Warning! Spoilers for Rings of Power season 2 ahead!
The leadup toThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerseason 2 made it seem laughable that Celebrimbor would trust Sauron, but it all makes sense now. For the sake of surprising audiences,Rings of Powerseason 1 made a change to the Dark Lord’s deception of the Elves, introducing Halbrand instead of Annatar. This made it seem as if Prime Video had done away with Sauron’s Annatar form altogether—until the trailer forRings of Powerseason 2 saw Annatar working side by side with Celebrimbor.
At theend ofRings of Powerseason 1, Galadriel warned Celebrimbor that Halbrand wasn’t to be trusted. It was assumed that when Sauron inevitably returned to Eregion, it would be with a brand new face; that way, Celebrimbor would be fooled into trusting him. Of course, the trailer forRings of Powerseason 2 saw the elf meet Annatar, seeminglynot recognizing that this was basically just Halbrand in a wig. The disguise was far from convincing, and waves of criticism rolled in about the implausibility. However, everything becomes clear inRings of Powerseason 2, episode 2.
Who Is Annatar? Sauron’s Fair Form Explained
Annatar has officially joined the fun in Rings of Power season 2 - though with some differences. Here’s everything to know about Sauron’s fair form.
Sauron Convinces Celebrimbor That Halbrand Was Always An Emissary Of The Valar
Celebrimbor DOES Recognize That Annatar Is Halbrand
InRings of Powerseason 2, episode 2, Sauron turns up in Eregion as Halbrand, and Celebrimbor obediently refuses to treat him, just as Galadriel said. However, the Dark Lord stubbornly remained outside the forge, injured and soaked in the rain, until Celebrimbor finally came out to tell him he must leave. This was all Sauron needed, and a little sweet talking got him begrudgingly invited inside. Still, Celebrimbor didn’t fully trust “Halbrand” at this point—Sauron needed to pull out all the stops, sohe transformed into Annatar right in front of Celebrimbor’s eyes.
This was quite genius on Sauron’s part since he really is a Maia, albeit a fallen one.
By shape-shifting, Sauron was proving that he was not really a Man. He even admitted that he wasn’t an elf.It was clear to Celebrimbor that this Lord of Gifts could only be one thing—a Maia, emissary of the archangel-like Valar of Valinor. This was quite genius on Sauron’s part since he really is a Maia, albeit a fallen one. Celebrimbor was all too ready to believe that he was special enough to gain the Valar’s favor. So,the elf wholeheartedly believed that Halbrand had been a glorious agent of Valinor all alongand that Galadriel had been unwise to send him away.
Sauron’s Deception Is So Much More Complicated Than In Tolkien’s Books
Rings Of Power Took Creative Liberties To Fill In the Gaps
None of this is how Tolkien described Sauron’s deception asAnnatar inThe Silmarillion, but that isn’t really saying much. The legendary author wrote about the Second Age as if he were a third-party historian, with no real details about the nuanced conversations or methods.This gaveRings of Powera great deal of wiggle room to get creative, and Prime Video took full advantage. What they came up with is far more complicated than the version Tolkien enthusiasts have come to know, but thatwas necessary considering the corner the show blocked itself in with season 1.
Audiences were on the lookout for Sauron inRings of Powerseason 1, but the series rearranged the order of events to take everyone by surprise. Halbrand being Sauron was a significant twist, andthe fact that he inspired the creation of the Three Elven Ringsbeforehe took the form of Annatar and tricked Celebrimbor was keyin pulling this off. However, when said and done, it meant Prime Video was in a pickle. The show needed a believable way to justify Celebrimbor being fooled a second time. While this meant a more complicated story, it works pretty well inRings of Powerseason 2.
In Tolkien canon, Annatar deceived the Elves of Eregion into making the 16 Rings of Power. It was only after that Celebrimbor made the Three Elven Rings (without Sauron’s knowledge).
There Are Still Some Mysteries To Be Solved
WhileRings of Powerexceeded expectations justifying Annatar’s deception, there are still some issues here. First,none of this would have been possible if Galadriel hadn’t kept Halbrand’s identity a secret. She told Celebrimbor not to trust the man, but she left the door wide open for Middle-earth’s cleverest manipulator to get through. It certainly seems that Tolkien’s character would have been wiser than this. Alas,Rings of Powerused the justification that Galadriel was embarrassed that she had been deceived and didn’t want her fellows to think she had been corrupted.
She told Celebrimbor not to trust the man, but she left the door wide open for Middle-earth’s cleverest manipulator to get through.
Of course, the news eventually did get out, andGil-gald quickly sent a messenger to Eregion explicitly stating thatHalbrand was Sauron. Unfortunately, Celebrimbor didn’t get the memo. The messenger was seen dead, being dragged away by a mysterious figure with a chain.The Rings of Powerseason 2 didn’t reveal who was responsible for this, but it’s undoubtedly someone loyal to Sauron. Surely whoever is responsible will be revealed in future episodes ofRings of Power, as Galadriel, Elrond, and their company will have to contend with them to get the Eregion.
