The marketing for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power‘s second season puts particular emphasis on the full-on dynamic between Sauron and Elf-smith Celebrimbor. So, what’s the deal with Sauron and Celebrimbor’s relationship in The Rings of Power Season 2, and does it jibe with J.R.R. Tolkien’s canon?
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Sauron and Celebrimbor’s Relationship in The Rings of Power Season 2, Explained
As teased by The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2’s trailers, the interactions between Sauron and Celebrimbor will encompass extreme highs and lows. Notably, Celebrimbor’s attitude towards the Dark Lord of Mordor will apparently transition from near-religious veneration to tearful horror. So, why the emotional rollercoaster? And more to the point: why is Celebrimbor – one of the “goodies” – working with Sauron in the first place?
But that’s just it: Celebrimbor doesn’t realize he’s collaborating with Sauron on the Rings of Power. Instead, he thinks he’s teamed up with “Annatar”: an emmissary of the angelic Valar. That’s why Celebrimbor treats Sauron so reverentially up front. It’s also why he’s so mortified once he finally puts two and two together. This is also the reason for the dark lord’s demeanor shifting from benevolent to frosty in The Rings of Power Season 2’s trailers. After Celebrimbor wises up to the whole “Annatar” schtick, there’s no longer any point in Sauron pretending to be a nice guy!
That said, the pair’s partnership won’t necessarily favor Middle-earth’s would-be conqueror all the time. Indeed, Celebrimbor actor Charles Edwards recently indicated his character’s interplay with Sauron is more even-sided than Season 2’s trailers suggest. “Celebrimbor has the ability, and Sauron has the vision,” Edwards told Entertainment Weekly. “It’s an interesting give-and-take, which often happens in these kinds of relationships where they both need each other badly. As you’ll see, it plays out in a very interesting way. It’s something so personal and psychological that is playing out against the backdrop of Middle-earth and the epic scale that you would expect from The Lord of the Rings.”
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Is Sauron and Celebrimbor’s Relationship the Same in Tolkien’s Books?
Kinda. Certainly, the basics of The Rings of Power‘s Sauron/Celebrimbor relationship align with Tolkien’s writings. Like the show, Tolkien describes Celebrimbor and the other Elf-smiths of Eregion forging (most) of the Rings of Power under instructions from a disguised Sauron. Tolkien’s canon also records a dramatic falling out between Sauron and Celebrimbor which doesn’t end so well for the latter. As is often the case with adaptations, it’s the specifics where things really diverge.
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For starters, Celebrimbor forges the three Elven Rings last in the books; they’re first out of the oven in The Rings of Power continuity. The Elf-smith also isn’t partly corrupted in Tolkien’s OG canon, whereas Season 2’s trailers hint that there’s a Frodo Baggins-lite arc on the horizon. That’s not really what Tolkien had in mind; the minute Celebrimbor figures out what “Annatar” is really up to – that is, as soon as Sauron slips on the One Ring – he rebels against him in decidedly tear-free fashion!
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 premieres on Prime Video on Aug. 29, 2024.
Published: Aug 21, 2024 08:27 am