The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1 showed the Southlands become Mordor, but season 2 still has a lot of explaining to do. Mordor was an iconic location of The Lord of the Rings, so the reveal that the Southlands Galadriel and the Númenóreans tried so hard to save was doomed to become Sauron’s dark country was an impactful one. Of course, this will go on to be where the One Ring to rule them all would be created and where Frodo would eventually travel to destroy it once and for all. Still, there is a lot, especially regarding Rings of Power’s canon changes, that we don’t know.
throughout The Rings of Power season 1, Halbrand was believed to be the lost king of the Southlands. This made him important in Galadriel’s plans to save the region and uncover the plot surrounding Sauron, but things didn’t quite work out that way. Instead, Halbrand wound up being Sauron himself, and the final moments of the Prime Video series’ first season showed the Dark lord turning up in the newly established Mordor to claim Mount Doom and the power preserved there. Now, going into The Rings of Power season 2, several mysteries regarding this dark kingdom need to be explained.
9 Who Picked The Southlands As A Target, Sauron Or Adar?
The Rings of Power added much information about the birth of Mordor that was not included in The Silmarillion or other of JRR Tolkien’s works. For example, the idea that it had once been a country of Men known as the Southlands is entirely original to the Prime Video series—although the tale does take some reference from Morgoth’s establishment of this region. Still, aside from this, little was explained about how this became a point of interest. Galadriel saw that Sauron had engraved an image of the Southlands landscape on his brother, Finrod, so it’s implied that the region was always a part of his plans. Did Adar simply try to take over this plan since he believed the dark lord to be dead?
8 Why Does Sauron Keep Adar’s “Mordor” Name?
At the end of The Rings of Power season 1, Adar officially christened the land he had worked so hard to make livable for him and his fellow orcs. Thanks to his background, the corrupted elf chose a word from Sindarin (one of the Elvish languages of Lord of the Rings) that translates roughly to “shadowland.” This makes sense since the whole point of Adar’s plan was to create a land cast in shadow (thus eliminating the dangers of the sun). This is an interesting explanation for the origin of the land’s name, but it doesn’t explain why Sauron would have kept it once he took control. Hopefully, Rings of Power season 2 will provide an answer.
7 Who Created The Sword Key & Water System In The Southlands?
The black sword found by Theo in The Rings of Power was a consistent mystery throughout season 1, and although it was revealed that the weapon was the key to Adar’s plan to force Mount Doom to erupt, this didn’t close the case. Based on the ominous warnings from Waldreg, it was assumed that this weapon belonged to Sauron. Does this mean Morgoth’s lieutenant created this water system, or was it the evil Vala himself? Overall, it was an extremely complex system, so it must have taken years of planning before Adar took over and pulled off the big change.
6 How Does Sauron Build The Tower Of Barad-dur?
Tolkien explained in his works that Sauron created the evil tower known as Barad-dûr using the power of his One Ring. However, little more was ever said about exactly how this was done. Since Sauron has yet to forge any of his own titular Rings in The Rings of Powerit’s possible that there is still a way to go before audiences see the Dark Lord begin to construct his powerful weapon or use it to build the terrible tower. Lord of the Rings canon dictates that this will take 600 years, though Rings of Power is likely to condense this timeline. Regardless of when, it will be interesting to see Prime Video’s take on a process Tolkin has never described.
5 Will Barad-dûr Have A Great Eye In Rings Of Power?
In Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, Barad-dûr was topped with the flaming red eye of Sauron. This was meant to be a visual representation of the Dark Lord without his body, but the tower was never described that way in the books. Instead, the Eye of Sauron was symbolic—not literal. Still, this eye has become iconic to the Lord of the Rings universe, so it’s difficult to imagine a screen version of Barad-dûr without it’s flaming eye. As the tower becomes a possible reality for The Rings Of Power season 2, it will be curious to see which version of Sauron’s powerful base the series will go with.
4 How Long Will Adar Have Control Over Mordor?
As of the end of The Rings of Power season 1, Adar has control over Mordor. Of course, Sauron, who will obviously gain power there eventually, arrived shortly after. Adar seemed to truly believe that Sauron was dead, so this will be quite a surprise. Halbrand made it clear to Galadriel that Adar truly was his enemy, so it’s likely that the ruin of The Rings of Power season 2 won’t be a happy one. Given Sauron’s great power, it also seems unlikely that Adar would be able to hold his own for long, even with the support of his orc children. So, how long will Adar be able to maintain his new kingdom?
3 Will Sauron Rule Mordor In His “Halbrand” Form?
Sauron, in his Halbrand form, showed up at Mordor at the end of The Rings of Power season 1, insinuating that he will keep that form for a while. This is supported by the fact that actor Charlie Vickers has been confirmed by the season 2 cast list. However, this brings up a few problems going forward. First, Sauron is supposed to take his fair form of Annatar when he forges the Rings of Power in Eregion. Then, another fair form is supposed to head to Númenor to cause further deception there. Though it’s possible that Halbrand is The Rings of Power‘s version of Annatar, it may not make much sense for him to keep this form throughout his rule in Mordor.
The Rings of Power established the Harfoots as Frodo and the other Shire Hobbits’ ancestors, but as of season 1, the group is rather far away from what would be their home in The Lord of the Rings. According to Nori’s family, the Harfoots have been migrating the same routes for generations, but the fact that they are on the wrong side of the mountains from the Shire indicates that something is going to change. It could be that the group’s close proximity to the newly errupted Mount Doom will change how the Harfoots operate, thus explaining the differences in location.
1 Why Is Mount Doom Important (Did Morgoth Create It?)
According to Tolkien canon, Mount Doom was created by The Lord of the Rings‘ true enemy, Morgoth, during the First Age of Middle-earth. Unfortuantely, this is the extent of the information on this. It’s implied that Morgoth sewed evil into the fires of this mountain, which made it perfect for Sauron to take advantage of when practicing his craft. However, with Adar, the Southlanders, and other unique aspects of The Rings of Power added to the mix, it seems that this story could be changed or elaborated. It will all come down to the answers provided in The Rings of Power season 2.