The Rings of Power season 2 has been forged in the fires of Mount Doom – here’s what we know so far
The Rings of Power season 2 will launch on Prime Video in late August. (Image credit: Amazon MGM Studios)
The Rings of Power season 2 is less than two months away from being released on Prime Video. That’s right, the critically-acclaimed high fantasy series will return to our screens very soon, so it’s time to start swatting up on what’s worth knowing about it.
In this guide, you’ll learn more about The Rings of Power‘s second installment. That includes its official launch date, confirmed cast, plot synopsis, first trailer, and one of the best Prime Video shows’ future on Amazon’s primary streamer.
THE RINGS OF POWER SEASON 2 RELEASE DATE
The Rings of Power season 2 will be released on Prime Video on Thursday, August 29. The confirmation was revealed in the final few seconds of The Rings of Power season 2’s first trailer that also proved lessons have been learned from season 1 (more on why later).
It’s unclear how many episodes will arrive on launch dat. Season 1 debuted with a two-episode premiere, so we expect its successor will do the same. However, with Amazon trialling a full season release with the first season of its Fallout TV show, we could get all eight episodes of Amazon’s The Lord of The Rings prequel series on release day. We’ll update this section once we know more.
THE RINGS OF POWER SEASON 2 TRAILER
The Rings of Power season 2’s first trailer arrived in mid-May, and it not only hinted at a much darker installment, but that it’ll also adapt Middle-earth’s lore and history more closely than its predecessor. For more details about its biggest secrets (keep them safe!), read our The Rings of Power season 2’s trailer breakdown article.
That’s not the only footage that’s been debuted recently. Hours after the teaser’s unveiling, Amazon released a behind-the-scenes featurette for the show’s next entry, which contains additional new footage alongside its various cast and crew interviews:
THE RINGS OF POWER SEASON 2 CAST: CONFIRMED AND RUMORED
The Rings of Power‘s main characters are all slated to return. (Image credit: Prime Video)
Major spoilers follow for The Rings of Power season 1. Potential season 2 cast spoilers are also discussed.
Here’s The Rings of Power season 2’s full cast list so far (NB: the final six actors haven’t been confirmed to appear yet, but we expect they’ll part of proceedings):
Morfydd Clark as Galadriel
Charlie Vickers as Sauron/Annatar
Robert Aramayo as Elrond
Benjamin Walker as High King Gil-galad
Charles Edwards as Celebrimbor
Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir
Lloyd Owen as Elendil
Maxim Baldry as Isildur
Trystan Gravelle as Pharazôn
Owain Arthur as Prince Durin IV
Sophia Nomvete as Princess Disa
Peter Mullan as King Durin III
Markella Kavenagh as Eleanor ‘Nori’ Brandyfoot
Megan Richards and Poppy Proudfellow
Daniel Weyman as The Stranger
Sam Hazeldine as Adar
Rory Kinnear as Tom Bombadil
Nia Towle as Estrid
Tyroe Muhafidin as Theo
Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Queen Regent Míriel
Ema Horvath as Eärien
Leon Wadham as Kemen
Dylan Smith as Largo Brandyfoot
Sara Zwangobani as Marigold Brandyfoot
The Rings of Power season 1 finale revealed Halbrand was the human disguise for Sauron, aka The Lord of the Rings’ primary antagonist. In season 2, we’ll see plenty more of the Maiar, particularly in his elven form of Annatar, the so-called Lord of Gifts who Sauron masquerades as to fool the elves into helping him to craft more of the titular rings.
We expect to see Alex Tarrant’s Valandil, Geoff Morrell’s Waldreg, Maxine Cunliffe’ Vilma, and Thusitha Jayasundera’ Malva next season, although Vilma and Malva’s appearances depend on the Harfoot community’s return (more on this later).
As for those who won’t be back, the biggest cast omission will be Nazanin Boniadi, who played Bronwyn in season 1. Per Instagram (see above), Boniadi confirmed she won’t return for the show’s sophomore season.
Joseph Mawle isn’t returning as Adar, either, with The Rings of Power season 2 dropping one of its big name stars in December 2022. The fallen elf will be portrayed by Sam Hazeldine (Peaky Blinders) in season 2. Lenny Henry’s Sadoc Burrows, who died in season 1 episode 8, and The Mystics – the latter being destroyed by The Stranger during that episode – won’t be back, too.
On the newcomer front, the characters played by two of 17 actors, who were previously announced for season 2, have been revealed recently. Firstly, The Rings of Power season 2 will include a fan-favorite character in a live-action Lord of the Rings project for the very first time: Tom Bombadil, who’ll be played by Rory Kinnear (James Bond).
Secondly (and lastly, for now), Nia Towle (Persuasion) has been hired to play Estrid, a brand-new character who’ll cross paths with Isildur and could have big lore implications regarding the latter (per IGN).
