The leadup to The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 made it seem laughable that Celebrimbor would trust Sauron, but it all makes sense now. For the sake of surprising audiences, Rings of Power season 1 made a change to the Dark Lord’s deception of the Elves, introducing Halbrand instead of Annatar. This made it seem as if Prime Video had done away with Sauron’s Annatar form altogether—until the trailer for Rings of Power season 2 saw Annatar working side by side with Celebrimbor.

At the end of Rings of Power season 1, Galadriel warned Celebrimbor that Halbrand wasn’t to be trusted. It was assumed that when Sauron inevitably returned to Eregion, it would be with a brand new face; that way, Celebrimbor would be fooled into trusting him. Of course, the trailer for Rings of Power season 2 saw the elf meet Annatar, seemingly not recognizing that this was basically just Halbrand in a wig. The disguise was far from convincing, and waves of criticism rolled in about the implausibility. However, everything becomes clear in Rings of Power season 2, episode 2.

Sauron Convinces Celebrimbor That Halbrand Was Always An Emissary Of The Valar

Celebrimbor DOES Recognize That Annatar Is Halbrand

In Rings of Power season 2, episode 2, Sauron turns up in Eregion as Halbrand, and Celebrimbor obediently refuses to treat him, just as Galadriel said. However, the Dark Lord stubbornly remained outside the forge, injured and soaked in the rain, until Celebrimbor finally came out to tell him he must leave. This was all Sauron needed, and a little sweet talking got him begrudgingly invited inside. Still, Celebrimbor didn’t fully trust “Halbrand” at this point—Sauron needed to pull out all the stops, so he transformed into Annatar right in front of Celebrimbor’s eyes.

This was quite genius on Sauron’s part since he really is a Maia, albeit a fallen one.

By shape-shifting, Sauron was proving that he was not really a Man. He even admitted that he wasn’t an elf. It was clear to Celebrimbor that this Lord of Gifts could only be one thing—a Maia, emissary of the archangel-like Valar of Valinor. This was quite genius on Sauron’s part since he really is a Maia, albeit a fallen one. Celebrimbor was all too ready to believe that he was special enough to gain the Valar’s favor. So, the elf wholeheartedly believed that Halbrand had been a glorious agent of Valinor all along and that Galadriel had been unwise to send him away.

Sauron’s Deception Is So Much More Complicated Than In Tolkien’s Books

Rings Of Power Took Creative Liberties To Fill In the Gaps

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None of this is how Tolkien described Sauron’s deception as Annatar in The Silmarillion, but that isn’t really saying much. The legendary author wrote about the Second Age as if he were a third-party historian, with no real details about the nuanced conversations or methods. This gave Rings of Power a great deal of wiggle room to get creative, and Prime Video took full advantage. What they came up with is far more complicated than the version Tolkien enthusiasts have come to know, but that was necessary considering the corner the show blocked itself in with season 1.

Audiences were on the lookout for Sauron in Rings of Power season 1, but the series rearranged the order of events to take everyone by surprise. Halbrand being Sauron was a significant twist, and the fact that he inspired the creation of the Three Elven Rings before he took the form of Annatar and tricked Celebrimbor was key in pulling this off. However, when said and done, it meant Prime Video was in a pickle. The show needed a believable way to justify Celebrimbor being fooled a second time. While this meant a more complicated story, it works pretty well in Rings of Power season 2.

Who Killed The Messengers Gil-galad Sent To Eregion?

There Are Still Some Mysteries To Be Solved

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While Rings of Power exceeded expectations justifying Annatar’s deception, there are still some issues here. First, none of this would have been possible if Galadriel hadn’t kept Halbrand’s identity a secret. She told Celebrimbor not to trust the man, but she left the door wide open for Middle-earth’s cleverest manipulator to get through. It certainly seems that Tolkien’s character would have been wiser than this. Alas, Rings of Power used the justification that Galadriel was embarrassed that she had been deceived and didn’t want her fellows to think she had been corrupted.

She told Celebrimbor not to trust the man, but she left the door wide open for Middle-earth’s cleverest manipulator to get through.

Of course, the news eventually did get out, and Gil-gald quickly sent a messenger to Eregion explicitly stating that Halbrand was Sauron. Unfortunately, Celebrimbor didn’t get the memo. The messenger was seen dead, being dragged away by a mysterious figure with a chain. The Rings of Power season 2 didn’t reveal who was responsible for this, but it’s undoubtedly someone loyal to Sauron. Surely whoever is responsible will be revealed in future episodes of Rings of Power, as Galadriel, Elrond, and their company will have to contend with them to get the Eregion.