War is coming to Middle-earth. The latest and final trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 makes that fact abundantly clear, featuring shots of epic battle scenes involving everything from marching armies and encroaching orc hordes to flaming debris and massive explosions. The scale of it all looks positively massive and certainly bigger than anything the show has attempted to date. (Heck, probably bigger than anything this franchise has attempted since the Battle of Helm’s Deep back in The Two Towers.) But what, exactly, are we watching here?
While the trailer includes footage from several likely different battle sequences, the most obvious event season 2 will depict is the siege of Eregion. For those who don’t remember, the Elven realm is located in the shadow of the Misty Mountains, near the west gates of Khazad-dûm. It’s the location of Celebrimbor’s forge and the place where the bulk of the titular rings of power will be made. Previous trailers have already revealed that Sauron (Charlie Vickers), now taking the form of a beautiful elf called Annatar or the “Lord of Gifts”, influences Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) in the creation of these rings under the guise of helping Middle-earth and its people. But what happens next?
Well, if Celebrimbor’s reaction shot in this trailer is anything to go by, certainly nothing good. The clip hints that the master smith will, if not outright learn that Annatar is Sauron, at least realize that he is being manipulated for ends that are not his own. (It’s probably not an accident that his reflection is starting to look like a ringwraith, is it?) Sure, The Rings of Power has done some fudging of the timeline when it comes to the order in which the rings were made, but it still seems that Celebrimbor’s discovery of Annatar’s true purpose will lead to a fight for control of Eregion itself.
Let’s be clear: the siege of Eregion is one of the most brutal battles in J.R.R. Tolkien’s works, and its impact is felt for centuries afterward. This particular battle, which marks the beginning of the War Between the Elves and Sauron, shapes much of Middle-earth as fans of Peter Jackson’s films recognize it, playing a crucial part in everything from the foundation of Rivendell and the expansion of Lothlórien to the creation (and eventual closing) of the Doors of Durin in Khazad-dûm. Canonically speaking, not all of the characters the show is currently featuring make it out of this fight alive, and at least one of the major deaths will almost certainly be an extremely harrowing one. (No matter how the show decides to portray it. Yes, I’m being vague on purpose.)