The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has been diving into its version of the events of the Second Age and, in doing so, provided a darker origin to a Lord of the Rings moment. As a prequel, Prime Video’s series has ample opportunity to explore the background of certain Middle-earth features. Locations like Moria, Rivendell, and Gondor will be seen in their earliest days, long before Frodo ever set out from the Shire. Since much of the Second Age hasn’t been explored through first-hand perspective, Rings of Power has the opportunity to get creative with how some things in Lord of the Rings came to be—and it has taken full advantage.

In Rings of Power season 2, episode 5, the origin of the Doors of Durin was revealed. This is the entryway that Gandalf and the Fellowship used to enter Moria—an arch only visible in the moonlight and accessible only to those who can “speak friend and enter.” Just as in Tolkien canon, the door was crafted by the Dwarf Narvi and Celebrimbor as a means for easier trade and relations between the Elves of Eregion and the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm. However, unlike canon, Rings of Power added a dark twist to the Doors of Durin’s creation.

The Rings Of Power Makes Sauron Partly Responsible For The Doors Of Durin

Rings Of Power Has Made A Dark Change

In Tolkien’s version of events, the Doors of Durin were made centuries before Sauron visited Eregion. However, in Rings of Power, the relationship between the Dwarves and Elves, and therefore the Doors’ creation, all came down to the Dark Lord’s manipulation. While disguised as Annater (who Celebrimbor believed to be an emissary of the Valar), Sauron convinced Celebrimbor of the worthiness of Dwarves and helped him craft the gift that saved Khazad-dûm from a landslide—the Seven Rings. After this, the Doors of Durin commemorated the friendship this established.

Rings of Power implies that the Doors of Durin were inspired by all of Celebrimbor’s recent friendships since he explicitly mentions his new relationship with Annatar.

Though different from how Tolkien described it, Rings of Power‘s version of how the Doors of Durin came to be brings a haunting, dark beauty to its appearance in The Lord of the Rings. The Doors of Durin were a bittersweet symbol when the Fellowship saw them in Fellowship of the Ring since the friendship between the Elves and Dwarves had long since deteriorated. The idea that this friendship had been formed because of Sauron’s deceit is rather fitting, especially since the fall of Khazad-dûm was an extension of the villain’s meddling as well.

The Rings Of Power Shows Why The Doors Of Durin Password Is “Friend”

The Doors Of Durin Were Always A Bittersweet Reminder Of Old Friendships

The password to open the Doors of Durin is “m ellon,” the Elvish word for “friend.” Gandalf explained in Lord of the Rings that this was because the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm had once been friends with the Elves of Eregion, but Rings of Power took this further. The Prime Video series dives deeper into the conflicted relationship between these races even in the Second Age and demonstrates how Sauron’s influence went as far as to create beauty and friendship as a means for destruction.

While Rings of Power has made some changes, there is effective symbolism regarding this tragic “friendship” that drives this Lord of the Rings moment home.

Celebrimbor’s friendship with the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm was genuine, reflected in his combined work with Narvi. In Rings of Power, the Elf Lord has no idea that his gifts would bring about the downfall of their kingdom. Of course, Eregion itself is also doomed to fall. By the events of The Lord of the Rings, both Khazad-dûm and Eregion are no more. So, while Rings of Power has made some changes, there is effective symbolism regarding this tragic “friendship” that drives this Lord of the Rings moment home.