Which mystery location is depicted in the very first image from Amazon's The Lord of the Rings TV series, and who is the enigmatic figure watching on from afar? When Amazon announced a new Middle-earth TV show set during J.R.R. Tolkien's Second Age, the reaction was a mix of weary skepticism and cautious optimism. Such a rich period in Lord of the Rings history could be adapted into an enthralling live-action spectacle, but only if executed correctly and authentically. Reports of a massive cast and gargantuan budget (though Bezos has just been into space, so "gargantuan" is relative) only served to bolster both sides of the argument.

After what feels like an age, a first image has finally been unveiled alongside that all-important September 2022 release date. There's still no title, full cast, or plot synopsis as of yet, but while the new picture doesn't tell a thousand words, there are certainly plenty of details to be drawn. The image shows a single, solitary figure dressed in white, looking out over an ornate citadel in the foreground with a strange sunrise in the distance.

Related: Lord Of The Rings 4K vs HD: Which Is Better?

Lord of the Rings fans have been feverishly speculating which Middle-earth (or, indeed, non-Middle-earth) location is contained within the image, as well as which enigmatic being stands upon the grassy hill. Amazon hasn't confirmed either, and it's impossible to deduce a conclusive answer from Tolkien's extensive written lore. With that said, educated guesses can be made, albeit more so with the location than the person. Here's everything revealed in the first glimpse at Amazon's Lord of the Rings.

Click here to watch Lord Of The Rings: Every Major Event We Could See on YouTube.

What's The Place In The LOTR Show Image: Valinor, Gondolin?

There are any number of architectural marvels in Tolkien's world, both within Middle-earth and beyond, and while it's tempting to look toward the city for clues, the real telltale feature sits deeper, where the landscape's light is emanating from. If you squint really hard (or just zoom in), a pair of trees can be spotted in the background of Amazon's first Lord of the Rings image. One is light and one is dark, and the sun appears to be pouring from the branches. These trees are two of the most famous and heralded creations in Tolkien's entire mythology and (in their original incarnations, at least) can only be found in one location - Valinor.

In the Lord of the Rings trilogy, various folks speak of a land beyond the sea. The elves are gradually emigrating there, and after completing his quest to destroy the One Ring, Frodo crosses over too, accompanied by Gandalf, Círdan, Elrond and Galadriel (Legolas and Gimli follow later). Though often referred to as the Undying Lands, the name of this realm is Valinor, home to the angelic Ainur - a holy order to which Gandalf, Saruman and Sauron, as well as their superiors, all belong. Largely inaccessible to mortal folk, Valinor is Tolkien's closest equivalent to the concept of Heaven, and is where the events of Lord of the Rings are first set into motion. If Valinor is indeed what we're seeing, the citadel in the foreground would be Tirion upon Túna (where Valinor's elves dwelt). According to Tolkien's maps, this city was located between two mountain ranges east of the two trees, which is consistent with the layout of Amazon's live-action image.

Another possible (though far less likely) location is the early Middle-earth elven settlement of Gondolin. The architecture of the citadel is certainly elvish in nature, and looks vaguely similar to past depictions of Gondolin, which was also surrounded by mountains. As written in The Silmarillion, Gondolin housed replicas of the original two trees built by the elf Turgon, which could explain the shining background of Amazon's shot. Alas, these particular trees certainly don't look like knock-offs, and Valinor remains the best guess.

Related: Lord of the Rings: How Gandalf The Grey & White Are Different

What Are The Two Trees Of Valinor?

Melkor Morgoth and Ungoliant in Lord of the Rings

Neither The Lord of the Rings nor The Hobbit pays much heed to the history of Valinor's dual trees, belying their overall importance to Tolkien's narrative. Before even the First Age (LOTR and The Hobbit are both set in the Third Age), the entire world was lit by two lamps representing the sun and moon, but both were destroyed by the villainous Melkor (master of Sauron). Yavanna the Vala replaced these lamps with two trees - Telperion the silver and Laurelin the golden, and these two creations were revered for their beauty... until that scamp Melkor destroyed those too.

Though the original trees were no more, Yavanna did create a lesser copy of Telperion which stood in Tirion, the city very likely shown in Amazon's new image. Seeds from this tree survived through the ages and, thanks to the heroics of Isildur, one of its descendants came to stand in Gondor during the Third Age - the famous white tree seen in Peter Jackson's movie trilogy.

It was said that nothing as beautiful as the Two Trees of Valinor ever lived again in the world of Arda, but the light they gave off survived in various forms. The infamous Silmarils, which elves waged war to possess, contained the light of Telperion and Laurelin, and Galadriel's hair was commonly acknowledged to shine with the light of the trees. This glow she contained within the phial that Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee later use to fend off Shelob.

