That famous black helmet is still missing, but Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power just dropped a big tease for Sauron's arrival. Ever since Amazon announced a Lord of the Rings TV show set during J.R.R. Tolkien's Second Age, Sauron's involvement looked inevitable. The Second Age is to Sauron what the 1980s were to Bon Jovi, after all. The iconic villain's presence seemed even more likely after Amazon confirmed the project's official title as "The Rings of Power," since the Dark Lord himself masterminds the creation of those titular trinkets. One does not simply tell a story about the Rings of Power without inviting Sauron.
Strange, then, how Sauron has remained entirely absent from The Rings of Power's marketing campaign. His armored hand might have been included among the swathe of pre-trailer poster releases, but the baddie himself is nowhere to be seen, despite almost definitely having a pivotal role. According to some reports, Sauron might not feature in The Rings of Power season 1 at all - or if he does, he'll either pop up minimally towards the very end, or be masquerading as an entirely different character. Amazon's Sauron-averse promotion continues with a new The Rings of Power trailer released ahead of SDCC 2022... but this new footage does at least set the stage for his debut.
A crucial trailer moment sees Morfydd Clark's Galadriel warn, "The enemy is still out there - the question now is where." Unfortunately for the future Lady of Lothlórien, very few believe her. Even the famously wise Elrond (played here by Robert Aramayo) tells Galadriel, "It is over." Amazon's second The Rings of Power trailer sets up a scenario whereby many elves are largely satisfied that Morgoth's First Age defeat brought evil in Middle-earth to an end, whereas Galadriel is the lone voice warning of darkness stirring from the shadows. That combative dynamic between Galadriel and her people leads perfectly into Sauron's Middle-earth comeback. Approaching the elves disguised as "Annatar" during the Second Age, Sauron infiltrates Eregion, quickly establishing himself as a friend and ally. One of precious few elves who remain suspicious of this newcomer is Galadriel, and the early roots of that very suspicion are already clear in The Rings of Power's second trailer.
Why Annatar Is So Important To The Rings Of Power
Galadriel isn't necessarily talking about Annatar specifically in Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power but, sooner or later, the "fair disguise" of Sauron must show his face.
After convincing the elves to trust him, Annatar lends his expertise and encouragement in the art of forging magic rings, specifically targeting Celebrimbor, who oversees their creation (and is played by Charles Edwards in The Rings of Power). Through Annatar's arcane knowledge, the elves craft 19 Rings of Power that are subsequently shared between themselves, dwarves and men just like deadly friendship bracelets. As told in The Lord of the Rings, Sauron then slinks off back to Mordor where he creates the One Ring that'll dominate all others. Annatar tricking the elves is arguably the most significant occurrence in Tolkien's Second Age, defining Middle-earth's course right up until Frodo casts the One Ring into Mount Doom. Even if Amazon's Lord of the Rings TV series wasn't dubbed "The Rings of Power," Annatar simply must be woven into the show's narrative sooner rather than later.
Annatar's introduction may not happen as early as The Rings of Power season 1, but Galadriel's insistence that evil is waiting around the corner gathering its strength, compared to the elves' wider belief that everything is totally fine since the Valar dealt with Morgoth, foreshadows his incoming presence. A divide is already forming between elves who will trust him and elves who will not.
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