There are several iconic locations from J.R.R. Tolkien’s mythology that the black tower from The Rings of Power season 2’s trailer could be. Set during the Second Age of Middle-earth, thousands of years before The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Amazon’s The Rings of Power began in a far more peaceful realm compared to Tolkien’s books and Peter Jackson’s movie adaptations. That all changed with The Rings of Power season 1’s ending. Not only did Sauron reveal himself openly for the first time since Morgoth’s defeat, but the origin of Mordor was shown in all its glory.

Sauron’s comeback tour will continue in The Rings of Power season 2. Trailer footage shows Galadriel and her elf friends scrambling to recover after the Dark Lord tricked them into forging three rings during season 1, while vast swathes of Middle-earth are evidently following the Southlands by falling into Sauron’s grasp. The most prominent example of Sauron’s darkness spreading in The Rings of Power season 2’s trailer comes at the very end, when a magical bang turns a pleasant mountain landscape into a frozen waste housing a massive black tower.

The Tower At The End Of The Rings Of Power Season 2’s Trailer Is Potentially Barad-dûr

Will Sauron Continue His Domination Of Mordor When The Rings Of Power Returns?

One possibility is that the black tower at the end of The Rings of Power season 2’s trailer is Sauron’s main stronghold of Barad-dûr in Mordor. After season 1 focused so heavily on the transformation process of the Southlands into Mordor and Sauron’s return to prominence, it makes sense for The Rings of Power season 2 to chronicle the Dark Lord’s biggest DIY project. Barad-dûr’s creation does indeed follow in the wake of Sauron resurfacing during the Second Age, so Amazon’s timeline would broadly line up with Tolkien’s mythology here.

The Rings of Power season 2’s trailer presents the black tower’s creation as its big finale shot – a pièce de résistance to get viewers excited about the show’s return. Barad-dûr is one of the most famous locations in the entire Lord of the Rings legendarium, so its debut appearance in The Rings of Power would absolutely justify the pomp and circumstance of headlining season 2’s highly-anticipated trailer release.

Viewers more familiar with Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings movies than Tolkien’s books may point to the black tower’s lack of roof horns as proof the structure is not Barad-dûr. The pointy u-shaped crown Barad-dûr is famous for was, however, a feature designed entirely for Jackson’s movies. The horned top accommodated Sauron’s flaming eye, which was not drawn from the original Lord of the Rings books.

The Rings Of Power’s Black Tower Could Be A Flashback To Angband

The Icy Landscape Isn’t Typical For Mordor

One curious detail from the final scene of The Rings of Power season 2’s trailer is a frozen expanse that accompanies the mysterious black tower. Mordor is traditionally a burning, ashen, volcanic region, and was certainly portrayed that way by The Rings of Power season 1 once the Southlands collapsed. The tower from the trailer, however, is surrounded by icy crags and a chilly mist. This could suggest the fortress is actually Angband, not Barad-dûr.

Angband was the main fortress of Morgoth, Sauron’s master, during the First Age, and sat far to the north of Middle-earth where the climate is snowy and cold. Galadriel experienced this chilly weather for herself when she discovered the Dark Lord’s stronghold in The Rings of Power‘s very first episode. Angband’s construction greatly predates The Rings of Power, but season 1 included numerous flashbacks to the First Age, highlighting key moments from the War of Wrath and the Years of the Trees. The Rings of Power season 2 could contain a similar flashback that shows Morgoth establishing Angband.

The problem with this theory is that Morgoth built Angband mostly underground, more akin to the great dwarf halls than the lofty tower Sauron would later occupy in Mordor. Consequently, it could be argued that Angband would not have such a monstrous, ostentatious exterior like the one seen in the final moments of The Rings of Power‘s season 2 trailer.

The Rings Of Power Season 2’s Black Tower Shouldn’t Be Minas Morgul

One may consider the possibility that The Rings of Power season 2’s black tower is Minas Morgul, Sauron’s fortification on the edge of Gondor famous for its green, eerie glow and foreboding presence. Comparing how the structures are depicted in the Lord of the Rings movies, the tower from The Rings of Power season 2’s trailer certainly looks closer in architectural style to the sharp, layered Minas Morgul than the more column-like Barad-dûr.

Regardless, The Rings of Power introducing Minas Morgul in season 2 would represent a huge break from Middle-earth’s canon timeline. Sauron occupies Minas Morgul relatively deep into the Third Age, over 2000 years on from The Rings of Power‘s timeline. Amazon played fast-and-loose with Tolkien’s chronology in season 1, but even so, introducing Minas Morgul could prove a step too far. Sauron seizes the location from Gondor, which was little more than a twinkle in Isildur’s eye when The Rings of Power‘s debut season ended. Even if the timeline were brought forward, therefore, introducing Minas Morgul would require a great deal of ground-covering in season 2.