Sauron has long been considered the perpetrator of an infamous Middle-earth crime, but The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 suggests a different cause. The Second Age was full of war and destruction, and the consequence of this was the loss of many major cities and settlements. Much of this had everything to do with Sauron and his Orcs, but Rings of Power has explored alternative forces, like Adar’s involvement in the Siege of Eregion in season 2. Now, it looks like season 3 will dive into further events involving devastating destruction, such as the clearing of Middle-earth’s forests.

The final episode of Rings of Power season 2 saw Eregion fall to its knees following Adar’s siege, which means it’s time for the next steps in Sauron’s plans. Now that he has the Nine Rings for Men, he is sure to begin handing these out to the lucky few destined to become the Ringwraiths of Lord of the Rings. Still, Sauron isn’t the only one in Middle-earth with nefarious goals. Things are growing increasingly sinister in Númenor, with Ar-Pharazôn’s son, Kemen, proving to be a particularly nasty character. He arrived in Middle-earth at the end of Rings of Power season 2, and it looks like he is about to cause some trouble there.

Rings Of Power’s Season 2 Ending Hints That Kemen Will Wipe Out The Entwives

Kemen Is Threatening The Trees

The last that Kemen was seen in Rings of Power season 2, he was taunting Isildur and demanding that the people of Pelargir supply the Númenóreans with timber. They must comply or be denied the food and supplies they need for the coming winter. Kemen’s final words, “they’re only trees,” are rather telling since Isildur and Theo had previously discovered the trees surrounding this region are governed by Ents—one of which, a female called an Entwife—is already full of wrath regarding the trees felled by the Orcs that marched from Mordor to Eregion.

The Entwife in Rings of Power season 2 is the first of her kind seen in The Lord of the Rings since all the female Ents had vanished by the Third Age (when Frodo’s story is set). Treebeard famously asked the Hobbits Merry and Pippin if they had seen any Entwives near the Shire since he tragically had not given up hope that he would find them again one day. The last the Entwives were ever seen was near the Brown Lands near Mordor, but their fate after this has remained one of the greatest mysteries of Lord of the Rings. Kemen’s final line in Rings of Power implies he will have something to do with their disappearance.

It Has Long Been Assumed That Sauron Destroyed The Entwives

The Fate Of The Entwives Is Still A Mystery

Though Tolkien never provided definitive answers regarding the Entwives’ fate, all the evidence pointed at Sauron. Treebeard said in Lord of the Rings that the Entwives had been planting gardens in the Brown Lands, but when he traveled there to discover what came of them, he only found the burned remains of their work. Still, he held on hope that the Entwives had simply moved elsewhere when the Brown Lands grew too dangerous and maintained the belief that they could still turn up one day. It’s a heartbreaking reminder of the damage Sauron did—but maybe it wasn’t him after all.

It’s a heartbreaking reminder of the damage Sauron did—but maybe it wasn’t him after all.

Theo and Isildur will be in a tough spot in Rings of Power season 3. For the people of Pelargir to survive, they must fell the trees and hand the lumber over to Kemen and the Númenóreans. However, in doing so, they will anger the Ents, with whom they already promised to keep peace. Kemen is unlikely to have much compassion for the Ents, and he is sure to take swift and violent action against any who try to stop them. This could lead to a surprising answer regarding the fate of the Entwives, involving Kemen and the Númenóreans rather than Sauron himself.

Sauron Will Still Have A Role To Play In Númenor’s Crimes

Kemen’s Evil Has A Source

If this is the route that Rings of Power takes with its coming episodes, this wouldn’t necessarily make Sauron blameless. After all, any and all discord in Middle-earth can find its roots in the evil that Morgoth and his followers—including Sauron—sewed there. Additionally, the Dark Lord of the Second Age has a lot to do with the crimes that Númenor is destined to commit. Now done with Eregion, Sauron should head to Númenor in the next couple of seasons and influence Pharazôn to attack the gods of Valinor themselves. This and more are sure to impact Kemen as well. So, his sins are, at their core, Sauron’s sins.