What’s in a name? On The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power there’s clearly one important theme, and that’s rings. We know this season on The Rings of Power, we’ll be seeing at least 19 Rings of Power (drink) come to life at the hands of Celebrimbor, Sauron, or both. But how many of these Rings of Power have been forged already on season two of The Lord of the Rings series? Which ones are they? Who wears them as their ring bearers? Most importantly, what the heck do these Rings of Power even do on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power? (And do they do different things?)
Join us as we forge into the power (not of the flesh but over flesh) and break down all the Rings of Power we’ve seen so far on The Rings of Power.
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The Three Elven Rings of Power (Forged During The Rings of Power Season One, Episode Eight)
In The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season one finale, we see the three elven Rings of Power forged in Eregion. It is true that these rings were formed according to the plan that Celebrimbor devised with Sauron. However, as noted in Tolkien’s lore, the three Elven Rings of Power are created after Galadriel confronts Sauron and he flees the elven realm. In this way, the three elven Rings of Power were “forged by Celebrimbor alone, and the hand of Sauron had never touched them.” (The Silmarillion) The elven rings of power are made out of mithril and gold and silver from Valinor. Thus, the Rings of Power can amplify the fading light of the Valar and stop the elves from fading away on Middle-earth.
Who Wears the Three Elven Rings of Power on The Rings of Power Season Two?
In season two, the Elven Rings of Power finally choose their ring bearers. Although Elrond wishes for Círdan, one of the oldest and most noble elves in Middle-earth, to destroy them. Ultimately, Círdan is unable to throw them into a deep trench in the ocean. Instead, he brings them back to the High King Gil-galad, entranced by their power and beauty. A ring slips from his grasp and rolls over to Galadriel, ostensibly choosing her.
And so the three Rings of Power go to their first elven owners, Galadriel, Círdan, and High King Gil-galad. In the story of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, the three elves become the first ringbearers in Middle-earth. It’s worth noting that in Tolkien’s lore, the elven rings were actually made last, and so they possessed the greatest power. However, adaptation is all about changing the narrative to suit the story, and so, in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, the three Elven Rings of Power were made first instead.
What Are the Names of the Elven Rings of Power?
The three Elven Rings of Power have specific names that hail from The Lord of the Rings lore. They are Narya, Nenya, and Vilya. The Ring of Power Círdan bears is called Narya. The Ring of Power Galadriel bears is called Nenya. And finally, the Ring of Power Gil-galad bears is called Vilya.
Tolkien shares in The Silmarillion, “Narya, Nenya, and Vilya, they were named, the Rings of Fire, and of Water, and of Air, set with ruby and adamant and sapphire.” The Rings of Power follows these descriptions in creating its Elven Rings of Power.
What Powers Do the Elven Rings of Power Have on Prime Video’s The Rings of Power?
Restoring the Light of the Valar
The first power revealed by the Elven Rings of Power in The Rings of Power series is the power to restore the fading light of the Valar to Middle-earth. When Galadriel, Gil-Galad, and Círdan don their rings, the effect is immediate. The dying Great Tree of Lindon is immediately restored to its full glory, signifying the light of the Valar, too, has been restored in Middle-earth. Had the light faded, the elves would have faded with it.
This interpretation of the Elven Rings of Power’s powers makes a lot of sense based on what we know about the three rings from The Lord of the Rings‘ lore. In Tolkien’s texts, the Elven Rings of Power are known to have the ability to “ward off the decays of time and postpone the weariness of the world” (The Silmarillion) and are “directed to the preservation of beauty.” (The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 131) We see both these ideas come directly to life in the context of The Rings of Powers‘ rings replenishing the fading light of the Valar.
Foresight
In addition, the Elven Rings seem to offer the power of Foresight or predictive visions. Galadriel, at least, seems to catch whispers of the future after donning Nenya. She has a rather disturbing vision of the seeds of Sauron she helped sow coming to life and suffocating Celebrimbor. Her Ring of Power appears to be drawing her into the Unseen World.
Attraction
Finally, the Elven Rings of Power seem to have a certain attractive sway over all living things that cross their path. When Círdan demonstrates the power of his ring to Elrond, it draws all the living things around it to it its light. Círdan seems to feel like this power can have a positive use… but it feels like a lot of power for any being to possess.
The Dwarven Rings of Power (Forged During The Rings of Power Season Two, Episode Three)
In The Rings of Power season two’s first episodes, Prince Durin IV receives a mysterious summons from Celebrimbor in Eregion. Prince Durin and his father, King Durin III, agree to a temporary truce from their familiar spat to pursue it. After all, Khazad-dûm is in a bad way after the explosion of Mount Doom, and perhaps Celebrimbor and his mysterious collaborator, Annatar, can offer a power that will help. What kind of power? Dwarven Rings of Power.
In exchange for Mithril to make more rings, for the Dwarves and the rest of Middle-earth, Celebrimbor and Annatar/Sauron will give this power to the dwarves, making rings for the Dwarves, “one for each of Middle-earth’s most powerful Dwarf Lords.” Although Prince Durin is suspicious of the offer, he and King Durin agree to see where the Rings of Power will take them. Thus, we see the first Dwarven Ring of Power begin to be forged in The Rings of Power episode three. Celebrimbor promises that he can provide Rings that will heal Durin’s mountain, just as they healed Lindon’s Great Tree.
It’s bad news for the Dwarves, though, because Sauron, as Annatar, himself drops the Mithril into the fire to be forged. And that means this Dwarven Ring of Power has officially been corrupted by the Dark Lord before its even fully formed.
What Powers Do the Dwarven Rings of Power Have? And What Impact Do They Have on the Dwarves?
It’s too early to tell exactly what the impact of the Dwarven Rings of Power will be on the Dwarves. But in trailers for The Rings of Power season two, we see the Dwarven Ring of Power may very well corrupt King Durin III, turning him against his family and people.
In The Silmarillion, Tolkien notes the following The Lord the Rings‘ Dwarven Rings of Power: “The Dwarves indeed proved tough and hard to tame; they ill endure the domination of others, and the thoughts of their hearts are hard to fathom, nor can they be turned to shadows. They used their rings only for the getting of wealth; but wrath and an overmastering greed of gold were kindled in their hearts, of which evil enough after came to the profit of Sauron.”
In short, the Dwarves were less likely to fall under the evil manipulations of Sauron’s rings in The Lord of the Rings‘ world. However, the Rings of Power still inflamed some of their instincts toward greed and anger. We’ll just have to wait and see how The Rings of Power portray the powers and effects of the Dwarven Rings of Power.
Will We See the One Ring on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2?
As mentioned, official sources have confirmed we’ll see 19 Rings of Power this season on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. But will we see Sauron’s One Ring forged in The Rings of Power season two? The answer is… it’s possible. The Silmarillion‘s description of the events surrounding the forging of the Rings of Power is incredibly abridged, so it’s hard to say when exactly the forging of the One Ring will occur in the context of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. However, it’s worth nothing Sauron forged the One Ring before the sack of Eregion according to The Lord of the Rings‘ lore. With the sack of Eregion happening this season on The Rings of Power, it could be very possible we’ll see the forging of the One Ring as well.
For now, I’ll place my bets that we’ll see the One Ring forged as the final scene of The Rings of Power season two.