Celebrimbor forgot his assistant’s name in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2, and previous episodes subtly revealed why this is such a big deal. The Lord of Eregion has been steadily declining since Sauron became a constant presence at his forge—and it’s no wonder why. Though he was proud to make the Seven Dwarven Rings, Celebrimbor has since become hesitant to proceed with the Nine for Men. This has made Sauron turn up the pressure, and the consequence has been the deterioration of the elf’s mental state in Rings of Power season 2, episode 6.

Eregion’s best Elf smiths have been assisting Celebrimbor in the Rings of Power season 2, and, up to episode 6, he has had a great working relationship with the group. They respected him, and he respected them, and their work on the Seven went relatively smoothly. However, as Sauron pushes Celebrimbor to make the Nine, tension develops within the forge. Mirdania has been especially suspicious in Rings of Power season 2, but things came to a head when Celebrimbor drew a blank on her name.

The Rings Of Power Already Told You Why Celebrimbor Forgetting Mirdania’s Name Is A Big Deal

Celebrimbor’s Decline Is Basically Unheard Of

Celebrimbor has been under a lot of stress, so it should be entirely understandable that he might momentarily forget a colleague’s name. However, when he asked her for a reminder, Mirdania and the other assistants were wholly shocked. Celebrimbor and Annatar played it off as a simple lapse in memory, but it was clear that the smiths didn’t consider this an adequate excuse. An earlier moment in The Rings of Power reveals why.

In a previous Rigns of Power season 2 episode, Arondir said Elves’ memories never dim. Tolkien’s canon backs this up since it is stated multiple times throughout The Lord of the Rings that this Middle-earth race’s memory is flawless. Therefore, while it would be typical for a human to forget a name while under stress or due to age, it would be essentially unheard of for an elf like Celebrimbor. It’s for precisely this reason that Mirdania and the other smiths were so shocked and suspicious.

What’s Really Happening To Celebrimbor In The Rings Of Power

Sauron’s Evil Is Chipping Away At Celebrimbor

Custom Image by Lewis Glazebrook

Sauran began manipulating Celebrimbor the moment he arrived in Eregion. He made the elf believe that he had been hand-selected by the god-like Valar and that he, Annatar, was their emissary to see him through to greatness. Of course, none of this is true, but Celebrimbor so wanted to believe it that he ignored all the warning signs. As more red flags appeared, the Lord of Eregion attempted to take some steps back, but Sauron pushed with more manipulation and gaslighting. Magic aside, all of this would undoubtedly take a toll on even an elf’s mental state.

What’s happening to the elf is similar to what happens to those who come in contact with the One Ring in The Lord of the Rings .