The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 creators Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne explain King Durin’s (Peter Mullan) fate in the finale and his scene with the Balrog. After returning in August, Prime Video’s hit Lord of the Rings series concluded its sophomore outing this week, with friction between Prince Durin (Owain Arthur) and his father coming to a head. The Rings of Power‘s season 2 finale features the younger Durin confronting the king before they’re interrupted by the Balrog, with King Durin ultimately dying after leaping at the monstrous beast with an ax.

In a recent interview with Deadline, McKay and Payne delve into how this climactic moment for King Durin came to life in The Rings of Power‘s season 2 finale, revealing that the image of him leaping toward the Balrog was originally planned for season 1. In addition to making this moment work from a storytelling perspective and making it feel earned, McKay reveals that the moment was challenging purely on a technical level in terms of lighting and the set they had built. Check out their comments below:

Patrick McKay : This was actually one of the most technically challenging sequences we’ve ever done in the show. That set, because it’s a cave, is exceedingly difficult to shoot in. A cave is dark, right? But the mine they’re in has this mithril, the Tolkien ore, which sort of shimmers. So the lighting is complex. Our cinematographer, Alex Disenhoff, designed this entire rig so that the light would glow like moonlight blue on them and then shift to orange.

JD Payne : It’s quite a beautiful look. You see it on the face of Peter Mullan, who plays the king, as the blue shifts to orange and hopefully the audience is going, oh no, it’s coming. The image of the king leaping into the void, and sacrificing himself to buy the kingdom more time and put the genie back in the bottle, that was an image that came in the very first writer’s room five years ago in Santa Monica. And that tableau of the dwarf making a leap with his ax for the valor, and that being the last thing Durin IV ever sees of his father. We’ve spent five years crafting story to build and hopefully we earned that moment. It was originally going to be the ending of Season One, but we felt there was so much story here, and we love Peter Mullan so much and there’s so much to be had between him and his son at loggerheads. We decided to let breathe over an entire season.

Payne : Characters who do evil things in Tolkien, sometimes they’re good people doing wrong things and it’s rare that whether you’re a dwarf, a hobbit or an elf, you’re all good or all bad. And even though King Durin made some real mistakes, there clearly was still good in him.

What King Durin’s Sacrifice Means For The Rings Of Power Season 3

Khazad-dûm Will Still Fall

Though The Rings of Power season 3 is not yet confirmed, McKay and Payne have previously expressed that they approached the show with a 5-season arc in mind. The arrival of the Balrog has been teased since season 1, and its reveal in the season 2 finale means that all of Khazad-dûm may be in danger in the episodes ahead. As seen in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), the Mines of Moria are eventually abandoned due to the awakening of this beast, and this mass Dwarf exodus could occur in season 3.

As McKay explains, King Durin III’s sacrifice has brought Khazad-dûm some time, but the fall of this great kingdom is inevitable. The Rings of Power season 3 will likely see Durin IV struggling with his new role as king and perhaps struggling against the dark magic of the Ring, just as his father did. After looming as a threat in the background for most of two seasons, the Balrog is now poised to play a much larger role in season 3 and beyond after Durin III dug too greedily and too deep.

The Balrog featured in The Rings of Power season 2 eventually becomes known as Durin’s Bane. The beast isn’t slain until thousands of years later, with Gandalf ultimately delivering the killing blow atop Durin’s Tower.

Our Take On King Durin III’s Death In The Rings Of Power

Peter Mullan’s Character Is A Tragic One

Durin III has essentially served as an antagonist throughout The Rings of Power season 2, becoming dangerous to all around him after putting on the ring. His corruptibility has now doomed the entire kingdom of Khazad-dûm, but his final moments in the show affirm that he’s ultimately a tragic figure. His love for his people won out in the end, and he took off the ring and sacrificed himself, potentially preventing more bloodshed.

The Dwarf storyline, in general, has been a highlight of season 2, and Durin III’s season-long downfall is a testament to just how powerful these Rings of Power are and their potential for destruction. The TV format has allowed Khazad-dûm’s downfall to approach slowly and ominously, and it’s also allowed for the fleshing out of both Durins, making them complex and compelling characters. Though many questions remain about The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Durin III’s actions, both good and bad, are sure to have major ramifications.