The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power co-showrunner Patrick McKay has confirmed Sauron’s big problem with making the One Ring, and how it ties together with his current storyline. The Rings of Power season 2 has featured Sauron (Charlie Vickers) disguised as Annatar in Eregion, working with Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) to forge the Rings of Power for Dwarves and Men. However, the latest episode has seen the Elf smith start questioning what they’re doing, with the Dark Lord showing him a vision of prosperity in the city to convince him to continue forging the nine Rings for Men.

Speaking with IGN, McKay acknowledged how Celebrimbor breaking from Sauron’s conditioning in The Rings of Power season 2 could disrupt his plans of making the One Ring, which is still far away in the timeline. The co-showrunner hinted the Dark Lord would need to find out how to forge the Ring by himself, smiling cryptically without giving away how the important artifact is going to be created. Check out what McKay had to say below:

I think we can only reflect on what the show has shown us so far, which is that Sauron needs Celebrimbor. So how does Sauron then forge a ring on his own? That’s a big question worthy of lots of dramatic exploration.

What McKay’s Statement Means For The One Ring In Rings Of Power

The Important Object Won’t Be Forged By Celebrimbor

At the end of The Rings of Power season 2, episode 6, Sauron shows Celebrimbor Eregion at peace, crafting a vision to keep him working on the Rings even as Adar (Sam Haeldine) launches an attack on the Elven city. However, with his conditioning already cracking, it seems the smith isn’t going to be under the Dark Lord’s control long enough to forge the One Ring. McKay’s comment confirms this to be the case too, aligning with Middle-earth lore that states the antagonist secretly created it within Mount Doom in Mordor.

Since The Rings of Power‘s cast has oftentimes been remixed versions of characters from J.R.R. Tolkien’s work, Celebrimbor’s fate is impossible to fully predict. However, with the smith starting to fall out of Sauron’s control, he could end up dead by the end of season 2, either at the hands of the Dark Lord or in the battle he’s unaware is going on just outside his forge. If this happens, there would be no other option for the antagonist than to use alternative forging skills in trying to craft the One Ring.

Our Take On How Sauron Will Forge The One Ring In The Rings Of Power

A New Storyline Might Be At The Forefront

Custom Image by Yailin Chacon

It sounds like Celebrimbor’s role in the fantasy series is coming to a close, with the smith no longer having a major role in Sauron’s plans moving forward. However, without the Elf and no discernible forging skills of his own, it’s unclear how the Dark Lord will be able to craft the One Ring by himself on Mount Doom. However, McKay’s cryptic clue indicates there’s more to the powerful artifact’s story than meets the eye, potentially something The Rings of Power season 3 will address when the time comes.

Episode of The Rings of Power
Release Date

Season 2, Episode 7
09-26-2024

Season 2, Episode 8
10-03-2024