Who's The Person In The LOTR Image?

Cate Blanchett as Galadriel in Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring.

Though we can be reasonably confident the locale in Amazon's first Lord of the Rings image is Valinor, the caped figure standing in the foreground is much harder to pin down. It's worth bearing in mind that this character isn't necessarily a famous figure from Tolkien mythology. But, for argument's sake, let's assume it is.

Related: Lord of the Rings: Every Character To Bear The Ring (& How They Lost It)

Social media's most common theory suggests the mystery watcher could be a young Galadriel. The elf (played by Cate Blanchett in Jackson's trilogy) is one of few confirmed characters for Amazon's Lord of the Rings series, and will be portrayed by Morfydd Clark. The location, clothes and regal stature all lean towards the mystery character being an elf, and Galadriel did witness the Two Trees of Valinor in person prior to their destruction. However, the figure has short hair, and doesn't look much like Clark at all from behind.

Several other elvish characters are in contention. Finwë was the most famous elven High King of this period, alongside sons Fëanor and Fingolfin, but all three possessed dark hair, which the unidentified Amazon character does not. Finwë did, however, sire another son in Finarfin, whose hair was golden, and who eventually became the ruler of Tirion - the city depicted in the new image. The mystery figure could be Finarfin himself, or a descendant of his illustrious House. Another elf option is Glorfindel, an elf who followed the House of Fingolfin in Tirion, though his hair was renowned for being long, similar to Galadriel's.

Whomever is enjoying the sight of a Jeff Bezos-funded CG Valinor, they could be any Ñoldor elf born early enough to remember the two trees, and while some can be ruled out based on hair color, there remain many possibilities to pick from. A more interesting theory is that, despite white clothes traditionally being associated with virtue, the character is Melkor, the first Dark Lord, later known as Morgoth. After serving his punishment for destroying the two lamps, the other Vala set Melkor free, believing his rebellious phase had passed. Indeed, it had not. The freed Melkor spent his time sowing division among the elves that would last many thousands of years thereafter, and also plotted to bring down the two trees, which would explain why Amazon's character is looking ominously toward them. Though traditionally drawn as a giant dressed in black armor, Melkor took many forms and had a "fair" visage. Obviously, it was the latter he used while schmoozing the elves, since arriving in Tirion as a mace-wielding behemoth likely would've made the wrong impression.

Though there are numerous possibilities, Melkor is perhaps the most intriguing candidate for the character seen in Amazon's first Lord of the Rings promo image. His proximity to Tirion teases a campaign against the elves, while eyeing the two trees alludes to his future crimes. Dressing in white also fits with Melkor's cunning charm and deceptive nature, tricking both the Valar and the elves into believing he was reformed, and Tolkien's work allows for some flexibility in the baddie's design.

Related: Lord of the Rings: How Old Each Fellowship Member Really Is

What This Reveals About Amazon's LOTR Story

Lord Sauron Lord of the rings fellowship of the ring

The image proves that Amazon's Second Age Lord of the Rings story isn't necessarily restricted to the Second Age, since the Two Trees of Valinor were destroyed long before, and the realm itself plays little role in the later events of Middle-earth, since the Valar had largely given up on mortals by then. This would suggest Amazon's new visual is actually taken from some kind of flashback or, more likely, an opening history lesson, similar to Peter Jackson's movie trilogy. Before the main Second Age action begins, it makes sense to cover major events such as the Two Trees of Valinor, Melkor and Ungoliant's poisoning, the Flight of the Ñoldor, etc. Though all of the above transpire many years prior, they directly inform later occurrences in the Second Age, which could be the primary focus of Amazon's TV series.

Undoubtedly, Amazon's new Lord of the Rings TV show is digging deeper into Tolkien lore than many expected. Few fans anticipated seeing a live-action Valinor, or characters such as Glorfindel, Melkor, and the sons of Finwë, but that now appears a more-than-realistic possibility. Amazon's history lesson explaining Melkor's motivations and backstory would support the long-held theory that Sauron will play a major role in the show's overall narrative. Explaining Melkor's influence on Middle-earth and his eventual defeat could lead into Sauron establishing his Master's dominion in the Second Age and bringing about the downfall of Númenor. Amazon's first glimpse could also be interpreted as a sign of the elves' importance to the narrative. By exploring the division among houses with Tirion as a setting, it's easier to understand why the elves are so disunited against Sauron in the Second Age.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway, however, is that nothing appears off the table for Amazon. Despite reports about what Tolkien bits the streaming giant legally can and can't adapt, the 2022 TV series already looks more expansive and immersive in its use of Lord of the Rings mythology than many might've assumed. And that alone is cause for a celebratory second breakfast.

More: Lord Of The Rings: Sauron's Rise (& Defeat) In The Second Age Explained