Galadriel made a dangerous mistake in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1, and it could prove to be an even bigger problem in season 2. The Prime video series has taken a different angle on the regal elf’s character, showing a time in her long life that may have been a little darker than what was seen in The Lord of the Rings or J.R.R. Tolkien’s other works. This included a brief friendship with Sauron (in the form of Halbrand), which was only made worse by Galadriel’s decision not to tell anyone about it. Ultimately, if Tolkien canon can be counted on, this could be a significant regret for her character.

The driving force of Galadriel’s character arc in The Rings of Power season 1 was her desire for revenge against Sauron for killing her brother. Unlike her Lord of the Rings counterpart, the elf had a single-tracked mind and quickly disregarded anything that didn’t put her closer to her goal. This made the reveal that Halbrand was Sauron all the more impactful since he seemed to be the first person that she had stopped to develop a friendship with in years. Still, even once she knew the truth, Galadriel didn’t tell any of her fellow elves, and this could present a problem for The Rings of Power season 2.

Galadriel’s Sauron Secret Will Make Her Warnings Useless In Rings Of Power Season 2

Galadriel was so determined that Celebrimbor make the Three Elven Rings that she kept her lips sealed about the identity of the person who had suggested they do it in the first place. The friendship between the elf and Dark Lord never happened in Tolkien canon, so it’s hard to say precisely why Galadriel didn’t even tell Elrond in The Rings of Power. Still, it’s likely she recognized that, despite who had had the idea, the Rings were necessary if they ever hoped to take Sauron down. Unfortunately, this could be a problem when Sauron inevitably shows up in Eregion hoping to make his own Rings of Power.

In Tolkien canon, when Sauron took the form of Annatar and convinced the elves of Eregion to help him make his rings, Galadriel was one of the few who immediately distrusted him. Unfortunately, no one listened to her. This has always been frustrating to readers, who obviously knew the truth. However, if The Rings of Power season 2 were to adopt this plot, Galadriel’s secret would make the dismissal of her warning even worse. In that version of events, it would be her fault that the elves trusted Annatar since she had never come forward about his previous deception.

Galadriel Keeping Sauron’s Secret Could Doom Middle-earth

Galadriel’s intentions in The Rings of Power season 1 seemed good, but the consequences could be dire. Obviously, audiences already know what will happen with Sauron and Middle-earth since the Dark Lord is still the central villain hundreds of years later in The Lord of the Rings. It’s already a part of canon that Sauron will pretend to be Annatar, trick the elves of Eregion into helping him make the Rings of Power, and gift them to the various leaders of Middle-earth to control with his own One Ring. Nothing Galadriel does in Rings of Power could stop this, but the implication that she could have had a hand in it is interesting.

If Galadriel tries to convince everyone that Annatar is Sauron in The Rings of Power season 2, and no one takes her seriously because she never warned them of the danger, to begin with, it would imply that the elf herself is the reason that the terrible war that awaits Middle-earth happens. It would significantly shift the responsibility that Galadriel carries in The Lord of the Rings and would explain (even further) why she was so determined to set the world right again. Of course, Galadriel’s story could take an entirely different direction than canon—only The Rings of Power season 2 can answer for sure.