As for the rest of season 2’s cast additions: six were announced alongside Mawle’s departure (see the link above), eight more were forged in the fires of Mount Doom (metaphorically speaking), and the final round of new cast announcements revealed Star Wars and Harry Potter stars had been added to its ranks. Read the list below for more details:
William Chubb (The Sandman)
Kevin Eldon (Game of Thrones)
Will Keen (His Dark Materials)
Selina Lo (Hellraiser)
Calum Lynch (Bridgerton)
Stuart Bowman (Alex Rider)
Gavi Singh Chera (The Lazarus Project)
Oliver Alvin-Wilson (Lovesick)
Ben Daniels (Foundation)
Yasen “Zates” Atour (Young Wallander)
Gabriel Akuwudike (1917)
Nicholas Woodeson (Rome)
Amelia Kenworthy (N/A)
Ciaran Hinds (Harry Potter)
Tanya Moodie (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker)
One new character confirmed we’ll see is Cirdan the Shipwright (per Time magazine). In the source material, Cirdan was Lord of the Falathrim in the First Age and owned one of the titular rings – Narya – before passing it onto Gandalf. Benjamin Walker, who plays High King Gil-galad, has teased (via Nerdist) that Cirdan will be an “important influence” on his character.
Cirdan isn’t the only elf who could feature. In season 1 episode 7, Galadriel name-checked Celeborn, the elf she’s wedded to and who she presumes is dead. However, Tolkien fans know he’s still alive, that the duo eventually reunite, and then make the city of Lothlórien their permanent home. Speaking at a press event that TechRadar attended, though, co-showrunner Patrick McKay refused to confirm Celeborn will appear in season 2.
Elsewhere, Charles Edwards, who plays Celebrimbor, wants to see a deep-cut dwarf character, aka the dwarf known as Narvi, make their live-action debut. And it seems he’ll get his wish, with The Fellowship of Fans (TFoF) suggesting we’ll see Celebrimbor and Narvi create the Doors of Durin in a flashback sequence. Empire magazine has also confirmed we’ll see a new type of troll – Damrod the Hill-Troll, who’ll be voiced by Benjamin Walker (he’s on dual acting duties this season) and joins Adar’s orc army.
Finally, with the first of the titular rings being crafted in season 1, we’ll see the other 17 forged in season 2. Characters like Khamûl the Easterling – one of the nine Ringwraiths – then, could make their live-action debut.
THE RINGS OF POWER SEASON 2 PLOT SYNOPSIS AND RUMORS
The Rings of Power season 2 will pick up directly after its forebear. (Image credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video)
Full spoilers follow for The Rings of Power season 1.
“Building on season 1’s epic scope and ambition, the new season plunges even its most beloved and vulnerable characters into a rising tide of darkness, challenging each to find their place in a world that is increasingly on the brink of calamity. Elves and dwarves, orcs and men, wizards and harfoots… as friendships are strained and kingdoms begin to fracture, the forces of good will struggle ever more valiantly to hold on to what matters to them most of all… each other.”
Sauron will masquerade as an elf named Annatar in season 2. (Image credit: Amazon MGM Studios)
Now that Sauron has been revealed – Vickers told TechRadar he didn’t know he was playing Sauron until filming the third episode – Middle-earth’s legendary villain is going to take center stage. In fact, season 2 will be “all about the villains”, according to co-showrunners Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne, so we’ll see more of Middle-earth’s nefarious beings this time around.
But back to Sauron. He’s arrived in Mordor to make it his base of operations and, with Adar and his followers already inhabiting this realm, it’ll be fascinating to see if they team up with Sauron. Vickers told TechRadar that he’d be excited to explore the pair’s frosty relationship further, which we already glimpsed in season 1, adding: “I really love that dynamic. These characters have a long history, so I’d be keen to explore that further and even build on it.”
As for Galadriel, her decision not to tell her elven kin about Sauron is going to come back and haunt her. Not only does Elrond already knows she’s lied to him – he found the Southlands’ royal lineage scroll, which Galadriel used to work out who Halbrand was, in last season’s finale – but Sauron is also set to deceive the elves once more. Indeed, this season, he’ll assume his Annatar alias, with the view to persuading Eregion’s elven smiths to help him create more of the titular rings. Those glaring errors means Galadriel has a “desperation to redeem herself”, according to actor Morfydd Clark (per Empire magazine).
Speaking of the aforementioned rings, there are more to create, including the One Ring. Vickers wouldn’t tell TechRadar if the One Ring will be made in season; instead saying Sauron “has a plan”. Take that as a yes, then.
Regarding their creation, Tolkien’s source material states the rings for the dwarves and men (seven and nine respectively) were created alongside the One Ring and elven ones. However, the latter trio’s creation didn’t happen alongside their brethren in Amazon’s TV show, which has played pretty loose with some Tolkien lore. However, this season will follow Tolkien’s literary works much more closely, so the other 17 rings should be forged before season 2 ends. The first trailer confirmed Durin’s Ring will be made, so we suspect the others will be, too.
We’ll also follow up with The Stranger, who was revealed as one of the Istari, aka one of the five wizards sent to Middle-earth by the Valar (Middle-earth’s gods, essentially) to help thwart Sauron. The season 1 finale seemed to confirm his real identity, although none of the cast found out that The Stranger was a wizard until filming on season 1 had nearly wrapped.
