The Rings of Power season 1 ending, explained, and what you need to remember before season 2

It’s been two years since The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1 ended on Prime Video. A lot has happened since then. We’ve all (probably) watched so much TV, too much TV, and our brains are jam-packed with storylines, characters, and information to remember what happened in The Rings of Power season 1 finale. 

We shared a few important points for you to remember heading into The Rings of Power season 2 on Thursday, Aug. 29. 

The Rings of Power season 1 recap 

Amazon shared a recap of The Rings of Power season 1. It’s a pretty good reminder of some of the main points that happened in the first season. 

Heading into season 2, it’s important to remember where we started with Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and where things ended. Early in the season, Galadriel believed that Sauron was not killed as previously suggested. She travels far and wide, but she can’t locate Sauron. She leaves Middle-earth for the Undying Lands after Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker) believes she was potentially keeping the aura of Sauron and his evil alive in her relentless pursuit for revenge. She nearly makes it before she jumps off the ship in the middle of the sea, finds Halbrand (Charlie Vickers), who claims to be the King of the Southlands, and that’s really where this part of the story begins. 

Galadriel led Míriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson), Elendil (Lloyd Owen), Isildur (Maxim Baldry), and Numenoreans to the Southlands where Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova) has been working with the villagers to hold off Adar’s orc army. For a moment, it looks as though Galadriel is victorious. They capture Adar (Joseph Mawle), but it’s too late. Unfortunately for those of the Southlands, Waldreg (Geoff Morrell) uses the prized sword to open a dam, setting off a volcanic eruption at Mount Doom, which was all part of Adar’s master plan to make a land suitable for the orcs. 

In the blast, Halbrand is supposedly injured, which leads Galadriel to Eregion where Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) is. It’s also the location of an incredible forge, and we all know what’s coming next. 

Elsewhere, we see Prince Durin (Owain Arthur) and the Dwarves digging too deep in the earth to mine mithril, which looms large in season 2, as well.

We also have Nori (Markella Kavenagh) and the Harfoots to talk about. In the season, they find and assist the Stranger (Daniel Weyman), who is maybe Sauron? Or, maybe he’s Gandalf? Or, maybe he’s just a wizard? We still don’t know that yet, although all signs are pointing toward Gandalf.

Now, let’s talk about a few of the big moments that fans need to remember heading into season 2!  

Halbrand is Sauron 

For the majority of the first season, it was unclear who Halbrand was and is. In the season finale, it becomes clear that Halbrand is Sauron. He begins using his powers to manipulate Celebrimbor into making the three rings of the Elves in Eregion. Galadriel tries to stop Halbrand after she discovers that his King of the Southlands claim and house sigil does not belong to him. 

He flees to Mordor, which is newly created by Adar, the orcs, and the low-born men loyal to the cause. More on that in a second! 

The main thing you need to know heading into season 2 is that Galadriel, Elrond (Robert Aramayo) and the High King of the Ñoldor, Gil-galad, and the elves will know that Halbrand is Sauron, and they know he’s up to something. 

Elrond, Celebrimbor, and Galadriel unite in the final moments of their season 1 story to forge three Elven rings, Vilya, Narya, and Nenya, to stave off the Elves’ extinction for now. That’s a little too simplistic, but that’s about right. 

Now, how does this affect The Rings of Power season 2? Well, that’s the big question! We know there are a lot more rings to be made. Based on the final scenes of Sauron in the first season, we see him moving toward the newly formed Mordor. It will be very interesting to see how he plans to make his big move in season 2. 

Nori and the Stranger leave for Rhûn

Nori officially leaves the Harfoots behind and sets off the Stranger at the end of the first season. Nori aided the Stranger, who is one of the Istar, a wizard, basically, in fighting off the servants of Sauron in the season finale. Then, she decides that she will not be letting the Stranger forge his own path in the new season. 

Nori decides that she’ll help the Stranger find Rhûn and hopefully, the answers that he needs to restore his powers and understand who he is, why he is there, and what role he’ll play in the challenges to come. 

Elendil and Míriel return to Númenor

After the eruption of Mount Doom, Míriel loses her vision. In the fallout, she orders Elendil and the rest of the Numenoreans to leave the Southlands and Middle-earth and return home. They choose to leave Isildur and the other men behind, but clearly, they aren’t all dead. Some survived, including Isildur, who plays a much bigger part in the battles and lore to come. 

When they return home, they learn that the King of Númenor, Tar-Palantir, has died. Elendil sees the black flags from the harbor and reports his findings to Miriel. We don’t see that happen, but that’s what is implied. 

The whole season has been building toward Pharazon (Trystan Gravelle) making his move. Perhaps, Miriel’s failure and the King’s death is his opening. 

King Durin scolds Prince Durin for going against his wishes

One of the larger storylines involving the elves is that their time on Middle-earth is coming to an end. We’ve mentioned it a few times here, but Elrond ventures to the realm of the Dwarves to ask for aid. Prince Durin, his friend, offers that aid in the name of Mithril, which King Durin (Peter Mullan) refuses to give the elves access to. Prince Durin and Disa (Sophia Nomvete) go behind the King’s back to work with Elrond and show him the mithril, which Elrond believes could help stave off whatever blight is killing the trees in Lindon. 

We see the Mithril used to build the three rings for the elves, but before that, King Durin basically scolds his son for not listening to him.

That’s the last we see of the dwarves in the first season, but based on the trailer, we know A LOT is going down with these characters in the new season. 

That’s basically all you need to remember heading into The Rings of Power season 2!