Sauron has officially begun distributing his titular rings in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2, beginning with the Seven Dwarf Rings. Of course, this is a big part of what audiences have been waiting for in the Prime Video series since this is the first adaptation to explore the Dark Lord’s Rings of Power in this way. Season 1 saw the creation of the Three Elven Rings, which were not made through Sauron’s direct influence, but now that the Dwarves have their Seven in Rings of Power season 2, the excitement can get started.

While the creation and distribution of Sauron’s Rings of Power has only been brought to live action in Rings of Power, fans of the Lord of the Rings movies will be familiar with the gist of the Dark Lord’s gifts. Sauron made and gave these rings away, leading those who received them to believe that they came from the goodness of his heart. Of course, they were being deceived since the Dark Lord created his One Ring to rule over and influence all the rest. In the case of the Dwarves, it was the Lords of the seven clans who received these gifts—but what did they really do?

The Seven Rings Bring The Dwarves More Riches (In LOTR & The Rings Of Power)

Sauron’s Seven Gave The Dwarves Precisely What They Wanted

On the surface level, the Rings of Power amplify the abilities of their wearers. In the case of the Dwarves, this meant that their mining and crafting abilities became unparalleled. Tolkien didn’t provide many specifics in this sense, but it’s noted in Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King that the Dwarves could multiply anything they mined. Each of the seven Dwarf clans thrived as the Seven Hoards were established.

In Rings of Power season 2, the effects of the Seven Rings were explored in more detail. King Durin III gained the ability to see into the depths of the mountain. He instantly had a sort of intuition that told him where to dig for specific needs. He knew precisely where to chip the stone away to again bring light to Khazad-dûm after the cave-in, and he could see where the most valuable jewels were hidden away, ready to be mined. However, it’s evident in Rings of Power that King Durin’s Ring made him overly confident. He believed the trinket would warn him of danger, but he couldn’t see the Balrog hidden beneath his feet.

The Seven Rings Corrupt The Dwarves Due To Sauron’s Influence

Sauron’s Evil Was Forged Into The Rings Themselves

The reason Sauron handed out his Rings of Power was so he could control the leaders of Middle-earth. Lord of the Rings reveals that it was through the Nine Rings that the Dark Lord controlled the Kings of Men, slowly turning them into his Ringwraiths. However, the Seven Dwarf Rings didn’t work quite the same way. This Middle-earth race is notoriously tough and stubborn, so even Sauron couldn’t control the Dwarves through their Rings. Still, his influence took a toll on the Dwarf Lords, and they were slowly corrupted all the same.

The Seven Hoards became so massive that they drew in monsters like dragons, who claimed the treasures for themselves, killing many Dwarves.

Dwarves already possessed a natural sort of greed, though it could easily have been passed off for creativity and ambition before the Seven came into play. Once the Lords had their Rings, Sauron’s evil slowly eliminated their ability to say when. The Seven Hoards became so massive that they drew in monsters like dragons, who claimed the treasures for themselves, killing many Dwarves. Even worse, the greedy digging of Khazad-dûm set free an even more fearsome beast—the Balrog of Moria, who would one day kill Gandalf the Grey in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

What Happens To The Seven Dwarf Rings After The Rings Of Power

Many Rings Of Power Are Unaccounted For (But Not All)

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Of the Seven Dwarf Rings, the one focused on the most in Rings of Power is the one claimed by King Durin III, which would come to be known as the Ring of Thrór. This is the Ring whose story extends the longest, though its ultimate fate is still unknown. According to canon, it continued to be passed down even after the fall of Khazad-dûm until it fell to Thráin, who Sauron eventually captured in an effort to retrieve one of his Seven. The Dark lord succeeded in finding two more of the Seven, but four were consumed by dragons, who were drawn to the Seven Hoards.

It’s never revealed what Sauron did with the Dwarf Rings that he reclaimed.

In Lord of the Rings, Gandalf was one of the few who knew the fate of the Seven. He told Frodo about the four that had been eaten and explained to Gimli there would be no Ring to find in Moria since he knew it had been reclaimed by Sauron. Still, it’s unclear what happened to the three that the Dark Lord had in his possession during his downfall. They might have been stashed away in Mordor. Regardless, their power would have greatly diminished once the One Ring was destroyed.

The Hobbit & Lord Of The Rings Reveal The Impact Of The Seven On Middle-earth’s Dwarves

The Effects Are Felt For Generations

Part of what is so exciting about Rings of Power is that it is a rare opportunity to see the Dwarves of Middle-earth at their best. Khazad-dûm is a place of wealth and glory, but there was no such Dwarf kingdom in The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings. Especially during Bilbo’s story, the Dwarves were exiled and unable to return to their homes, which were overrun by either Orcs or the dragon Smaug. The same is mostly true for The Lord of the Rings. Though the events of The Hobbit saw the Dwarves reclaim some of their wealth, it wasn’t until after the One Ring was destroyed that this race became stable again.

Though the events of The Hobbit saw the Dwarves reclaim some of their wealth, it wasn’t until after the One Ring was destroyed that this race became stable again.

Though Lord of the Rings is set thousands of years after The Rings of Power, the state of the Dwarf kingdoms is a direct result of the events seen in season 2. The Seven Rings helped this race climb to their greatest but also tipped them over the edge. This was the very nature of Sauron’s work. Rings of Power demonstrated that Sauron believed that his evil will and domination would be the salvation of Middle-earth. However, the very nature of his Rings—and the spiteful rage of their master—made that impossible. Of course, Prime Video is only at the beginning stages of this downfall. It can only get worse from here.

Which Characters Wear The Dwarven Rings In Middle-earth History

The Wearers Of One Dwarf Ring Was Recorded

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The Seven Rings of Power were sent to each of the Dwarf clans—the Longbeards, Firebeards, Broadbeams, Ironfists, Stiffbeards, Blacklocks, and Stonefoots. However, the specifics of who most of these Rings went to are unknown. The best record is for the one that went to the Longbreads (AKA Durin’s Folk). Just as in Rings of Power, this Ring went first to King Durin III. From then on, it’s unclear who did or did not actually wear Khazad-dûm’s Ring, but it was passed on to the next three Durin’s before the Balrog destroyed the city and killed King Durin VI.

From this point forward, the Dwarves abandoned the tradition of naming their royalty Durin. There were descendants called Nair, Thrain, Thorin I, Gloin, and many more. The Ring was passed on until it came to Thrór, who is confirmed to have worn it (it then became known as the Ring of Thrór). Finally, Thrór passed his Ring on to Thráin II (father of Thorin II Oakenshield), who was captured by Sauron and held prisoner until his death. It is believed that Sauron successfully retrieved the Ring of Thrór, so this terrible heirloom left the Longbeards forever.