The Rings of Power season 2’s ending adequately wraps up several plot points, answers major questions, raises other theories, and sets up huge storylines for season 3. Since The Rings of Power season 1’s ending, many began theorizing about the future of the show. The Rings of Power season 2 answered this theorizing with a more confident story centered around the crafting of The Lord of the Rings‘ Rings of Power as Sauron manipulated his way to the top of Middle-earth’s power hierarchy, and the free peoples opposed his darkness.

This story culminated in The Rings of Power season 2’s ending; The Rings of Power‘s cast mostly assembled to defend Eregion from Adar’s army as Celebrimbor conducts his final stand against Sauron. As Sauron’s Rings of Power plan leads him to Galadriel in a fight for the Nine Rings of Men, Elrond and the elves fight off an onslaught of orcs. Meanwhile, The Stranger discovers his true identity, the dwarves of Khazad-dûm catch a glimpse of the fiery doom slumbering beneath them, and the men of Númenor reckon with their enduring power struggle as The Rings of Power season 2 ends.

The Stranger Is Gandalf: The Rings Of Power’s Big Mystery Solved

The Theories Came True After All

Perhaps the biggest reveal of The Rings of Power season 2’s ending was that of The Stranger’s identity. Since he was revealed as one of The Lord of the Rings’ Istari, many have assumed The Stranger was an early version of Gandalf the Grey. This was supported by several pointed nods, references, and Easter eggs to the wandering grey wizard, raising questions over how Gandalf could exist in Middle-earth’s Second Age. Regardless of the seeming disregard for Tolkien’s original works, The Rings of Power season 2’s ending reveals The Stranger as Gandalf after all.

Given the many obvious references to the iconic wizard, this was to be expected. However, amid other theories that The Stranger and his Dark Wizard counterpart were the two rarely mentioned Blue Wizards from Tolkien’s books, the potential for otherwise was always present. Nonetheless, the references to The Stranger as Grand-Elf by the Stoors, the finding of his staff, and the confrontation with the Dark Wizard confirmed the character as the Second Age’s version of Gandalf, also known as Olórin.

How Galadriel Survives Her Fall After Fighting Sauron

The Battle For The Nine Rings Left Galadriel Injured, But Alive

The other major storyline of The Rings of Power season 2’s ending surrounded the fate of the Nine Rings of Men. At the onset of the episode, the Rings were in Galadriel’s grasp as she looked to escape Eregion while saving as many lives as she could. Eventually, Sauron catches up to her and confronts her. Amid more offers of crowns and partnerships, taunts, and torments, Sauron and Galadriel clash until the former gains possession of the Nine Rings. He demands Galadriel give him her Ring, Nenya, before she jumps from a cliff above Eregion.

The combined powers of hers and Gil-galad’s Rings saw Galadriel’s wounds dealt by Sauron’s weapons heal…

Later, it is revealed that Galadriel survived her fall, begging the question of how. The answer to this has been seeded throughout The Rings of Power season 2: the elven Rings of Power. As had been shown before this, the elven Rings, specifically Galadriel’s, have been shown to possess immense healing powers. Galadriel held the Ring as she jumped, which likely helped her survive the fall. Afterward, the combined powers of hers and Gil-galad’s Rings saw Galadriel’s wounds dealt by Sauron’s weapons heal.

The Rings Of Power’s Nine Rings Set Up Sauron’s The Rings Of Power Season 3 Story

Sauron’s Plan Is Nearing Its Final Stages

As alluded to, Sauron’s ending in The Rings of Power season 2 saw him gain possession of the Nine Rings of Men. These Rings were the object of Sauron’s desires in the latter half of The Rings of Power season 2, after successfully crafting those for the dwarves. In gaining the Nine Rings of Men, Sauron’s story for The Rings of Power season 3 has been established, linking to The Lord of the Rings’ Nazgûl.

Now that Sauron has the Nine Rings of Power, he will seek out the lords of men he desires to bend to his will. In The Rings of Power season 3, this plot will unfold. Sauron will find those to give the Rings to, leading them down the path of becoming the nine Nazgûl seen in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Who these subjects will be remains to be seen, but Sauron’s plan will undoubtedly involve establishing the Ringwraiths, as well as crafting The Lord of the Rings’ One Ring.

Kemen was shown establishing a Númenórean base in Pelargir at the end of The Rings of Power season 2, potentially teasing him as a recipient of one of the Nine.

Why Adar Turns Good In The Rings Of Power Season 2’s Finale

Adar’s Ending Reflects The Tragic Nature Of His Character

Before Sauron and Galadriel’s fateful confrontation in The Rings of Power season 2’s ending, Adar also meets his end. The character is killed by his own orcs as was often theorized throughout season 2, who fell under Sauron’s control. Shortly before this, however, Adar’s character took an intriguing turn. After obtaining Galadriel’s Ring in The Rings of Power season 2, episode 7, Adar reverted to his fair elven form. This helped him realize the error of his ways in sacrificing so many of his Uruk children.

