The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is back and better than ever in its second season as it gets closer and closer to unleashing full-scale war upon Middle-earth. The latest episodes of the Prime Video original series see Sauron working his deception on Celembrimbor to craft more rings of power for the Dwarves and Men, kickstarting a chain reaction that will lead to the forging of the One Ring. The newest season has also seen an uptick in its reception from both critics and fans after its debut season received decidedly mixed reviews. The show seems to have finally found its footing in J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy world, winning over some fans of The Lord of the Rings in the process.

Season 2 of The Rings of Power is very promising for fans of the original franchise in that it finally starts to do something new with the world of Middle-earth. Its first season was considered by some to be unremarkable and somewhat toothless, with a generally positive atmosphere that didn’t quite underline the magnitude of the events therein. However, Season 2 takes a very dark turn that sees civilizations on the brink of collapse, characters dying in brutal ways, and corruption spreading throughout Middle-earth. Even with this dark turn in recent episodes, fans may not yet fully understand just how dark The Rings of Power is going to get by the end of its run.

The Rings Of Power Will Kill Off Most Of Its Main Cast

The multi-season format of Prime Video’s original series lends itself to building up characters that audiences will grow to love over the years. However, viewers shouldn’t get too attached to the cast of The Rings of Power. Although many of the characters therein will play pivotal roles in the war to come, many will not survive until the end of the series. As early as Season 2, The Rings of Power has begun killing off characters, including Valandil, a friend of Isildur’s who is murdered by Kemen in Episode 5 of Season 2. However, this is only the beginning of the rampant death that will fill much of the show’s future. As the series builds up to the wars between Sauron and the alliance of Elves and Men, almost all of the main cast will perish before the story is complete.

J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium reveals that many characters currently starring in The Rings of Power will meet gruesome fates before too long (potential spoilers to follow for those who aren’t familiar with The Silmarillion). The island of Numenor eventually sinks into the ocean after a great flood, killing many prominent characters, including former Queen Miriel and likely Eärien. Celebrimbor meets a particularly horrific end when he finally rebels against Sauron and is tortured to death. The dark lord then uses the body of the once-prominent Elf as his new banner, inspiring fear in the armies that come up against him. Though many characters will survive until the final battle with Sauron, many of these will die in the climactic conflict. Both Gil-galad and Elendil perish in an epic confrontation with Sauron, ending their heroic last stand on a dour note, even if the forces of light prevail in the end. By the end of the series, only a few characters, mostly those with a role in The Lord of the Rings, will survive.

The Rings of Power Is Setting Up A Tragic Failed Hero

Trivia

In The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, Isildur is played by Harry Sinclair.

Even the characters who survive The Rings of Power won’t necessarily meet happy fates. The Lord of the Rings series is building up Isildur as a tragic hero who will ultimately fail in the end. Isildur is the son of Elendil and a burgeoning hero making his way into Middle-earth. Played by Maxim Baldry, Isildur is portrayed as flawed but noble, a young man still learning what kind of person he will be. Slowly, he begins to develop more heroic attributes as he grows to become the warrior who will eventually slay Sauron and win the last battle of the Second Age. However, though audiences will be rooting for Isildur throughout The Rings of Power, they also know that he will ultimately fail in the end.

Isildur infamously has the chance to destroy Sauron’s One Ring after defeating the Dark Lord at Mordor. However, Isildur becomes enamored with the Ring and instead chooses to keep it for himself. Only a few years later, Isildur is killed by a band of Orcs when the Ring betrays him and slips from his finger. In the end, the once-heroic Isildur fails to destroy Sauron, dooming Middle-earth to another war. No matter how many heroic deeds Isildur may accomplish in the show, nearly all will be undone by his failure to destroy the Ring, painting him as one of the greatest failures in the line of Elendil despite slaying Sauron. Even The Rings of Power‘s greatest hero will fail in the end.

The Rings Of Power’s Payoff Will Be Worth The Wait

The Lord of the Rings Franchise

Film/Series
Year
IMDb Rating
Rotten Tomatoes Score
Streaming

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
2001
8.9/10
92%
Max/ Prime Video

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2003
9.0/10
94%

The Hobbit Trilogy
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
2012
7.8/10
64%

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
2013
7.8/10
74%

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
2014
7.4/10
59%

Prime Video Franchise
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
2022-Present
6.9/10
84%

Spinoffs
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
2024
Upcoming

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum
2026
Upcoming

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It is no secret that The Rings of Power has been controversial ever since its premiere in 2022, with many fans of Tolkien’s books and Peter Jackson’s movies criticizing nearly every aspect of the Prime Video series. The backlash was so strong during the show’s first season that it was nearly impossible to carry on an intelligent discussion of its strengths and weaknesses in an unbiased and thoughtful way. However, despite its many controversial aspects, The Rings of Power is building up to an epic payoff in the War of the Last Alliance and the Battle of Mordor. Things will slowly get darker and darker in Middle-earth as Sauron continues to expand his grasp over the land and its people. Although the forces of good will prevail in the end, their victory will only be partial, resulting in a heartbreaking ending for many characters that audiences will have grown to love over multiple seasons of television.

The Rings of Power is building up to one of the darkest entries in The Lord of the Rings. The franchise almost always steers toward optimism, choosing to depict the world in a more positive light even despite the darkness that always seems to be growing. However, by depicting the events leading up to the forging of the One Ring, the series inherently invites a darker tone with each new season. This might be precisely what the show needs to carve its own space in the franchise, becoming known as the darkest entry in what is an otherwise very positive story.