Full spoilers follow for The Rings of Power season 2's finale and The Lord of the Rings' many literary works.
The Rings of Power season 2 has ended and, as the dust settles on the popular Prime Video show's sophomore outing, I suspect you've got plenty of questions about its finale, aka 'Shadow and Flame'.
Well, I'm here to give you answers – but I'm not alone in doing so. Ahead of the show airing on Amazon's primary streaming service, I sat down with several cast members to discuss the final episode's biggest talking points, and what may be in store for The Rings of Power's third season.
Consider this your final spoiler warning: do not proceed if you haven't watched season 2 episode 8. Bookmark this page, watch it, and then reload this article once you're done.
Who dies in The Rings of Power season 2's final episode?
Three prominent characters die in 'Shadow and Flame' so, sit tight, everyone, this might take a while.
Leading the charge on the 'gone too soon' front is King Durin III, who perishes during his unwinnable duel with the Balrog known as Durin's Bane. After ignoring his son Prince Durin IV's final plea to a) take off his Ring of Power and b) stop excavating the mountain for untold riches, King Durin unearths an apparently unlimited supply of mithril. Indeed, veins of the precious ore, which look ripe for mining, can be seen glistening in a vast cavern.
However, before father and son can even contemplate the magnitude of mithril on show, Durin's Bane attacks them before gearing up to wreak havoc on Khazad-dûm. Realizing (better late than never, eh?) what he's done, a horrified and – for the first time in ages – sane King Durin removes the magical yet mind-poisoning ring from his finger. Asking Prince Durin to forgive his recent follies, an ax-wielding King Durin charges at the Balrog to sacrifice himself and keep his home safe. Unfortunately, we only get the briefest of glimpses at this potentially epic battle; Durin's ax clashing with the Balrog's fiery blade as the mountain collapses around them.
King Durin III, then, doesn't survive the encounter. That won't come as a great surprise, especially as Prince Durin, Princess Disa, Narvi, and other dwarves are seen mourning his demise later in the same episode. But, as Peter Mullen confirmed to me and another journalist at The Rings of Power season 2's London premiere in late August: "I don't know what happens next because I die at the end". So, there's your confirmation: King Durin III is no more.
Surprising no one, Celebrimbor also dies. As depicted in J.R.R. Tolkien's wider works, the elven master smith's body is pumped full of arrows by Sauron when Celebrimbor refuses to disclose the location of the Nine Rings for Mortal Men. It's a brutal end for the Noldorin prince and ruler of Eregion, but few who cross Sauron's path live to fight another day.
Interestingly, Celebrimbor's death could've been far more gruesome than what plays out in Prime Video's adaptation. In Tolkien's literature, Celebrimbor's corpse is later hung on a pole and paraded – as part of Sauron's army – to show what'll happen to those who oppose him. There's a tribute to this in season 2's finale when Sauron impales the dying Celebrimbor on an elven spear after the latter presciently goads the Dark Lord about his eventual fate in The Lord of the Rings. Will the corpse-parading scene be used in a future season? I'll have more to share shortly.
Adar is the final main character who won't return post-season 2. After Sauron uses his powerful dark magic abilities to brainwash Adar's orc army, Adar's most loyal followers stab their leader to death on the outskirts of Eregion. This comes just moments after Adar handed Nenya – Galadriel's Ring of Power, which has the ability to heal its wielder – back to its rightful owner. Talk about bad timing, Adar...
Glûg, arguably Adar's most trusted lieutenant, also dies. He's stabbed through the throat by an irate Sauron after Khazad-dûm's dwarven army, led by Narvi, belatedly arrives in Eregion to prevent an all-out rout of the elven city. He's more of a supporting character, though, so his death isn't as shocking or important as the aforementioned trio.
What is The Stranger's actual name in The Rings of Power season 2?
After two seasons of big clues and enough fan theorizing to shake a stick – or should that be a staff? – at, one of The Rings of Power's biggest mysteries (and worst-kept secrets) has been solved. Drum roll, please. The Stranger's name is... Gandalf.
Many fans already suspected that The Stranger (played by Daniel Weyman) was Gandalf, with numerous hints being dropped in The Rings of Power season 1 finale and The Rings of Power season 2 episode 4. Still, even though we've known that The Stranger is an Istar/wizard as long as the show's cast has, some viewers believed these clues were nothing more than misdirects to throw them off the scent.
Well, those theories have been disproven by the revelation that The Stranger is Gandalf. After finding his staff in the wreckage of the Stoors' settlement, The Stranger returns to Tom Bombadil's hut and, after a bit of conversational back and forth, he calls himself Gandalf for the first time. Funnily enough, while some of The Rings of Power cast have claimed they've known The Stranger's real name since season 1, Weyman told me he didn't find out he was actually playing Gandalf until the final throes of filming season 2.
That wasn't the only thing Weyman teased, either. Later in the same interview, he said he "had no idea" if an encounter with Sauron was on the cards in future seasons, nor was he aware that Gandalf and Nori would be reunited at some point. He hopes, though, that both things come to pass.
Hold on, why wasn't the One Ring created in The Rings of Power season 2?
Reading between the lines, it's probably because, from a narrative perspective, it didn't make sense for it to be forged this season. There were already enough storylines to tie up, not to mention plot threads to set up for future seasons, in 'Shadow and Flame' without shoehorning the One Ring's creation into its 60-minute-plus runtime.