Anyway, The Stranger and new Harfoot buddy Nori are heading to Rhûn in Middle-earth’s far eastern regions to learn more about his identity, his past, and his powers. Will they run into Khamûl or the two Blue Wizards, providing The Stranger isn’t one of that duo? We certainly hope so.
As for the other Harfoots, they’re headed for pastures new again. Speaking during a press screening, which TechRadar attended, in October 2022, McKay confirmed we’ll be reunited with them at some point and even teased their involvement in Hobbiton’s founding.
We should find out where the Southlanders have relocated to, too. Season 1 episode 7 confirmed the Southlands is the region that becomes Mordor after The Rings of Power episode 6’s explosive ending. Additionally, Bronwyn suggested the remaining Southlanders would resettle in Pelargir, a city on the banks of the river Anduin that becomes Gondor’s main port in the Third Age.
This group – Silvan elf warrior Arondir, who accompanies them, aside – were absent from the first trailer, so we’re still waiting to find out more about their season 2 subplot. It’s unlikely, though, that season 1 marked the end of the Southlanders’ time in the series. In the source material, Pelargir becomes a haven for the Faithful – Númenóreans who are friendly with the elves – during the island kingdom’s moral decline in the Second Age. If events play out like they do in Tolkien’s works, we’ll see them again.
Arondir and Isildur will be joined by newcomer Estrid in season 2. (Image credit: Ross Ferguson/Prime Video)
In Khazad-dûm, King Durin III and Prince Durin IV need to resolve their familial dispute, with the former stripping his son of his titles after they fell out over the mining of mithril. We believe season 2 will depict the brutal Siege of Eregion in its final few episodes, however, meaning the pair will make amends before Durin III’s forces come to Eregion’s aid to try and stop Sauron’s army from decimating the city. In the literature, King Durin sends a legion of dwarven warriors to do just that as the War of the Elves and Sauron begins. It would make sense, then, for him to patch things up with his son (and the elves) to ensure that Middle-earth’s timeline plays out in the same way here.
The two Durins will also need to set their differences aside to deal with a prominent Balrog – aka Durin’s Bane – who was teased in season 1. Asked by TechRadar if we’ll see it again, McKay simply teased: “Season 2, sir. Stay tuned”. The first trailer teased the Balrog’s emergence, so expect it to attack Khazad-dûm at some stage.
Then there’s the forthcoming upheaval in Númenor. King Palantir is dead, meaning Queen Regent Míriel should be crowned the island realm’s next ruler. However, with Míriel blinded in season 1 episode 7, plus what we know of Númenor’s history, Pharazôn will make a play for the throne. That, coupled with Sauron (albeit in a disguise) worming his way into Númenorean high society – we don’t know if this’ll be tackled in The Rings of Power season 2 – will eventually lead to the kingdom’s downfall. That island’s sinking, though, shouldn’t happen for another season or two.
And what of Elendil, Isildur, and Eärien? The former will be grieving for his son – we know Isildur is alive, given the role he plays in Sauron’s defeat in the Second Age and his first trailer appearance – while still carrying out his Númenorean duties. Meanwhile, Eärien discovered the palantír in the season 1’s final entry. Will she use it to see into Númenor’s future? Her decision to do so or not could have big implications for everyone.
You can expect The Rings of Power season 2 to start tying its numerous story threads together as well. Speaking to Empire, McKay said: “All our stories start to become one story, and the one story is the way the re-emergence of Sauron touches everybody and threatens the whole world”. From large-scale battles that are “on a much grander scale” (per Empire) than season 1, to characters from different narratives crossing paths, then, the show’s next entry promises to be bigger and better than before.
WILL THE RINGS OF POWER GET MORE SEASONS?
The Rings of Power is billed as a five-season TV series. (Image credit: Amazon MGM Studios)
The Rings of Power season 2 won’t be the series’ final chapter. Payne and McKay have planned for five seasons, which is already mapped out. Based on reports on February, The Rings of Power season 3 is already in development.
More seasons of The Rings of Power aren’t the only Lord of the Rings projects we’ll see soon, either. Warner Bros. Discovery will release War of the Rohirrim , an animated film set almost 200 years before The Lord of The Rings’ book trilogy, will arrive in late 2024. A new film from Peter Jackson, who’s directed the six live-action Lord of the Rings movies, is also in early development. It’s called The Hunt for Gollum, and it’ll see Andy Serkis return as the titular character. Jackson is on board as a producer, while Serkis will direct this 2026-releasing feature.
These other projects won’t impact The Rings of Power, however. It’s one of most-watched shows in Prime Video’s history so, unless the second season suffers a huge drop off in viewership, it’s unlikely to be cancelled any time soon. In short: expect McKay and Payne to see their full vision for a five-season story realized.
For more Prime Video TV-based coverage, get the lowdown on Invincible season 3, Fallout season 2, and The Boys season 4.
