The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2’s three-episode premiere sees Isildur reckon with a hive of spiders, with one noticeably big one resembling Shelob. The second season of the Amazon Prime Video TV show picks up almost immediately from where The Rings of Power season 1’s ending left off; Galadriel and Elrond are trying to figure out what to do with Celebrimbor’s rings, while Halbrand/Sauron returns to the newly-christened Mordor to enact the next stage of his master plan.

While Sauron’s plan in The Rings of Power is a focus of season 2, the show does not lose sight of its other characters. One such character is Isildur, who was presumed dead in the story of The Rings of Power season 1. As many who are familiar with the character will know, Isildur survived and was revealed to have been captured by a brood of spiders in The Rings of Power season 2. Upon his escape, Isildur faces an unusually large spider, leaving many wondering if it is Shelob and whether the great spider would fit The Rings of Power‘s timeline.

Shelob Is In The Rings Of Power Season 2’s Spider Scene

Shelob’s History Fits With The Rings Of Power

Based on what is known of Shelob’s history and confirmation from the show’s cast, Shelob is confirmed as the spider in The Rings of Power season 2, episode 3. To support this, the show emphasizes how large one spider is compared to those around it, making it a bigger threat for Isildur to overcome. Secondly, Shelob was born long before the Second Age of Middle-earth, meaning she is old enough to appear in The Rings of Power. Similarly, Isildur is in Mordor in The Rings of Power season 2’s premiere, where Shelob resided for thousands of years until the Third Age.

Aside from Middle-earth’s history and Baldry’s confirmation of Shelob’s appearance, The Rings of Power gives some visual queues to confirm the giant spider is Shelob. The design of the creature, though much smaller given The Rings of Power takes place thousands of years before The Lord of the Rings, is very similar to that of Peter Jackson’s trilogy. Also, when grappling with the spider, Isildur holds its pincers to prevent being eaten, much like how Samwise does when battling Shelob in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

How Shelob Came To Mordor In Lord Of The Rings Mythology

Shelob’s Time Before The Second Age Is Shrouded In Mystery

Interestingly, Shelob is one of the many Lord of the Rings characters whose history is uncertain. Given how wide-reaching Tolkien’s world was, it would have been impossible for the author to have fleshed out every single detail about every character, creature, or location within the vast history of the world. As it turns out, Shelob is one of the characters whose story is not as detailed as the likes of Sauron or Galadriel.

Upon Sauron claiming Mordor for his own, Shelob’s lair above Minas Morgul was already established, leading to her appearances in The Lord of the Rings…

In Tolkien’s works, Shelob was described as being born in the Elder Days, the era of Middle-earth before the War of Wrath ended. Her timeline after this is uncertain, with Tolkien only mentioning that she eventually came to dwell in Mordor before Sauron began the construction of Barad-dûr, which again fits with The Rings of Power season 2. Upon Sauron claiming Mordor for his own, Shelob’s lair above Minas Morgul was already established, leading to her appearances in The Lord of the Rings, millennia after The Rings of Power season 2.