For what it's worth, it seems like the One Ring will be crafted next season. After all, Sauron is in possession of Fëanor's hammer – i.e. the tool Celebrimbor's father used to make The Silmarils during Middle-earth's First Age, and Celebrimbor used to make the rings for the elves, dwarf lords, and kings of men. Sauron's also learned the fine art of metallurgy from one of the greatest elven smiths to ever live, so he'll be well-versed in crafting his legendary ring in the near future.
Speaking exclusively to TechRadar ahead of the season 2 finale, Sauron actor Charlie Vickers revealed his big hopes for the character's season 3 arc, which includes the One Ring's creation, too. Clearly, all signs point towards Melkor's successor getting his own Ring of Power next time around.
Who is The Dark Wizard in The Rings of Power season 2?
The One Ring's creation (or lack of it) aside, this is the biggest season 2 finale question that goes unanswered. Unlike The Stranger (I'm still getting used to calling him Gandalf), The Dark Wizard's true identity isn't revealed before episode 8's end credits sequence rolls.
My belief – and this hasn't wavered since The Rings of Power season 2's official trailer was released – is that Ciaran Hinds' mysterious wizard is Saruman. Right now, though, apart from the show's writers, it seems nobody has any idea about The Dark Wizard's real name. Speaking to Vanity Fair, Payne and McKay heavily imply, if not confirm (without actually saying it) that Hinds isn't playing Saruman, which strongly suggests he must be one of the two mysterious blue wizards who, based on what little Tolkien wrote about them, we know little about.
Regardless, Weyman believes "there's still a lot to explore" between Gandalf and The Dark Wizard; one of the show's many stars telling me: "Tom [Bombadil] fed him a line earlier this season about his [Gandalf's] task being to defeat, or try to defeat, The Dark Wizard and Sauron, and I think The Dark Wizard feels the most immediate of those [tasks]. I feel like there's unfinished business there, and Gandalf will want to go and make sure that wizard doesn't harness his power for evil, so this story feels like it's got to be resolved in this location [of Rhûn]."
Wait, did the elves discover Rivendell in The Rings of Power season 2 finale?
Now this one's interesting. After Khazad-dûm's forces belatedly come to Eregion's aid, the fleeing elven contingent seeks sanctuary in an undisclosed location. It's here where Galadriel recovers from the life-threatening wounds she sustained in her duel with Sauron. It's also the place where the regrouped elves decide to fight on against Middle-earth's Dark Lord and his orc hordes in a centuries-long battle that becomes known as The War of the Elves and Sauron.
But back to the matter at hand – where do the elves seek refuge after Eregion is destroyed? In the source material, Elrond leads Eregion's remaining elves north and eventually establishes a refuge for those fleeing the conflict. This becomes known as Imladris, which is known to diehard and casual Lord of the Rings fans by its more famous name: Rivendell.
So, with Galadriel and Elrond, plus Gil-galad, Arondir, and many other elves, retreating to a yet-to-be-named region not far from Eregion's borders, did the season 2 finale give us our first glimpse at the iconic elven kingdom before it's actually founded by Elrond? I believe so – but Elrond and Gil-galad's actors weren't giving anything away when I asked them about the location of the elves' new safe haven. I guess we'll wait for official confirmation next season, then!
What is Narsil in The Rings of Power season 2?
This legendary sword needs no introduction to anyone who's read Tolkien's works and/or seen Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. For those who haven't done either, though, Isildur uses a shard of the broken blade to remove the One Ring from Sauron's hand – he slices off the finger it's worn on – during The Last Alliance of Men and Elves, aka the final battle of Middle-earth's Second Age that leads to Sauron's defeat (well, for 1,000 years, anyway). Before Isildur uses it, though, Narsil, which is also known as the White Flame, is wielded by his father Elendil, and broken when he is killed. Its shattered remains are kept safe in Rivendell after The Last Alliance and later reforged before Elrond gifts it to Aragorn – Gondor's self-exiled king-in-waiting and Isildur's heir – under its new name Andúril.
Narsil's appearance in the season 2 finale, then, is a hugely significant moment, not least because it's Queen Regent Míriel who bequeaths it to Elendil. Indeed, he's handed Narsil not only for safekeeping but also to use as a banner to rally the remaining pockets of The Faithful – essentially, Númenóreans who maintain close ties to the elves and the Valar, i.e. Middle-earth's version of angels – to their cause.
"She knows the qualities that he possesses as a future leader," Cynthia Addai-Robinson, who plays Míriel, told me when I asked about the significance of her giving Narsil to Elendil. "She's understanding and intelligent enough to know this is a person that she can trust with this task to take this sword, gather the troops, and start this revolution [to overthrow Númenor's slimy self-coronated king Pharazon] together."
Is there a post-credits scene in The Rings of Power season 2 finale?
No, there isn't a mid-credits or post-credits scene. By all means, watch its end credits sequence – you should always recognize the amount of work that a movie or show's hundreds-strong crew put into it – but, if you were holding out for a spicy sneak peek at what's to come in season 3, you'll be disappointed.
Has The Rings of Power season 3 been greenlit?
Not yet. However, when I asked showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay about the high fantasy show's future ahead of season 2's launch, they confirmed they were "working on it" in an all-too-brief update on its development. Speaking to RadioTimes.com in September, season 2 director and executive producer Charlotte Brändström also teased: "I think there'll be good news soon."
Considering The Rings of Power's popularity, I'd be surprised if one of the best Prime Video shows isn't renewed for another season. I'll bring you news on that front as soon as Amazon has something to share.
