• Robert Aramayo as Elrond – half-elf
• Owain Arthur as Durin IV – Dwarf Prince
• Sophia Nomwete as Disa – dwarf princess and wife of Durin
• Markella Kavenagh as Eleanor “Nori” Brandyfoot – bright, hard-footed girl with a taste for adventure
• Charlie Vickers as Halbrand/Sauron – “King of the Southlands” and antagonist
• Lloyd Owen as Elendil – Captain Númenor, father of Isildur, Eärien and Anárion
• Maxim Baldry as Isildur – son of Elendil
• Ema Horvath as Eärien – Isildur’s sister, a young member of the Builders’ Guild
• Nazanin Boniadi as Bronwyn – village healer, has an affair with Arondir, Theo’s mother
• Ismael Cruz Cordova as Arondir – Elf, served in the guard for 70 years, has an affair with Bronwyn
• Tyroe Muhafidin as Theo – Bronwyn’s son
• Daniel Weyman as “the Stranger”/ “Meteor Man” – a mysterious man with magical powers
• Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Miriel – Numénor’s queen regent
• Trystan Gravelle as Ar-Pharazôn – Númenor’s chancellor, plots against the queen regent
• Benjamin Walker as Gil-galad – King of the Elves
• Charles Edwards as Celebrimbor – ringsmith and Sauron’s unwilling assistant
• Will Fletcher as Finrod – Gladriel’s brother
• Lenny Henry as Harpfoot Sadoc Burrows – Chief of the Harpfoot
• Megan Richards as Harpfoot Poppy Proudfellow – Nori’s best friend
• Dylan Smith as Harpfoot Largo Brandyfoot – Nori’s father
• Sara Zwangobani as Harpfoot Marigold Brandyfoot
• Alex Tarrant as Valandil – Isildur’s best friend
• Bridie Sisson as “The Dweller” – mystic with the power of shapeshifting, part of the mysterious trio
• Kali Kopae as “The Ascetic” – part of the mysterious trio
• Edith Poor as “The Nomad” – part of the mysterious trio

Important new characters to appear for the first time in season 2

There will also be some new faces joining the cast of The Rings of Power. Among them is the oldest known Elf, the shipbuilder Círdan. It is only logical that the wise Elven lord will be part of season 2. Alongside Galadriel and Elrond, he is one of the three Elvish ring-bearers. It is not yet known who will play Círdan, who incidentally is one of the very few elves in Tolkien to wear a beard due to his age. However, the already confirmed newcomer Ciarán Hinds seems most likely. Among other things, the Northern Irishman was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars in 2022 for the drama Belfast.

However, a report about the exciting casting of one of the most important new characters is particularly exciting. We’re talking about Celeborn, Galadriel’s husband. So far, he has not been seen in the series, which has already left viewers puzzled. Only in episode 7 does Galadriel reveal that her husband is dead – at least, that’s what she thinks.

However, those familiar with the books (and films) know that Celeborn is alive and kicking at around the time of Frodo’s journey. It was, therefore, already assumed that the series would introduce Celeborn at a later point in time; this now seems to be confirmed. The role will probably be played by The Rings of Power actor Calam Lynch in season 2. The British actor is known for his role as the printer’s assistant Theo from Bridgerton, among other things. Other well-known projects include Dunkirk and Black Beauty.

Amazon has also already shown the first images from the series, which show a character who, according to the original, should have already appeared in the films but is only mentioned. The character in question is none other than Tom Bombadil. Tom Bombadil is an ancient being, smaller than a human yet taller than a hobbit. In Tolkien’s works, the hobbits meet Tom in the Old Forest, where he protects them. His role in The Rings of Power season 2 remains to be seen. However, it appears he will encounter the Stranger, and as known from the original works, Tom is a benevolent and helpful character. Rory Kinnear, known for roles in Black Mirror, James Bond, and Penny Dreadful, will portray Tom Bombadil.

Here you will find content from Twitter

To engage with or display content from social networks, we require your consent.

Activate

I consent to having external content from social networks shown to me. This may result in the transfer of personal data to third-party services. Further information can be found in the description of this data processing purpose and in the privacy policies of these third parties.

Actor for important role to be replaced

However, we will no longer see a familiar face in Rings of Power season 2. We are talking about Joseph Mawle, who played the corrupted Elf Adar. Mawle is known for his role as Benjen Stark from Game of Thrones, among other things. As Adar, he was the first tangible villain in the Lord of the Rings series, while Sauron was still keeping a low profile. Adar hates Sauron and wants to create a new home for the orcs in Mordor. The fact that he is playing right into the hands of his adversary is one of the most interesting storylines of season 1.

However, we won’t have to do without Adar completely in Rings of Power season 2. Amazon has already announced its intention to recast the role. Mawles’ departure was at his own request. British actor Sam Hazeldine is rumored to be the new Adar actor. Hazeldine is known for smaller roles in The Witcher and Sandman, both Netflix productions.

Many new faces in the sequel to “Rings of Power”

Many new names have already been confirmed for the second season of The Rings of Power! This raises hopes for many new twists and developments but is also only logical, as Amazon is extremely streamlining the original’s plot, which spans a much longer period of time. The aforementioned Sam Hazeldine is one of the new actors on this list. Otherwise, there are again many rather less well-known actors and actresses. Amazon already did this for season 1. We will also see these new faces in the sequel.

• Gabriel Akuwudike (e.g. Game of Thrones) – possibly Isildur and Earien’s brother Anárion
• Oliver Alvin-Wilson (e.g. Collateral)
• Yasen “Zates” Atour (e.g. The Witcher, The Young Wallander)
• Stuart Bowman (e.g. Versailles)
• Gavi Singh Chera (e.g. The Undeclared War)
• William Chubb (e.g. Vampire Academy, Sandman)
• Ben Daniels
• Kevin Eldon (e.g. Shadow and Bone)
• Ciarán Hinds (also known from Belfast – probably plays Círdan, the oldest Elf)
• Will Keen (e.g. His Dark Materials)
• Amelia Kenworthy
• Selina Lo (e.g. Hellraiser)
• Calam Lynch – plays Celeborn, Galadriel’s husband
• Nia Towle (e.g. Rocketman)
• Nicholas Woodeson (e.g. James Bond 007: Skyfall)

Nothing is yet known about the roles that the new actors and actresses will be taking on. Only Gabriel Akuwudike is thought to be playing Anárion, the brother of Isildur and Earien. This would make him a very important character, at least according to the original.