The Rings Of Power Season 2 Trailer Unleashes A New Kind Of Darkness

"The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" Season 2 has officially released its first teaser trailer — and it's a doozy. The nearly two-minute clip is bursting with action-packed sequences, plenty of overpowered jewelry, and villains — lots of villains. From a refashioned angelic version of Sauron and a recast Orc leader, to an airborne Númenórean nobleman, oversized sea monsters, aggressive tree roots, and even a wild morphing blob, there is a lot to take in with this thing.

This is welcome news for many who have been patiently waiting for information about the next season, ever since Season 1 wrapped up on October 14, 2022. While production on the show's second season was not fully halted by the Hollywood strikes (even if it meant completing Season 2 without the showrunners on set), it wasn't until May 14, 2024 — 578 days after the Season 1 finale aired — that fans of the Middle-earth adaptation were finally rewarded with footage of the next chapter in showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay's Second Age epic.

One of the biggest struggles for "The Rings of Power" Season 1 was setting up the gigantic, sprawling, overcrowded story without losing the audience. The eight-episode experience jumped all over Middle-earth as it introduced an ensemble cast, many of whom played brand new, non-canon characters due to the paucity of established characters in Tolkien's own writings about this era. The season also focused heavily on a Sauron reveal that wasn't resolved until the finale. This made it hard to gain any momentum out of the gate — something that Season 2 looks like it's ready to rectify.

The new trailer is positively brimming with action. There are clips of heroes like Elrond (Robert Aramayo) and Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) ready to fight in foggy conditions. There are desert-like images of cult-like characters in robes with bloody hands. Roots are shown crawling along the forest floor at a disturbingly rapid pace, and we even get a mysterious woman summoning a sea serpent, Aquaman-style. There is a close-up of Sam Hazeldine as the recast Orc leader Adar (previously played by Joseph Mawle) along with shots of cavalry charges, fiery explosions, and Ismael Cruz Córdova's Arondir leaping through the air with Legolas-like precision.

Oh, and did we mention the rings? There are Rings of Power everywhere. Worn by Elves, held by Dwarves, coddled, gloated over, and even thrown into flames. The titular jewelry is clearly going to play a central role in Season 2.

If there's one thing that the trailer focuses on above everything else, it's Sauron — but not the Halbrand mystery box version from Season 1. Now that we all know that Charlie Vickers' character is the Dark Lord, it appears that Season 2 is going to mess with our heads again.

About 30 seconds into the trailer, the voiceover says, "I think he has been here. I think he has been here among us all along." This is followed by a shot of Vickers in Elvish regalia with long blonde hair and pointy ears. The reveal looks an awful lot like "Annatar," a beautiful form that the shape-shifting Middle-earth villain takes in Tolkien's original writings. While it isn't clear if the show can use the specific name Annatar (the "Lord of the Rings" rights question is complicated), J.D. Payne, Patrick McKay, and company clearly intend to include an angelic version of the character for Season 2.

Thankfully, they aren't trying to hide who Sauron is anymore. After the initial reveal, we see Vickers' new Sauron persona once more at the end of the trailer. The voiceover says, "He is Sauron," as the angelic Dark Lord smirks before using magic to destroy a ring of attackers that surround him. Morfydd Clark may have hinted at there being "quite a lot of new villains" in Season 2, but none of them look to be as terrifying as the emerging Dark Lord himself. If the Sauron rebrand is any indication, it looks like Season 2 is going to be a wild ride.