The power of the Ring helped him realize this, turning his heart into a desire to forge a truce between the elves and the Uruk. Although Adar still wishes to defeat Sauron alongside Galadriel, he vows to recall his army to Mordor and lead them into an age of peace alongside the other races of Middle-earth. Unfortunately, this truce does not last as Adar is killed by his own orcs.

The Rings Of Power Season 2’s Ending Introduces Rivendell

The Valley Of Imladris Is Here

The Rings of Power season 2’s ending saw the Siege of Eregion conclude as the elven city was destroyed. However, many of its inhabitants managed to escape as a host of dwarves appeared to fight the orcs. Led by Elrond, Gil-galad, Arondir, and Galadriel, the elves retreated north of Eregion to a hidden valley in the Misty Mountains. This valley will eventually become Rivendell, the stronghold of Elrond highlighted at length in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

Will The Balrog Return In The Rings Of Power Season 3?

The Balrog’s Return Is Imminent

The Rings of Power season 2’s finale opened with an epic scene in which Durin IV confronted his father. Durin III had succumbed to the power of the Ring and opened a pathway through the mountain into a chasm filled with Mithril. However, within this chasm was also the Balrog, the demon born of shadow and flame that has long been teased as the doom of the dwarves. That said, the Balrog did not stay for long, teasing its return in The Rings of Power season 3.

In Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series, the Balrog was said to destroy Khazad-dûm in the Third Age. Given The Rings of Power‘s slightly altered timeline and changed order of events, the Balrog has been teased in the Second Age to turn the great dwarven kingdom into the decaying state of Moria. The teases in The Rings of Power season 2’s ending were more prominent than any other, likely meaning the Balrog will return in season 3 and beyond.

The Real Meaning Of Elendil’s New Sword, Narsil

Elendil’s New Weapon Teases A Massive Future For The Númenórean Captain

Another plot point that was resolved in The Rings of Power season 2’s ending was that of Elendil’s. Despite the ending of his arc, major foundations were built for his future story in The Rings of Power season 3. This came in the form of a new weapon, first teased in The Rings of Power season 2, episode 5. Elendil received the sword of Narsil in The Rings of Power season 2’s ending, a weapon given to him by Queen Míriel that signifies him as one of the true Númenórean faithful.

Not only does Narsil become a symbol of Elendil’s strength as he becomes the High King of Gondor and Arnor, but it is eventually used by Isildur to cut the One Ring from Sauron’s finger…

This weapon is one of the most powerful in the entire franchise, as evident by its future in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Not only does Narsil become a symbol of Elendil’s strength as he becomes the High King of Gondor and Arnor, but it is eventually used by Isildur to cut the One Ring from Sauron’s finger during The War of the Last Alliance. Later, it is reforged into Andúril, Flame of the West, for Aragorn during The War of the Ring.

Is The Rings Of Power’s Dark Wizard Saruman?

Gandalf Has An Enemy In The Second Age Of Middle-earth

Back over in the Middle-earth lands of Rhûn, more about the Dark Wizard was revealed in The Rings of Power season 2’s ending. Before Gandalf’s identity was revealed, the wizard had to save the Stoors, Nori, and Poppy from the Dark Wizard and his servants. Although the Dark Wizard states he wishes to help Gandalf defeat Sauron, the heroic Istari comes to realize it is only so his dark counterpart can fill the void afterward. This leads to a brief confrontation in which the Dark Wizard tries to kill the Stoors before fleeing.

The fate of the Blue Wizards was never confirmed by Tolkien, yet it was mentioned that some in Middle-earth believed they fell to darkness as servants of Sauron in the east of Middle-earth.

The rivalry between Gandalf and the Dark Wizard is thus left over for The Rings of Power season 3, begging the question of whether the latter is Saruman. After all, the dynamic between the two in The Rings of Power is similar to that of Gandalf and Saruman in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The Dark Wizard could still be one of the aforementioned Blue Wizards, but it seems as though an early version of Saruman is also present as of The Rings of Power season 2’s ending.

The Real Meaning Of The Rings Of Power’s Season 2 Ending

The Words Of Celebrimbor Have Never Been More Meaningful

Perhaps the most tragic aspect of The Rings of Power season 2’s ending is the demise of Celebrimbor. After being tortured by Sauron for the location of the Nine Rings, Celebrimbor is killed by the Dark Lord. Given Celebrimbor’s heartbreaking story up to this point, this ending is suitably tear-inducing, yet the greatest of elven smiths lives on in the true meaning of The Rings of Power season 2’s ending.

As Celebrimbor mentioned during the Siege of Eregion, the true meaning of The Rings of Power is that it is light, not strength, that overcomes darkness. Celebrimbor’s words ring true at the end of the season, as the darkness of Sauron permeates many of the show’s storylines. However, despite the bleakness of The Rings of Power season 2’s ending, the main characters of the show endlessly remind themselves, each other, and the audience that Celebrimbor’s wisdom was correct, and only light can banish darkness, setting up more resistance from Middle-earth’s free peoples in season 3.