With the release of the latest Rings of Power Trailer, there are so many hidden details and hints that appear to be referencing major events of the Second Age of Middle Earth. For anyone familiar with Tolkien’s book The Silmarillion, there are several key events within the stories that look as though they may be featured in the new Amazon series.
There are some key scenes in the recent trailer, and they might have some big implications in terms of potential characters, epic battles, and Middle Earth developments.
Trees of Valinor
One of the key things that arose from earlier trailers and especially from promotional images of the new TV series is the Trees of Valinor, Telperion and Laurelin. It is clear that these will play an important part in the series story, just as they do in The Silmarillion. The latest trailer takes it one step further, clearly depicting the gold and silver trees individually, which may be a hint towards the trees being destroyed by Melkor before he is captured, as is the event in the book that spurs so much of the darkness and the hatred in the Second Age of the world.
It is also thought that the group of figures depicted later in the trailer raising their swords towards the stars in the darkness, may be the sons of Feanor, a band who vow to retrieve the Silmarils and bring them back so that the light of the trees may be restored.
First look at a fully functioning Dwarven Kingdom
One of the most exciting prospects for the series is a shift away from hobbits being the predominant characters, towards the other races of the world. Peter Jackson’s film trilogies gave beautiful and wonderful hints into these other peoples and cultures, but focused primarily on the journey of the hobbits to become unexpected heroes, and the battle of men to prove their worthiness despite all the damage their ancestors had caused. However, the new Rings of Power trailer looks as though the series will focus more on the elves and the dwarves of the world.
The audience gets a first glimpse of Khazad Dum, the underground mine where Gandalf battles the Balrog in the Fellowship of the Ring, but unlike previous depictions of Moria, and of Erebor in The Hobbit, this is a living, thriving dwarven kingdom shown for the first time, rather than a ruin. This all feeds very prominently into another clip shown in the trailer of Durin the 4th, holding up a silver stone and stating “This could be the beginning of a new era” - could this be the dwarven discovery of Mithril, the most rare and precious metal on Middle Earth?
Galadriel and Elrond’s conversation
The conversation where Elrond tries to comfort Galadriel and asks her to “Put down your sword” has garnered lots of interest already. He tells Galdriel that the darkness has been defeated, and that “It is over” to which she replies “You have not seen what I’ve seen.” Galadriel, at this point in time, has experienced heartbreak and tragedy, having lost her brothers in the battles of the First Age of the world. However, Elrond has also experienced trauma and replies “I’ve seen my share.”
Then comes one of the most shocking and visually interesting scenes of the film: a shot bathed in red, with floating bodies, one of which has been run through with a spear, and what appears to be a crashing kingdom in the background. Galadriel is there in the scene and looks to be covered in ash and dust from the ruins. Some believe this stark image could be referring to the war at the end of the First Age, know as the War Of Wrath, which Galadriel lived through and therefore saw firsthand in the past. Others believe it could be a vision of the fall of Numenor, and the city falling into the ocean which would make this a prediction of what she has seen in the future, that has not yet come to pass.
The Politics of Men
The scene depicting Queen Tar Miriel in one of the Numenorian cities shows her walking through the streets, and then looking up at the sky in shock. She appears to be surrounded by white petals, which could be a reference to the white flowers on the tree of Gondor dying as the Trees of Valinor from which it stems are destroyed.
Tar Miriel is also accompanied by Phar Azon, the king who can be seen in vibrant blues and reds and golds - the king of men who helps to bring about the downfall of the mighty race of Numenor with his greed and stupidity, so it is clear that the people politics of the fragile world at this time in Middle Earth history will come into play.
Arondir and the Ents
Arondir is an interesting character whom many are keen to explore. As he doesn’t appear to be in any of Tolkien’s original lore, his journey really could take any direction. From the trailers seen so far, it is clear that he goes through a time of captivity, as he is often shown in drab clothing and bound by chains, which suggests that there may be a daring escape on the horizon also.
In a later scene in the recent trailer, he is seen robed for battle, in some sort of grand hall or council-room. The most interesting part about this scene though is the carved face that can very clearly be seen on his breast-plate: a leaved face. Could this hint at a storyline involving Arondir and his elven friends waking the trees and teaching them to talk?
Sauron in the Meteor
And Finally, there has been a mystery surrounding the arrival of the meteor on Middle Earth, and the curious man who seems to have traveled there within it. The character sparked many questions and theories in the first release of the Teaser, but some more clarity may have been shed on the situation in the recent trailer. The trailer shows the man in the center of a ring of fire, which seems to burn and race towards him before flickering out, almost as if being absorbed into his being.
The shape that the fire illusion makes though looks undeniably like the eye of Sauron that fans have come to know so well from Peter Jackson’s movies. Therefore this strong hint suggests that the mysterious figure in the meteor is none other than Sauron himself, who has potentially just escaped to Middle Earth after the fall and capture of his master Morgoth.