Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Rings of Power season 2.
The Rings of Power has returned, and the show is fully living up to its name this time around. Annatar, AKA the fair form of Sauron, is influencing Celebrimbor to craft even more rings than the ones we saw in season 1, using Mithril to forge the jewellery. If you know your J.R.R. Tolkien, you'll know why this is so ominous...
Below, we get into the details of all the Rings of Power in the world of Tolkien that you need to know about, as well as how they've been used in the Prime Video adaptation so far. As the series progresses, we'll be keeping this page updated too as the hierarchy of power shifts in Middle-earth – and more rings are forged.
All of the Rings of Power explained
The Three: The Elven rings
- Narya
- Nenya
- Vilya
The first rings forged by Celebrimbor were The Three, made for the Elves. We saw these forged at the end of season 1, and as season 2 begins, we finally see them in action. At the beginning of the second season, Elrond tries to destroy them, fearing their power, but is ultimately unable to as he puts his trust in the wrong person: Círdan. At the end of episode 1, the rings are given to Círdan, Galadriel, and Gil-Galad.
The Seven: The Dwarven rings
We’ve seen some of the Dwarven Rings of Power in the promotional material for season 2, including a picture of King Durin III wearing one. However, it’s only in episode 3 that we start seeing them being forged, as it’s confirmed there will be one ring for each dwarven lord. In episode 5, we see King Durin using his to direct Khazad-dûm's mining operations, which could spell doom for the dwarves.
In Tolkien canon, seven rings were forged for the Dwarves during the Second Age. Their individual names were not known, but they were given to the leaders of each family: Durin's Folk, Firebeards, Broadbeams, Ironfists, Stiffbeards, Blacklocks, and Stonefoots.
The Nine: The rings for Men
We haven't seen them yet in the Prime Video show, but Annatar is urging Celebrimbor to forge nine rings for the leaders of Men. In Tolkien's works, these gave the men the ability to increase their lifespans and see worlds beyond those that mortal men can see. However, a terrible fate befell those who wore them.
The One Ring to Rule Them All
Finally, Sauron forged one ring to control all of the other Rings of Power, made in the fires of Mount Doom. This is, of course, the basis of the main Lord of the Rings trilogy and Peter Jackson’s film trilogy. We’d imagine the story of The Rings of Power will eventually lead us to this.
For more, check out our guide to the best shows on Amazon Prime Video, as well as our The Rings of Power season 2 review and our The Rings of Power season 2 release schedule.
