Sauron is bound to make his One Ring to rule them all in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and the upcoming season 2 is when it must happen. The first season of the Prime Video series was used to set up the Second Age world and story, so only a few of the titular Rings of Power were created. However, as the TV show dives into Sauron’s evil deeds and his war with Middle-earth in season 2, the Dark Lord’s greatest weapon will have to come into play sooner rather than later.
Sauron’s One Ring was the central feature of The Lord of the Rings, where it was Frodo Baggins’ job to carry the weapon to Mordor so the Dark Lord could be destroyed. Naturally, this means there is a lot of interest surrounding the One Ring and its creation in The Rings of Power. For the first time, Sauron is depicted as a physical character in a screen adaptation, and the chance to see him construct the Ring that caused so much trouble is highly intriguing. It’s sure to be a dramatic moment and one we will likely see in Rings of Power season 2.
There was no One Ring to be seen in The Rings of Power season 1, but since this first batch of episodes was meant to establish the world and story, this makes sense. However, going into season 2, the titular Rings of Power must be forged, and Prime Video’s trailer hints that this will happen in the coming episodes. Celebrimbor is seen dumping a handful of rings into a fire, seemingly trying to destroy them, and then King Durin III later picks up a jeweled ring that must be one of the Seven Rings of Power given to the Dwarves. So, Sauron must create his 16 gifts in the next installment of Rings of Power.
Since the purpose of the 16 Rings of Power (seven for the Dwarves and nine for Men) is to allow Sauron to control the leaders of these races using his own One Ring, then the Dark Lord must create his weapon in The Rings of Power season 2 as well. Otherwise, there would be no purpose in giving his enemy such powerful gifts. Of course, the moment in which the Dark Lord makes his One Ring in secret is sure to be a dramatic high point of the series, so it may not come in until the finale.
In Tolkien canon, Sauron tricks Celebrimbor and the Elves of Eregion into helping him create the 16 Rings of Power while in his Elvish form called Annatar. Then, he heads back to Mordor, where he uses the fires of Mount Doom to create another Ring in secret, which would control all the others (and their bearers). If The Rings of Power aligns with this version of the story, then the fact that Annatar was featured in Eregion throughout the Rings of Power season 2 trailer indicates that he won’t return to Mordor until closer to the end of the installment.
This makes sense, considering the rise and fall of the story in The Rings of Power season 1. The Three Elven Rings, which were made without Sauron’s direct involvement, were made in the finale of the Prime Video series’ first batch of episodes. If the same were true for the One Ring, this would continue the formula from the first season. The big moment in which Sauron finally makes his One Ring is sure to be even more dramatic than the creation of the Three, making it the perfect way to leave The Rings of Power season 2. It’s a great hook to make viewers eager for another season.
There’s further evidence in the Rings of Power season 2 trailer that Sauron will create his One Ring during this installment, likely near the end. The finale of this first-look teaser saw Sauron release a burst of power from his hands, causing the start of an ominous tower to appear. It’s assumed that this is Barad-dûr, the Dark Lord’s fortress, which was topped with a flaming eye in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies. According to canon, Sauron uses the One Ring’s magic to build Barad-dûr, implying that by this clip in the trailer, he already had it in his possession.
However, during these scenes in the Rings of Power trailer, Sauron’s hands are clearly shown, and the One Ring isn’t on his fingers. It’s certainly possible that Prime Video will again make significant changes to canon, and the Dark Lord could have made Barad-dûr through other means. Still, it’s also probably that the Ring’s magic made it invisible—after all, only other Ring bearers like Frodo could see Galadriel’s Ring of Power in The Lord of the Rings.
The big reveal surrounding Sauron’s identity in The Rings of Power season 1 makes the start of season 2 far more interesting, and the same is sure to happen if the Dark Lord creates his One Ring at the end of the coming installment. A fully armed Sauron means a far more significant enemy for the Men, Elves, and Dwarves of Middle-earth to face, which could result in more exciting battles in seasons to come. Perhaps even more significant, however, would be the change this would mean for any character possessing one of the 16 Rings of Power at the end of season 2.
With the One Ring, Sauron will be able to influence and control the bearers of the Nine and Seven, The Rings of Power season 3 should see these characters’ slow descent into darkness. The Dwarves will become more greedy, and the Nine Men will turn into the Ringwraiths of The Lord of the Rings. What’s more, the One Ring will have some influence over Sauron himself. The reason destroying the Ring kills Sauron is because its magic becomes intertwined with his very being. In all, this powerful weapon will begin a dark evolution for several characters after it’s made, making The Rings of Power season 3 one to look out for.