Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will soon reveal its second season to the world. The show takes place in the Second Age of Middle Earth and has familiar characters like Galadriel and Elrond. Sauron is the bad guy, and there is no chance of seeing Frodo, Gollum or Aragorn because they are not yet alive. And thanks to the time and title, we know the series will detail the creation of the Rings of Power. But what exactly are rings of power, where do they come from, how many are there, and why are they important?
Here's everything you need to know about these important rings straight from JRR Tolkien's books and Peter Jackson's movies. We are looking at the beginnings of the Rings of Power, their creation and why they are so central to the Second Age of Middle-earth.
Where have we seen The Lord of the Rings' Rings of power before?
If you've seen Peter Jackson's lord of the rings film trilogy, then you know the Rings of Power, even if you can't remember their exact function. The first film opens with a prologue—narrated by Galadriel—which sets the stage and also explains a little more about each of the rings. While the rest of the film largely follows just one of the rings of power, this early focus reminds us of its importance.
How many rings of power are there and who received them?
Galadriel's opening speech The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring gives us a lot of background on the Rings of Power. Please share the following information:
The world is changed. I feel it in the water, I feel it in the land, I feel it in the air. Much of what used to be lost, because no one is alive now who remembers it. It began with the forging of the great rings. Three were given to the elves, the immortals, the wisest and most beautiful of all beings. Seven to the dwarf lords, great miners and artisans of the mountains. And nine, nine rings were given to the race of men, who above all, desire power. Because within these rings was bound the strength and will to rule each race. But they were all deceived, for another ring was made.
Galadriel reveals to us that there were nineteen rings of power created in all, plus of course one more ring of a different kind. We count three elven rings, seven dwarven rings, and nine rings for mortal men, plus that brings us to nineteen rings. Then the last line, of course, refers to the One Ring, the one that Frodo takes to Mount Doom to destroy. But where did all these rings come from? For those who don't know, the title of The Lord of the Rings the books refer Sauron, the Lord of the Rings himself. But let's back up a bit. Why did Sauron even create the rings of power in the first place and what was his master plan?
Why were the rings of power created and who made them?
Before Sauron was a big eye atop a creepy black tower, he was a Maiaone of the primordial spirits of Middle-earth. The Valar, who were gods of Arda (Tolkien's word for “Earth”), created the Maiar to shape and protect the world. Sauron's original name was Mairon, and he was known as a great craftsman. But like all good villains, this incorruptible soul was, well… pretty corrupt. Mairon fell under the power of Morgoth, another spiritual being gone wrong, and became the Dark Lord Sauron. After the defeat of Morgoth, Sauron became the main evil of Middle-earth.
Sauron settled in Mordor and lay dormant for centuries, crafting a master plan. When he emerged, he gathered an army of orcs, trolls and men, before setting his sights on the elves. The elves were the most intelligent creatures in Middle-earth and therefore the most difficult to thwart, so Sauron had to be cunning. He disguised himself as a righteous being named Annatar (Sauron was also a shapeshifter) and befriended the elven smiths of Eregion, an elven kingdom near Moria. He trained these elves in magic, then c onvinced Celebrimbor, a prince and master craftsman descended from one of the first and most powerful clans of Elves, to help make the Rings of Power.
While Celebrimbor and his smiths created rings for the elves, Sauron forged his own master ring in secret, in the fires of Mount Doom. His ring would control the other rings when worn by elves, making Sauron the most powerful being in Middle-earth.
Unfortunately for him, elves were not fools. As soon as Sauron put on the one ring, they felt his betrayal. Sauron flew into a fit of rage and demanded the return of his gifts. Three rings were successfully hidden, but the others either fell into Sauron's hands or were lost. He gave the remains to the mortals of Middle-earth: dwarves and men. Dwarves were mostly immune to Sauron's magic (though their rings gave them a lust for gold), but men were susceptible to his corruption. All nine fell into darkness when they were put on, and in turn became the Nazgûl. (AKA the Ringwraiths, those nasty hooded dudes who hunt Frodo and his Hobbit friends in The Fellowship of the Ring.)
Sauron now had the Nazgûl as his evil minions, but he failed to conquer the Elves. Still, his lust for power only grew and he formed a new plan: to thwart the Men of Númenor. From there, a lot of bad things happened. Bloody wars and new allegiances and the literal reshaping of the world. Sauron was defeated in the end of the Second Age and the one ring taken from him by a man named Isildur. Isildur died, the One Ring fell to Sméagol, Sauron returned to power, and the events of The Hobbit i The Lord of the Rings then transcended.
What types of powers do power rings have?
They are the Rings of Power for a reason…because they all have different powers. The elven rings even had names! Since all rings were originally intended for elves, they in turn gave their mortals a longer lifespan. (This is why Bilbo is able to live past the age of 111.)
The three elven rings of power and who wore them
The elven rings are Narya (the ring of fire), Nenya (the ring of water) and Vilya (the ring of air). Gil-galad (and later Gandalf) carried Narya, Gil-galad and later Elrond carried Vilya, and only Galadriel carried Nenya.
The dwarven rings of power
The rings given to the dwarves had no real power over them (for dwarves are among the most stubborn of creatures), instead being part of their hoards of gold and jewels. After the Men became Nazgûl, it is not clear where their rings went, only that they were more effectively controlled by Sauron.
The one ring
The one ring was the most powerful and had all the abilities of the other power rings. When heated, the single ring revealed a registrationwhich was translated to read: One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to lead them all and into the darkness to find them. It was eventually destroyed by Gollum when he fell into the fires of Mordor after stealing it from Frodo. The destruction of the ring finally killed Sauron for good.
The Rings of Power in the TV series
The Amazon series it will probably account for most of the events we just went through, from Annatar's deception of the Elven smiths to Sauron's initial defeat by Elendil at the end of the Second Age. But how events unfold is still a mystery. We know the creators of the show are condensing the timeline for characters like Celebrimbor and Elendil to be alive at the same time. This makes narrative sense for a TV show, but it makes us wonder what other liberties they'll take. For now, we know that the three elven rings have been forged, and of course there will be more rings to come.
Will the story of Rings of Power unfold exactly as it does in the appendices of? The Lord of the Rings, or do we have more surprises? We will find out when The rings of power The second season returns to Prime Video on August 29.
Originally published on August 8, 2022.
