(New Line Cinema/Prime Video)

‘Rings of Power’ theory teases another diabolical Sauron twist

Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 release date is August 29, and a host of theories come with it, one of the more intriguing ones revolving around a shapeshifting Sauron and Galadriel’s MIA husband, Celeborn.

If your LOTR knowledge stems from the movies, then you probably think of Celeborn as the ethereal-looking dude next to Cate Blanchett’s Galadriel. While he has few lines in Peter Jackson’s adaptation, his role in J.R.R. Tolkien’s source material is anything but minimal. Celeborn led an army against Sauron’s forces during the Second Age, and it’s not the only battle he’d fight in. There’s no denying he is a strong leader and soldier, but it’s easy to get outshined when married to one of Middle-earth’s most beautiful and powerful beings. And although Celeborn isn’t necessarily a star player in Tolkien’s universe, his absence from Rings of Power is still perplexing, to say the least.

(New Line Cinema)

Canonically, Galadriel and Celeborn would have already had their daughter Celebrían, who would go on to marry Elrond and give birth to Arwen. Galadriel never mentions her daughter in Rings of Power, but she does talk about Celeborn. When Theo asks if she’s ever lost someone close, she recounts meeting Celeborn. Unlike the source material, this version of Celeborn apparently went to war against Morgoth and never returned.

Is he dead? Doubtful. Rings of Power is a prequel to The Lord of the Rings, where Celeborn is very much alive and well. All this suggests Rings of Power will deliver the grand return of Galadriel’s long-lost husband. However, Sauron could use Celeborn’s absence to his advantage and shapeshift into the elvish lord.

Celeborn could get his identity stolen

Sauron’s shapeshifting abilities allow him to commit a magical form of identity theft. Rings of Power’s season 2 trailer already teases Sauron’s Annatar persona, and while it’s undoubtedly his most famous disguise, it’s not his only one. Throughout Middle-earth’s history, he transforms into a werewolf, vampire, and even a serpent. That said, shapeshifting into Celeborn could be achievable and offer easy entry into Eregion, a realm of the Ñoldorin Elves.

In Tolkien’s text, Sauron befriends the Ñoldorin prince Celebrimbor and commences the creation of the titular Rings of Power, all under Annatar’s very charming and very handsome guise. Sauron doesn’t need to cosplay as Celeborn to get his dirty deeds done, but as far as TV goes, it would offer a healthy dose of drama before returning the true Celeborn to Galadriel’s side.

The Sauron/Celeborn theory has plot holes

Sauron’s sexual tension with Galadriel has been a point of contention among many. Still, it doesn’t seem like something Rings of Power is ready to abandon because shippers gotta ship. Having Sauron masquerade as Celeborn sounds as intriguing as it does problematic, and admittedly, it would be an easy way to up Sauron and Galadriel’s messy tension. The problem: Galadriel wouldn’t fall for it—or, at least, Tolkien’s version of Galadriel wouldn’t.

Elves take marriage seriously. They marry for life and share deep connections with their spouse. Given Galadriel’s power and connection to Celeborn, a poor imitation of her husband should be easy to spot. Sauron already fooled her as Halbrand, so repeating the plot point would be beyond eye-rolling. There’s also the fact that Sauron shapeshifts into original “characters” as opposed to assuming the identities of others.

Celeborn could be Sauron’s prisoner

(Amazon Prime Video)

None of this happens in Tolkien’s text. However, Rings of Power has already proven the Wild West of the Lord of the Rings universe. Celeborn, especially, is an easy target for creative liberty. Tolkien didn’t give him much page time, leaving lots of wiggle room for writers. They’ve already stepped well outside of canon, considering Tolkien never mentioned Celeborn leaving Galadriel for centuries, which would be a pretty big deal in most marriages.

The fact that he hasn’t returned suggests he could be a prisoner. Reddit and social media contain many theories, from Celeborn being locked away in Rhun to Sauron imprisoning Celeborn himself. While the latter presents its own host of questions, it could explain how Sauron learned of Celeborn’s likeness if the whole shape-shifting Sauron/Celeborn theory pans out.

At the time of writing, Amazon has not announced casting for Celeborn. What Rings of Power has planned for Celeborn is still very much a mystery. One thing is certain, though: Sauron was able to achieve his devious goals just fine as Annatar. If he were to assume Celeborn’s identity, things would likely only be messier, not easier.