Home>Entertainment>TV Shows
Annatar, sea monsters, and rings, oh my!
ByBelen Edwards on
All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.
Charlie Vickers as Sauron in "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power."Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video
The first teaser for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 is here, promising Sauron like you've never seen him before. (Blond.)
J.R.R. Tolkien's legendary villain (played by Charlie Vickers) spent most of The Rings of Power Season 1 disguised as human Halbrand, only revealing his true nature in the Season 1 finale. But now that Sauron is officially back in action, it won't be long until his darkness threatens to corrupt all of Middle-earth for good.
SEE ALSO:
Sauron slays in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Season 2 trailerThe Season 2 teaser leans heavily on that encroaching darkness, highlighting Sauron's new destructive tactics and his bold new form. From new rings to unexpected team-ups, here are the seven most exciting moments from the Rings of Power Season 2 teaser.
1. Sauron becomes Annatar in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2
New look, same evil.Credit: Screenshot: Prime Video
If you take one thing away from this teaser, let it be this: It's Annatar time!
Annatar, also known as the Lord of Gifts, is Sauron's fair form. In Tolkien's The Silmarillion, he takes on this disguise to nudge Elven smith Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) into forging the Rings of Power for dwarves and men. While Celebrimbor creates the Elven rings last in The Silmarillion, he makes them first in the show, meaning that The Rings of Power is switching up Tolkien's ring-forging timeline. However, the appearance of Annatar — because who else would blond, Elven Sauron really be? — in the teaser suggests that the Lord of Gifts isn't done gifting quite yet. Perhaps he'll even pay Celebrimbor another visit, explaining the brief shot of the two of them in the same room together towards the end of the teaser.
SEE ALSO:
'House of the Dragon' Season 2 trailer: Westeros prepares for war2. The Rings of Power forges even more rings in Season 2
"Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky."Credit: Screenshot: Prime Video
Season 1 of The Rings of Power ended with the forging of the three Elven rings, and the Season 2 trailer shows them off in all their glory in the above shot. The three Elven ring bearers in Tolkien's legendarium are Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), the High King Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker), and shipwright Círdan. We met the first two in Season 1, and showrunner Patrick McKay confirmed in an interview with Deadline that Círdan will be playing a major role in the series going forward. Brace yourselves for more Elven ring action!
Put that ring back where it came from or so help me!Credit: Screenshot: Prime Video
But the Elven rings aren't the only rings we're working with this season. The teaser also shows off Durin III (Peter Mullan) taking a good long look at a ring of his own. That likely means we're getting the "seven [rings] for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone" in Season 2. But do they come from friendly forges? Or is this more of Sauron's trickery at work? I'm going to guess the latter.
SEE ALSO:
10 burning questions we have after 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' finale3. Sea monsters and nasty tendrils — things are getting scary in Middle-earth!
What is this?Credit: Screenshot: Prime Video
I did not expect the Rings of Power teaser to send a chill down my spine, but then that gargantuan sea monster showed up. The rest, as they say, is spine-chilling history.
Mashable Top Stories
Stay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news.
Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter
By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up!
AND WHAT IS THIS?Credit: Screenshot: Prime Video
The sea monster isn't the only freaky beastie at play in The Rings of Power Season 2. The trailer features a frightening, humanoid mass of black tendrils crawling out of the ground, as well as tree roots worming their way menacingly through a forest. And we can't forget Galadriel's red-tinged scream queen moment! Looks like Sauron's darkness is taking hold already.
4. Arondir and Isildur — who did not die! — team up
New potential bromance just dropped.Credit: Screenshot: Prime Video
The Rings of Power left Isildur's (Maxim Baldry) fate up in the air at the end of Season 1, with the Númenorean soldier getting trapped in the fallout from the volcanic explosion that created Mordor. However, the Season 2 teaser proves that he's very much alive. No surprise there, since Isildur has a big part to play in the founding of Gondor and the coming fight against Sauron.
SEE ALSO:
'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' is basically 'Cats: The Musical'Not only is Isildur alive, he's also teamed up with an unexpected ally: elf Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova). They're only together onscreen for a brief amount of time, but this is a partnership I'm fully ready for.
5. The Stranger is still doing his mysterious magical thing in Season 2 of The Rings of Power
It's magic time!Credit: Screenshot: Prime Video
The Season 1 finale of The Rings of Power all but confirmed outright that the figure known as the Stranger (Daniel Weyman) is actually Gandalf. And in Season 2, it looks like we're going to see some more of his powerful Istari magic in action. The Stranger only appears for a flash in the Season 2 trailer, but it's enough time for him to summon a powerful windstorm — one that nearly sends his Harfoot traveling companion Nori Brandyfoot (Markella Kavenagh) flying.
