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'The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power' season 1 finale reveals the identity of Sauron. Here's what the ending could mean for season 2.

Ayomikun Adekaiyero   

'The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power' season 1 finale reveals the identity of Sauron. Here's what the ending could mean for season 2.
Sauron in "The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power" finale trailer.Prime Video
  • Warning: Spoilers ahead for the season one finale of "The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power."
  • The finale reveals that Sauron has been hiding in plain sight in season one.

"The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power" season one finale had several revelations for fans, including the identity of Sauron.

Throughout the first season, Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) has been chasing Sauron, the last dark lord in Middle-earth.

At the beginning of the season finale, there is a red herring in which the Stranger (Daniel Weyman), who has been helping the Harfoots, is told that he is in fact Sauron, but has lost his memory after being cast down to Earth.

Later on in the episode, it is revealed that the real Sauron has been close to Galadriel all along.

Here's what the ending of season one could mean for future seasons of the show and the creation of the Rings of Power.

Halbrand, Galadriel's close companion in season one, turned out to be the villain she has been searching for.

Halbrand, Galadriel
Charlie Vickers as Halbrand in "The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power."      Prime Video

Halbrand (Charlie Vickers) and Galadriel have been journeying together since being stuck on a wrecked raft lost at sea. Halbrand deceives Galadriel into believing that he is the lost king of the Southlands, a kingdom of humans, and thus she props him up to take his place as ruler.

After Halbrand is injured during the battle in episode six, the pair ride off to the Elven kingdom so that Halbrand can be seen by a healer. However, once they reach the kingdom, Galadriel starts to become wary of her companion again.

She discovers that he is not the lost king and confronts him, leading him to reveal his true identity, Sauron.

It is unclear if it was always Sauron's plan to be led to the Elven kingdom, or just to trick Galadriel, but at this point, he proposes that the Elven warrior joins him or become dishonored by revealing the truth to the other elves.

Galadriel appears to pick a third option, refusing to join Sauron, but keeping his identity a secret from the other elves.

This betrayal of her own people could come back to harm Galadriel in the future since she goes along with Sauron's plan to create one of the rings of power.

Galadriel allows the first Rings of Power to be made.

Galadriel allows the first Rings of Power to be made.
The three rings for the Elven-kings.      Prime Video

Fans of "Lord of The Rings" all know the story behind the Rings of Power, which is what the Amazon series at first appeared to be based on. Sauron tricked the Elven, Dwarven, and Human kingdoms into creating powerful rings, which he then took control over using a ring to rule them all.

However, there was no mention of rings throughout the first season.

This changes in the finale when the Elves are trying to work out how to use the last bit of Mithril, a special ore, to save their people. Due to some persuasion from Sauron, they decide to turn the ore into two rings, the first Rings of Power.

After Galadriel finds out the identity of Sauron, she asks them to instead make three Rings of Power, hoping it'll be enough to thwart whatever plan the enemy has.

Sauron disappears before the rings are made, which could mean he is off to try and ensure the other Rings of Power are made as part of his plan.

In season two, we could see the Dwarven and Human kingdoms construct their own rings.

Halbrand appears to be heading to reclaim Mordor for himself.

Halbrand appears to be heading to reclaim Mordor for himself.
Halbrand (Charlie Vickers) standing before newly-formed Mount Doom.      Prime Video

A big moment in the first season was the creation of Mordor. It turns out that the Orcs have been secretly setting up a plan to turn the Southlands into a place specifically for them. At the end of episode six, they ignite the volcano, Mount Doom, causing the entire land to be filled with ashes and smoke.

The last scene of the finale shows Halbrand looking at Mount Doom in Mordor. In the Peter Jackson movies and the book series, Sauron rules this part of Middle-earth, and Mount Doom is where the one ring to rule them all was forged.

Potentially, this scene foreshadows Sauron's plan to create his master ring in Mount Doom.

Alternatively, it could foreshadow him setting his sights on taking over Mordor and the Orcs.

The Stranger has been set up to be Gandalf the Grey.

The Stranger has been set up to be Gandalf the Grey.
The Stranger (Daniel Weyman) faces off against three followers of Sauron.      Ben Rothstein / Prime Video

Throughout the first season, fans have predicted that the Stranger (Weyman), a mystical man who seems to have lost his memory and speech capability, is a younger version of fan-favorite character Gandalf the Grey.

During the show, this stranger has also been stalked by three mysterious people, who reveal themselves as followers of Sauron in the finale. They believe the Stranger to be Sauron and almost persuade him that is the case until the Harfoots arrive to save him.

When one of the Harfoots, Nori (Markella Kavanaugh), steals the staff from one of Sauron's followers and gives it to the stranger, the man finally realizes his identity and destroys the evil wizards.

Before they die, one of them calls him an Istar, the name for wizards in Middle-earth such as Gandalf.

In the books, they were sent down to the land to stop Sauron, when he started to rise to power, which could explain why the Stranger arrived in a meteor in episode one.

While the episode didn't confirm the character to be Gandalf, the character similarly did not go by that name when he first entered Middle-earth in the books. Hence, the series could be presenting the journey of how the legendary Gandalf the Grey came to be.

There have also been several Easter eggs to support the theory that the Stranger is Gandalf, such as in the finale when the Stranger utters a quote similar to Gandalf's line in "The Fellowship of the Ring."

"The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power" season one is available on Amazon Prime Video.

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