Rings of Power Season 2: Everything We Know About the Release Date, Plot, Cast News and More

Sauron’s thirst for dominion will touch every corner of Middle-earth in new episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, arriving this summer on Prime Video.

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Developed by writing duo J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay and set in the Second Age — thousands of years before Frodo & Co. set out for Mordor — the series is expected to cover significant events from that period such as Sauron’s ascension; the forging of the Rings of Power, which the Dark Lord gifted to humans, elves and dwarves and secretly controlled with his master ring (aka the One Ring to Rule Them All); the rise and fall of Númenor, the island of men from which Aragorn is descended; and the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, a final stand against Sauron (depicted in the prologue of Peter Jackson’s Fellowship of the Ring).

The Season 1 ensemble included Morfydd Clark as young Galadriel, Robert Aramayo as young Elrond, Charlie Vickers as the mysterious human Halbrand, Charles Edwards as Eregion ruler Celebrimbor, Owain Arthur and Sophia Nomvete as the dwarf Prince Durin IV and Princess Disa, Ismael Cruz Córdova as the wood elf Arondir, Maxim Baldry as young Isildur, Megan Richards as the Harfoot Poppy, Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Númenor’s Queen Regent Míriel and Daniel Weyman as The Stranger.

Read on for everything we know about Rings of Power Season 2, and the growing threat at the center of it all.   

Where did Rings of Power Season 1 leave off?

In the finale, the mysterious being known as The Stranger revealed himself as a wizard while saving his Harfoot friends Nori and Poppy from the mystics, cloaked servants of Sauron who mistook him for their Dark Lord. Stranger’s true identity remains unknown, and portrayer Daniel Weyman previously told TVLine that the character “might be somebody totally brand new, or it might be a named character in canon.” Stranger and Nori later split from the Harfoot caravan to search for the constellation from Sadoc’s map, which might help Stranger figure out who he really is.

Meanwhile, Queen Regent Míriel and the rest of the Númenóreans made the somber trip home after barely surviving the Battle of the Southlands, which culminated with the catastrophic volcano explosion that obliterated everything in its path — creating the barren wasteland that is Mordor. Míriel was blinded by the debris and returned home to find that her father — the king — has died. Before he passed, the monarch mistook Eärien for Míriel and pointed her to the secret passage that led to a room with the Palantír (one of the powerful crystal balls Saruman would later use to commune with Sauron).

Elsewhere, Galadriel figured out through Eregion’s records that the King of the Southlands died a thousand years ago and left no heir, meaning Halbrand was lying about his identity. When she confronted him, Halbrand revealed himself as Sauron — the threat she’d been searching for all along — and tried to manipulate her into joining his side. When she refused, he nearly drowned her before fleeing to Mordor.

Alarmed by Sauron’s infiltration of Eregion, Galadriel teamed with Celebrimbor to craft a weapon for the elves. Celebrimbor melted down Finrod’s dagger (because it was made of the purest gold and silver from Valinor) and combined it with a piece of mithril to create three new rings: Narya (the Ring of Fire), Vilya (the Ring of Air) and Nenya (the Ring of Adamant, worn by Galadriel).

What is the release date for Rings of Power Season 2?

The new season will arrive Thursday, Aug. 29 on Prime Video. Details on whether it will be a binge drop or weekly release are currently unavailable.

What is the plot for Rings of Power Season 2?

As teased in the first Season 2 trailer, upcoming episodes find Sauron cast out by Galadriel. “Without army or ally, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power, which will allow him to bind all the peoples of Middle-earth to his sinister will,” reads the official synopsis.

Building off Season 1, the upcoming episodes plunge “even its most beloved and vulnerable characters into a rising tide of darkness, challenging each to find their place in a world that is increasingly on the brink of calamity,” including elves and dwarves, orcs and men, and wizards and Harfoots, the description continues. “As friendships are strained and kingdoms begin to fracture, the forces of good will struggle ever more valiantly to hold on to what matters to them most of all… each other.”

What are the casting changes for Season 2?

Season 2 will see most of the original cast return, including Charlie Vickers as Sauron, Morfydd Clark as Galadriel, Robert Aramayo as Elrond, Charles Edwards as Celebrimbor, Owain Arthur as Prince Durin IV, Sophia Nomvete as Princess Disa and Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir.

However, Sam Hazeldine (Peaky Blinders) will replace Joseph Mawle as the villainous Adar, leader of the Orcs. Plus, Ciarán Hinds (Rome, Game of Thrones), Rory Kinnear (Penny Dreadful) and Tanya Moodie (The Man Who Fell to Earth) have joined the ensemble in undisclosed roles.

Where can I stream Rings of Power?

All eight episodes of Rings of Power Season 1 are currently streaming on Prime Video, which is available as part of an Amazon Prime membership.

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