Summary
- Sauron's disguise in The Rings of Power season 2 may not be as ineffective as it seems, given his history of deceiving Elves.
- Season 2 shows Sauron using a familiar face to infiltrate Eregion again, posing a challenge for his deception.
- The show may explore Sauron's true form and his ability to manipulate perceptions, adding twists and horror elements.
Sauron’s disguise in The Rings of Power season 1 ending, season 2’s Sauron will face the challenge of using a similar face to infiltrate Eregion again and trick its residents into making the series’ titular rings.
This much is evident from Tolkien’s stories, including The Return of The King Appendix B, which The Rings of Power has the rights to adapt. In this appendix, “Sauron endeavours to seduce the Eldar” and “the smiths of Eregion are won over”, who “instructed by Sauron”, “begin the forging of the Rings of Power”. Part of Amazon’s deal is that they can’t stray too far from Tolkien’s canon, according to show advisor Tom Shippey, talking to The Guardian. However, if Sauron follows this plan, it begs the question of how he will succeed with the same face as Halbrand.
The Rings Of Power Cast & Character Descriptions
Amazon's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has known characters and brand new ones, all with familiar faces. Here's where you know them from.
Not All Elves Know What Sauron Looks Like After The Rings Of Power Season 1
Sauron May Not Have to Deceive That Many Elves After All
The Rings of Power season 2 trailer indicates various narrative maneuvers the show could take to ensure keeping the much-loved Charlie Vickers in his Sauron role works. Though he seems to be wearing subtle prosthetics to alter his appearance slightly, the most obvious question is still how this only slightly altered face will pull the wool over Galadriel and Celebrimbor’s eyes, plus those of other smiths or healers he got to know. This form may not have to. Fellowship of Fans asserted on X that the show may be able to access rights to certain texts from Unfinished Tales, providing an answer to the mystery.
Although the texts mentioned don’t include the parts relevant to this part of the story, this would mean that the door is open for the show to explore rights to other parts of Unfinished Tales. Thus far, they have only had rights to adapt The Lord of The Rings, The Hobbit and The Appendices. The plot thickens in one key part of Unfinished Tales: “Sauron used all his arts upon Celebrimbor and his fellow-smiths… but he worked in secret, unknown to Galadriel”.
If Sauron worked in secret, it’s quite possible his Elf form is barely a disguise at all, and simply a new look designed to shrug off the most basic of enquiries as to his identity. After all, Halbrand really only knew a small handful of Elves in Eregion. Plus, viewers know from The Silmarillion that while “A mask he could still wear so that if he wished he might deceive the eye of Men”, “he ruled rather by force and fear, if they might avail”. Sauron wouldn’t hesitate to silence anyone who threatened his cover, either by murder or manipulation.
The Light Celebrimbor Sees Could Be Sauron's REAL Disguise In The Rings Of Power Season 2
There’s Reason To Believe The Light Celebrimbor Sees Comes From Sauron
A bright light approaches Celebrimbor in the season 2 trailer, which could be Sauron. Season 2 Sauron compares to Tolkien’s Annatar character to a certain extent - this is just Sauron in Eregion, exactly as described in Appendix B above, but named and fleshed out in other texts. Sauron infiltrated Eregion, using the name Annatar and selling himself as an “emissary of the Valar”. The Valar are the Gods of Tolkien’s world, and the same race as Sauron. Here, Sauron could be referring to coming from Aman, where the Valar live, as a messenger, or openly itting his race.
Since Ainur take whatever form suits them, this made sense for Sauron - he wanted to impress and intimidate. The texts don’t describe Sauron changing shape between this point and his stay in Númenor, so these descriptions of his appearance from his time in Númenor back this up: he was “greater than any… of the race of Númenor in stature” and people “feared the light of his eyes”. Fair and intimidating, the light facing Celebrimbor in the season 2 trailer is possibly coming from Sauron, come to deceive and awe. This perhaps indicates that Sauron uses his Ainur form more than his Elf form.
Sauron May Actually Change His Face During The Rings Of Power Season 2
Sauron’s Fair Form May Not Be What It Seems
The Rings of Power could be using every trick in the book to deceive audiences about Sauron, paralleling the experience characters go through. Season 1 was fantasy, but if the soundtrack and atmosphere of the season 2 trailer is anything to go by, season 2 will also take inspiration from horror and psychological thrillers. A director said to MovieZine that season 2 is “darker” and that they “tried to make it more gritty…And not in the image, but to make it as authentic as possible. We have some very surprising twists and turns in it” (translation via The Yard).
It may be that the audience sees Sauron’s disguise, but his true form is different. This would enable the soft-retcon of Sauron’s Elf form having been his true form all along. This horrifying twist would explain the terror in Galadriel’s voice in the trailer as she emotes “I think he has been here among us all along”. If Sauron can enter Galadriel’s mind to create the illusion of the season 1 finale, this isn’t a stretch. Conversely, maybe the audience sees Sauron’s true form, whereas characters see something else entirely - perhaps his shining, godlike form - recalling Neo in The Matrix Resurrections.
If Sauron’s wizardry is warping others’ perceptions of his appearance, his Halbrand ruse could be a dizzying mixture of a human form and his Elf form, his true form, or all in the mind. All bets are off with god-like beings like the Ainur. Sauron’s illusion in the season 1 finale could be the first of many. Galadriel can “perceive... his mind” and engages in psychic warfare with him by the time of The Fellowship of The Ring. Perhaps, later, it will be Galadriel entering Sauron’s mind, enabling flashbacks to his dark past in The Rings of Power.
Sources: The Guardian, MovieZine, The Yard
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
- Release Date
- September 1, 2022
- Network
- Amazon Prime Video
- Showrunner
- John D. Payne, Patrick McKay, Louise Hooper, Charlotte Brändström, Wayne Yip
Cast
Galadriel
Halbrand
WHERE TO WATCH
- Franchise(s)
- The Lord of the Rings
- Seasons
- 2
- Streaming Service(s)
- Amazon Prime Video
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