Related Stories
- The 5 best fantasy shows to watch if you liked 'House of the Dragon' and 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power'
- 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' reveals where Galadriel's husband Celeborn has been this whole time
- Who is Adar in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power'?
- The best movies on Prime Video right now
- Amazon Prime Day is just around the corner — here's how to find the best deals
Please help Nori.Credit: Screenshot: Prime Video
Remember, these two are headed to the land of Rhûn in the east, which is a fairly underdeveloped region compared to other areas of Tolkien's work. It's the home of the Easterlings, who later choose to serve Sauron, but other than that, this is uncharted territory — both for Nori and the Stranger, and for the audience.
6. Expect battles galore
The charge of the elf brigade.Credit: Screenshot: Prime Video
The Rings of Power Season 1 stunned us with its epic battle between the forces of Númenor and the orcs of the Southlands. Based on this new teaser, it looks like the show hopes to match (or even surpass) that level of action in Season 2.
This is not what we meant when we said light the beacons.Credit: Screenshot: Prime Video
We see several shots of elves like Galadriel and Elrond (Robert Aramayo) gearing up for battle, including a sequence where Elrond leads an army charging into battle. Perhaps most intriguing is a night-time battle sequence where catapults rain fire upon an Elven city. Is this the realm of Lindon coming under attack?
7. Is that... Barad-dûr?
All that's missing is a giant glowing eye.Credit: Screenshot: Prime Video
The final seconds of the Rings of Power Season 2 teaser deliver one of the most exciting — and slightly terrifying — Sauron moments yet. Faced with several angry elves, including Celebrimbor, Sauron (in Annatar form) flexes his hands and sends a massive icy blast across the landscape. As he does, we see a castle that is exactly what you'd picture if someone told you to imagine an evil lair. It's dark, it's spiky, it's gargantuan — and it might just be Barad-dûr, Sauron's central fortress in Mordor.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 premieres Aug. 29 on Prime Video.
TopicsAmazon Prime VideoLord of the Rings
Belen Edwards is an Entertainment Reporter at Mashable. She covers movies and TV with a focus on fantasy and science fiction, adaptations, animation, and more nerdy goodness.
Recommended For You
'Twisters' trailer: Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones chase gnarly tornadoes
It's time to chase some storms.
By Belen Edwards
Joel and Ellie return in 'The Last of Us' Season 2 first look
Emotional devastation is coming to HBO and Max.
By Belen Edwards
Prime Day: 11 things you should buy, and 3 to avoid
No impulse buys!
By Tim Marcin , Jae Thomas , and Samantha Mangino
The best MacBooks: Which Apple laptop would we buy in 2024?
Whether you want something current or from a previous generation, we've got you covered.
By Dylan Haas
More in Entertainment
iPhone 16 Pro Max could last longer than iPhone 15 Pro Max. Here’s why.
Big battery boost.
By Alex Perry
iPhone 16: Release date, price, specs, features, and other rumors
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models are only a few months away.
By Kimberly Gedeon
You can now create interactive charts with GPT-4o — how to access with ChatGPT
That's convenient, I guess.
By Alex Perry
Don't feel like cooking? Collect the best DoorDash promo codes of the week.
Ring in the summer with a side of fries.
By Dylan Haas
Amazon deal of the day: Grab the powerhouse M3 MacBook Air for its lowest price yet
Also save on a Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro, Garmin Fenix 7x Pro, 40-inch Amazon Fire TV, and a ton of Hydro Flask bottles.
By Christina Buff
Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for May 17
Everything you need to solve 'Connections' #341.
By Mashable Team
NASA spacecraft saw something incredible near Jupiter's Great Red Spot
Squint.
By Elisha Sauers
'Wordle' today: Here's the answer hints for May 17
Here are some tips and tricks to help you find the answer to "Wordle" #1063.
By Mashable Team
NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for May 16
Everything you need to solve 'Connections' #340.
By Mashable Team
NYT's The Mini crossword answers for May 17
Stuck on any of the clues? We have the answers you need.
By Mashable Team
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!
- TECH
- SCIENCE
- LIFE
- SOCIAL GOOD
- ENTERTAINMENT
- BEST PRODUCTS
- DEALS
- About Mashable
- Contact Us
- We're Hiring
- Newsletters
- Sitemap
Mashable supports Group Black and its mission to increase greater diversity in media voices and media ownership. Group Black's collective includes Essence, TheShadeRoom and Afro-Punk.
©2005–2024 Mashable, Inc., a Ziff Davis company. All Rights Reserved.
Mashable is a registered trademark of Ziff Davis and may not be used by third parties without express written permission.
- About Ziff Davis
- Privacy Policy
- Terms of Use
- Advertise
- Accessibility
- Do Not Sell My Personal Information