The Rings of Power Season 2: What Is a Vala in The Lord of the Rings Canon?

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2, Episode 2, “Where the Stars are Strange.”

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2’s three-episode premiere namechecks the Valar – and it’s obvious they’re a big deal. But what exactly is a Vala in The Lord of the Rings canon?

The Valar in The Lord of the Rings Canon, Explained

When Sauron reconfigures his Halbrand disguise as the ethereal Annatar in The Rings of Power Season 2, Episode 2, he declares himself an emissary of the Valar. What this means isn’t spelled out in the episode, however, the implication is clear enough: Sauron’s claiming to be a servant of divine beings. But anyone who hasn’t read The Silmarillion or any of J.R.R. Tolkien’s other writings that cover the Valar will be left guessing about their true nature and how far up the cosmic totem pole they sit. Whether The Rings of Power Season 2’s five remaining installments will cover this info remains to be seen, so we’ve broken down the basics below.

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The Valar are “the Powers of the World” – essentially, a mash-up of angels and gods. Created by the supreme being of Tolkien’s cosmology, Eru Ilúvatar, they made the Earth (called Arda) under his instruction. They initially guide and shape the world from the Isle of Almaren, smack bang in the middle of the Arda. But following Almaren’s destruction, the Valar relocate to Valinor, an idyllic realm across the sea from Middle-earth. This move coincides with the Valar gradually adopting a less direct approach to managing Middle-earth’s affairs. Sauron exploits this “hands-off” policy when he creates his Annatar alias, knowing his ruse will be difficult to fact check.

Is Sauron a Vala in Lord of the Rings Canon?

Nope, but he is a Maia. The Maiar are the next rung down from the Valar, and more like lower-order angels than gods. Unlike the Valar, many of the Maiar are still an active presence in Middle-earth in the Second and Third Ages – some with nobler intentions than others. Obviously, Sauron’s plans to conquer Middle-earth count as not-so-nice intervention. The same goes for the fiery Balrog demons; they’re clearly up to no good.

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Fortunately for Men, Elves, Dwarves, and the rest, plenty of Maiar are still on their side. Notably, those who assumed the form of Wizards (under orders from the Valar) did so with the specific purpose of countering Sauron and his forces. Admittedly, at least one of them, Saruman, went bad, and the Blue Wizards may have gone rogue, as well (Tolkien never really made up his mind). But Gandalf and Radagast remain on the straight and narrow, at least!

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 is currently streaming on Prime Video, with new episodes dropping Thursdays.