The relative secrecy surrounding exactly what fans can expect to see in The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power has spurred attentive Tolkien lovers to speculate endlessly. While this speculation has resulted in some out-there ideas, there are also some ideas that seem pretty reasonable to expect!
Tolkien’s extensive lore and backstory lend themselves to imagining almost anything, but since Amazon Prime only has rights to very specific parts of Middle-Earth’s history, they’ll have to get creative to fill the gaps. They’ve covered that to an extent by including plenty of new characters that don’t explicitly exist in the books, along with introducing new places and towns. But what about the plot? Here’s what fans think might happen.
Finrod And The Ring Of Barahir
Finrod Felagund, King of Nargothrond and brother to Galadriel, has already been confirmed to be in the show, played by Will Fletcher; the Ring of Barahir is an important enough item in the Third Age to warrant an origin story.
The Ring, the same one given to Aragorn by Elven-lord Elrond as a reminder of his heritage as King of Gondor, was originally an Elvish item belonging to Finrod. He gave it to a Chief of Men as thanks for saving his life in battle, and from then it passed through his descendants as a prized heirloom. While the show may not be able to talk about the deeper history of the Ring, the basics are free game.
The Black Numenoreans
The Fall of Numenor is an event that changed the world of Middle-Earth forever. As one of the most pivotal parts of Tolkien’s legendarium—and, apparently, Amazon Prime’s show—all that’s left to do is wonder exactly what about Numenor will be shown.
One theory is that the so-called Black Numenoreans will play a role; as corrupted Numenoreans who devoted themselves to Sauron in their search for everlasting life, three of these actually became Ringwraiths. In a series based on Sauron, it seems likely that this could be an important moment to show Sauron’s growing power and corruption of the peoples of Middle-earth.
Sauron Might Be Hard To Spot
One popular fan theory surrounds Sauron’s potential appearances in the show. Rather than having Sauron introduced off-the-bat as the main villain, the showrunners might go a different route—after all, Sauron did! In the books, he disguised himself as Annatar, claiming to be benevolent while secretly manipulating most of Numenor and tricking Elvish smiths into creating the Rings of Power.
Some fans think that Sauron might be as hard for the audience to spot as he was for the peoples of Middle-earth—initially, anyway. Eventually, his true identity will come to light and the show will have to deal with the repercussions of his deception.
The Istari Could Play A Large Role
Redditor u/Hellbeast1 states a great theory, saying, “We’d be able to have Istari in the series while also not just retconning in Gandalf and co. I also think their proximity to the East would make them interesting to explore regions we don’t know much about…”
The idea of other members of the Istari—the race of Ainur Gandalf, Saruman, and Sauron all belong to—being shown through their individual travels is an intriguing one. As mentioned, following the otherwise lost Blue Wizards in their journey East could allow audiences to explore new places in Middle-Earth that Tolkien never focused on very much. It would also allow the show to firmly establish the use of magic and how the Istari work in this world.
Arondir Might Be One Of The Nandor Elves
There are things so obscure in Tolkien’s Elven legends that no show would be able to accurately portray them, and that includes the various groups and families of Elves. Technically, Arondir is Silvan, but since the lost Nandor elves are an offshoot of the Silvans, it could still count. It may be a bit of a stretch, but it would be great incorporation of the lore, and it could be an amazing way of exploring a new and very different Elven culture.
Since the Nandor are known for being located further south than some of the others—such as Lothlorien or Rivendell—it might also provide a reason for Arondir to travel to Tir Harad and meet Bronwyn for their alleged elf-human romance.
Halbrand Will Be One Of The Nine Ringwraiths
So far, Halbrand has been set up as an Aragorn-like figure: a man fleeing from his identity who allegedly becomes involved with the elf Galadriel, now a young warrior. However, one interesting fan idea has been brought up—what if Halbrand actually becomes one of the Ringwraiths?
In a detailed description of a hypothetical scene, Redditor u/Darwinsbeetleboi states“…The nine men mingle for a bit before Halbrand invites them to sit in the thrones surrounding a table in the center. “My friends.” The screen cuts to black, with the golden outlines of the nine thrones still visible surrounding the golden table. “We have been offered a gift.” ” It would certainly be an interesting subversion of expectations, and with the little we know about Halbrand besides his apparent noble status, it’s as plausible as anything else at the moment.
The Nirnaeth Arnoediad May Be Featured
The ‘Battle of Unnumbered Tears’ was what it sounded like: a huge battle between the forces of Elves, Men, and Sauron’s forces in the First Age, with catastrophic losses for the side of Elves and Men.
Without rights to The Silmarillion, this particular battle could be difficult to accurately portray, but a large battle between most of the races in Middle-earth is something that could be a great visual scene as well as a way of establishing the protagonists and the fundamental struggle of the series.
