The Rings of Power season 2, episode 5 included the biggest tease yet for Sauron’s eventual defeat, hidden in plain sight. The bulk of The Rings of Power season 2, episode 5’s story takes place on the island kingdom of Númenor. Amid visions of the fall of Númenor in The Rings of Power, a struggle for the throne continues between Míriel and her faithful supporters and those aligned with Pharazôn. Caught in the center of this are characters like Elendil, Kemen, Valandil, and Eärien, giving Númenor’s cast of characters in The Rings of Power much more agency than prior episodes.

As Lord of the Rings’ Rings of Power are being crafted across the sea, Elendil begins wondering where his place is in Númenor. As a captain does, Elendil takes orders from his queen, yet desires to do more to fight off the usurping of her role by Pharazôn and his supporters. However, as Elendil reckons with the increasingly tyrannical grip of Pharazôn, a subtle tease of his importance to The Rings of Power‘s timeline via the eventual defeat of Sauron is found.

Elendil Giving Up His Sword In The Rings Of Power Season 2, Episode 5 Teases Narsil’s Introduction

An Iconic Lord Of The Rings Weapon Is Closer To Appearing

The moment that teases Sauron’s future demise involves Pharazôn dismissing numerous supporters of Míriel from Númenor’s Sea Guard. One such character is Elendil, who is stripped of his captaincy and thus the sword he received upon his promotion to the position in The Rings of Power season 1. Elendil begrudgingly accepts his new reality and removes the sword from his belt, handing it to Kemen before his former Sea Guard soldiers prove their loyalty by granting him a captain’s exit.

With Elendil now without a sword going into The Rings of Power season 2’s final few episodes, the weapon that will eventually cut the One Ring from Sauron’s finger in the War of the Last Alliance could be introduced…

While this scene may seem like a simple way to depict the sway Elendil has in the fight against Pharazôn, it actually sets up one of The Lord of the Rings’ most powerful swords: Narsil. Narsil is the sword wielded by Elendil when he eventually becomes the High King of Arnor and Gondor upon traveling to Middle-earth. With Elendil now without a sword going into The Rings of Power season 2’s final few episodes, the weapon that will eventually cut the One Ring from Sauron’s finger in the War of the Last Alliance could be introduced to the show.

The Sword Of Narsil Could Be Linked To Elendil’s Palantír Vision

Elendil’s Vision Led Him Away From Númenor

Another intriguing aspect of Elendil’s story in The Rings of Power season 2, episode 5 was the vision he saw in the Palantír. Míriel asks Elendil what it was he was shown, with the latter insisting he saw himself riding away from a seemingly destroyed Númenor to lands unknown. This vision is foreshadowing Elendil eventually settling in Middle-earth alongside his two sons, Isildur and Anárion, as is known from Tolkien’s history. Interestingly, this could tie thematically to the potential inclusion of Narsil.

Anárion has not yet been introduced but was mentioned as living on Númenor’s western shores, meaning he could appear in The Rings of Power season 3 .

Upon settling in Middle-earth, Elendil, Isildur, and Anárion form the kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor. Throughout the remainder of the Second Age and the entirety of the Third Age, Narsil becomes a symbol of the strength of these kingdoms of men. As such, Elendil’s exodus to Middle-earth could coincide with the claiming of Narsil, driven by his expulsion from the Númenórean Sea Guard in The Rings of Power season 2, episode 5, and the subsequent loss of his sword.

Narsil Was Teased In The Rings Of Power Season 1

Míriel’s Chamber May House The Legendary Sword

Given the importance of Narsil to the world of The Lord of the Rings, Elendil’s story in The Rings of Power season 2 is not the first time it has been teased thus far. In The Rings of Power season 1, episode 4, Galadriel was taken to Míriel’s secret chamber at the top of the royal tower in Númenor. There, several relics that were important to Míriel were housed, including the Palantir that eventually caused her downfall in The Rings of Power season 2.

One of these relics is a sword that closely resembles Narsil from Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings movies. The curved pommel and the similar adornments on either side of the crossguard are the same as Narsil’s design from Jackson’s movies. Similarly, the sword in Míriel’s chamber has the double-handed grip that Narsil possesses, the bottom half being metal and the top half being ribbed for better grip. Whether this sword is confirmed as Narsil or simply a replica remains to be seen, but upcoming episodes of The Rings of Power lean more toward the former being true.

Rings of Power Season 2 Episodes
Episode Number
Release Date

“Elven Kings Under the Sky”
Season 2, Episode 1
August 29, 2024

“Where the Stars are Strange”
Season 2, Episode 2
August 29, 2024

“The Eagle and the Sceptre”
Season 2, Episode 3
August 29, 2024

“Eldest”
Season 2, Episode 4

September 5, 2024

TBA
Season 2, Episode 5
September 12, 2024

TBA
Season 2, Episode 6
September 19, 2024

TBA
Season 2, Episode 7
September 26, 2024

TBA
Season 2, Episode 8
October 3, 2024

Concerning what is known of Narsil’s location in the Second Age, it is unclear whether the sword in The Rings of Power season 1 was Narsil. The books state that Narsil was the property of the lords of Andúnië, the same city from which Elendil’s family hails. This indicates that the sword in Míriel’s chamber from The Rings of Power season 1 was not Narsil, but simply a sword of similar design. That said, The Rings of Power‘s lore changes from Tolkien’s works are common with minor aspects, with this potentially being one of them.

Andúnië is likely the city where Anárion lives in The Rings of Power, and could be included in future seasons of the show.

Narsil Is Integral To Both Of Sauron’s Defeats

The Sword Of Elendil Plagues Sauron’s Efforts Across Two Ages Of Middle-earth

With so much talk of Narsil being included in The Rings of Power, it is worth recapping why the sword is so important. As alluded to, it is vital to the defeat of Sauron at the end of Middle-earth’s Second Age, though its importance stretches beyond that. Beginning with its centrality to the Second Age, and likely the ending of The Rings of Power‘s entire story, it is the sword wielded by Elendil during the War of the Last Alliance. This war came after the War of the Elves and Sauron, the conflict beginning in The Rings of Power season 2.

In the climactic battle of the War of the Last Alliance, the Siege of Barad-dûr, Elendil was slain by Sauron, and the sword of Narsil was shattered into pieces. Isildur then took up the broken hilt of Narsil and used what was left of the weapon to cut the One Ring from Sauron’s finger. Given how intrinsically Sauron’s power was tied to the Ring, the Dark Lord faded into obscurity, and his entire force was decimated, resulting in a victory for the eponymous Last Alliance of elves and men.

The War of the Last Alliance was shown in the prologue of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, events The Rings of Power will build towards.

Millennia later, Narsil proved to be integral to defeating Sauron a second time. During the War of the Ring, shown in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies, the shards of Narsil were reforged as Andúril and given to Aragorn. With Andúril, Aragorn claimed his rightful place as the king of Gondor and a descendant of Elendil and Isildur. Using Andúril, Aragorn aided Frodo by waging war against Mordor, allowing the latter to destroy the One Ring for good and defeat Sauron entirely, leading to what came after The Lord of the Rings: the peaceful Fourth Age.

With Narsil playing such an integral role in two of Sauron’s biggest defeats, it makes a lot of sense that The Rings of Power would place such importance on the weapon. When Narsil is eventually introduced and claimed by Elendil, the moment will undoubtedly be monumental. Until then, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is only providing teases at the instrument of Sauron’s defeat, foreshadowing the wars to come for Elendil and Isildur in the process.