The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power taking the story all the way to the westernmost location of J.R.R. Tolkien’s world has raised questions about what’s found on the opposite end of the Middle-earth map. The first episode of Amazon’s live-action Lord of the Rings show took Galadriel and a group of Elves deep into the Sundering Seas, the ocean that borders Valinor. The Sundering Seas have to be crossed in order for someone to make their way into the heaven-like realm.
Though Middle-earth is the primary setting for Lord of the Rings adventures, it’s really just one massive location in the fantasy world created by Tolkien. Middle-earth is actually a continent on an Earth-like planet called Arda. At the western edge of the Middle-earth map is Valinor, the sacred homeland of the Elves and the place regarded as the final destination for each member of their kind. Since the Elves in The Rings of Power episode 1 endeavored to get there after failing to discover Sauron’s whereabouts, one of the show’s key storylines is currently set in the Sundering Seas, right on the western border of Middle-earth where the Elves can cross into Valinor.
As for what’s on the other side of Middle-earth in The Lord of the Rings, that would be the body of water known as the East Sea, which separates Middle-earth and another large land mass. The continent in question is the Land of the Sun, a place that has been discussed in Tolkien’s work but has never had a significant role in Lord of the Rings lore. However, there are at least some details about the geography and what one would find if they crossed the East Sea and ventured into the Land of the Sun.
The Land of the Sun Explained
The Land of the Sun is one of the most mysterious corners of Arda. In fact, it only has one confirmed geographical region, which is the Wall of the Sun. The Wall of the Sun is a mountain range that stretches across the entire west coast of the continent. Apparently, the Wall of the Sun exists as a counterpart to the Pelori mountain range in Aman, which is the continent where Valinor is located. The terrain found in the Land of the Sun is unclear, as it seems that no known Lord of the Rings characters or historical figures have ever explored it. The lack of any major events occurring there is a sign that the Land of the Sun is a barren place where few people (if any) live.
Since there is an expectation for The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power to keep its story strictly in Middle-earth, there’s little reason to expect the franchise to delve into the Land of the Sun in any meaningful way anytime soon. But while the ambiguity of this mysterious continent is expected to linger, it’s always possible that it’ll be a topic of discussion for some of the show’s Lord of the Rings characters at some point down the road.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power releases new episodes on Fridays on Amazon Prime Video.