As the competition in streaming escalates, Amazon bets big and high on The Lord of the Rings. The Rings of Power, the prequel to the original saga, will be set in an entirely different timeline. It’s the Second Age of Middle-Earth, a long time before the events of the movies. The company is investing millions of dollars in the series, depicting an important time that literally revamped the face of the planet.
J.R.R. Tolkien created the fantasy universe in this series. It is much bigger than the events of The Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit. Middle-earth is part of a bigger world, Arda. Over several decades of work, Tolkien came up with Arda’s detailed history. The events range from the creation of the universe to the modern era. The recorded history of Arda is divided into four Ages, each spread over thousands of years.
Previously, we have seen only a glimpse of the Second Age in the Lord of the Rings movies. The timeline covers the long era between Morgoth’s banishment and the initial defeat of his servant Sauron. The key events of the Second age include the rise and fall of the Númenor kingdom, the creation of the power Rings, and the Last Alliance, which was formed to save the world from Sauron’s dark intentions.
The major event of the Second Age
The Second Age begins after a catastrophic battle over Silmarils, the mystical jewels, and Morgoth’s banishment from Arda. Humans and Elves start leaving Middle-earth in this era to venture into the west. Many Elves make a home in the Undying Lands, the place Bilbo and Frodo are taken to in the final moments of Return of the King. On the other hand, a group of humans called the Edain settles on the island, Númenor.
Sauron begins gathering his power in the Second age to fill the gap left by his master, Morgoth. Sauron deceives the Elves into creating the Rings of Power so he can yield the weapons and dominate Middle-earth. An Elf Lord and expert jewel-smith Celebrimbor forges the rings.
The Númenóreans’ reign culminates with the upsurge of king Ar-Pharazôn. Sauron manipulates Ar-Pharazôn to become the nemesis of the Valar, Tolkien’s version of angels. They attempt the invasion of the Undying Lands. Númenóreans allies with Sauron to attack the land and find the elves’ immortality.
Ilúvatar, the God of this fantasy universe, intervenes for the first time in mortal affairs. He annihilates Númenor so destructively Arda transforms from a flat plane into a globe. It also completely cut off Elve’s Undying Lands from the world. The separation forever shuts down the chances of immortality for humankind.
Sauron dies in this attack. However, his spirit survives to build a new army in Mordor. Luckily, some men remained safe along with Númenor. A group called the Faithful, under the rule of King Elendil, returns to Middle-earth and creates Gondor and Arnor. Elendil forms the last Alliance with The Elven king Elrond and Gil-Galad and his sons Isildur and Anárion. The Last Alliance wages a costly long war against Sauron.
The fans of the saga know what happens afterward. They defeat Sauron, but he is not destroyed. Finally, Isildur claims the One Ring, wheeling from the Second Age to the Third.
We might not see all but certain major events in the series. For example, the Fall of Númenor and the formation of the Last Alliance can encompass several seasons. However, the series will have to introduce new points and characters in the plot to fill the gaps and transform Tolkien’s writing into a cohesive storyline.
There is a possibility that the series will span multiple periods. Reportedly, Amazon has committed to five seasons. In addition, a potential spinoff is also on the horizon. So, it is possible that each season may spotlight different key events from the Second Age.
The Rings of Power is all set to debut globally on Prime Video on Friday, September 2. This is the best chance for those who want to be familiar with the extensive backstory of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
