The newest reports indicate that the highly anticipated second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will resurrect a perilous adversary from The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Coupled with the already heightened anticipation for the second round of events in Galadriel’s and Elrond’s struggles against Sauron, the return of this fan-favorite bad guy raises the bar high for the new set of episodes.

Maxim Baldry recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly, where he revealed Shelob’s return in the second season. She was the huge spider that almost got the better of Frodo in The Return of the King. She will now prove to be a deadly threat to Isildur in a harrowing survival sequence across the perilous landscapes of Mordor.

He shared some details about his character’s emotional journey in the new season, stating how Isildur is hurled into a life-or-death situation. “I’m awoken in a cave and I have to fight my way through Shelob to get to safety, which is an obscene way to start a season,” Baldry explained. “It’s a story of survival, and it’s a story about ‘be careful what you wish for.’ He grows from a boy into a man, and he has to learn who to trust and who not to trust.”

Isildur’s Battle for Survival in Mordor

This subplot is hence more than guaranteed to add depth to Isildur’s character and offers scope for the series to explore the tragic fate of the eventual hero. It would be Isildur who would strike the final blow on Sauron, only to claim the One Ring for himself, a fate that brings him down eventually.

While Season 1 of The Rings of Power does receive acclaim for its world-building and the development of Galadriel’s character, some critics argue that Isildur’s plot thread was relatively thin. It seems that Season 2 will address this with the addition of a perilous battle against Shelob and more heroic moments for Isildur; consequently, his eventual corruption by the Ring will become even more tragic.

It is in Isildur’s journey that the series can gain layers of drama and tension as Galadriel’s link with Sauron tightens and the forging of the titular rings overshadows everything. On the off chance that his battles and eventual fall are focused on, they could add further intricacy and feeling to this portrayal of one of Middle-earth’s most complex characters.

Already, fans are abuzz with excitement over Shelob’s return and further exploration into Isildur’s character arc. This iconic villain shows that the new season is not only going to raise the stakes but also be powered by epic storytelling on a high-stakes level, very similar to what The Lord of the Rings does.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 premieres on Prime Video on August 29.