Rings of Power season 2 is full of hidden details, here are 10 spotted by our Tolkien experts

Season 2 of the Lord of the Rings series The Rings of Power on Prime Video has ended. The opportunity to come back to the many winks that are very easy to miss if you don’t pay attention.

On October 3, Prime Video broadcast the 8th and final episode of season 2 of the Lord of the Rings series Rings of Power. We will have to wait again before knowing the rest of the adventures of Sauron, Elendil, Galadriel, Durin and all the other characters directly taken from the immense universe created by JRR Tolkien. AlthoughAmazon took a lot of liberties with the original work, and from season 1, many direct references were included.

They are mostly released in the course of a sentence or a shot of a few seconds showing something seemingly innocuous. It is difficult in these conditions to appreciate them without knowing Professor Tolkien’s books by heart. Don’t worry, we’ve done the work for you with a selection of 10 easter eggs. The list is not exhaustive, so feel free to add to it in the comments!

10 Subtle Details You Probably Missed in Rings of Power Season 2

You suspect it, but all the points that we are going to discuss constitute spoilers for the series (and for books for that matter). That being said, let’s start off with something that unfolds before our eyes every time we start an episode of Season 2.

The credits hide secrets, like that of season 1

The aesthetic of the Rings of Power season 2 credits echoes that of season 1: grains taking several shapes on a flat surface. These are obviously not random. If you look closely, you can see the Mount Destinythe one in which Frodo will throw away the One Ring thousands of years after the events of the Amazon series. Its “eruption” takes the form of 19 circles (the rings of power, not counting the One Ring).

A crown surrounded by 7 stars also makes an appearance. We find it, for example, on the banner ofAragorn during the Battle of Pelennor Fields. Next comes an archway, probably the gates of Durin, followed by the Balrog, awakened by the greed of the dwarf king Durin III. Then comes a inflamed eye (Sauron) then a sword which we suppose to be Narsil. It is with her that Isildur, son of Elendil, will cut off Sauron’s fingers.

Sauron did not touch the 3 rings of the elves

In season 1 of the series, there is a major difference from the book. We see Sauron there, in the form ofAnnatarforge the 3 rings of elf power with Celebrimbor. Normally they are created just before the one ringpenultimate therefore, and above all without the help of the dark lord. Surely to “correct” this discrepancy, Galadriel takes care to specify in episode 1 that Sauron never touched the artifacts. A little later, Círdan emphasizes this point again.

Círdan is the only elf to have a beard

Still in the 1st episode of season 2, Elrond visits Cirdanthe largest shipbuilder in all of Middle-earth. The visibly elderly elf has the particularity of being the only bearded man of his species. And for good reason: he is one of the oldest elves still alive. He is in “the third cycle of his life” in Tolkien’s words, which translates for the author as the growth of facial hair. Too bad he shaved just a few minutes later.

Baie d’Or, Tom Bombadil’s wife, is present in the series

Tom Bombadil, emblematic character of the wise woman, appears in season 2. Alone. In The Fellowship of the Ringhe nevertheless welcomes the Hobbits in the company of his wife, Golden Baynicknamed “the girl of the river”. In short, he is a water spirit. Her husband harvests water lilies and places them in bowls around her to remind her of home.

In episode 4, when the Stranger meets him, Tom Bombadil mentions harvesting water lilieswhile thewe hear a woman’s voice singing with him. The Stranger asks who is there and Tom replies that there is no one else. Except that just before that, a container starts to move on its own. In all likelihood, it was Baie d’Or, invisible, who showed up.

The statue in front of the Celebrimbor forge does not represent just anyone

In episode 6, a shot lingers for a few seconds on the statue located in front of the entrance to the Celebrimbor forge: an elf looking at the gem he holds in his hand. His name is Fëanorquite simply the most talented elven blacksmith in history, and incidentally Celebrimbor’s grandfather.

He created among others 3 Silmarilliprecious stones of which the statue holds a (false) copy. These “bursts of pure light” in Quenya, an Elvish language, were stolen by Morgothsparking the war that shaped the continents of Middle-earth. Fëanor is also the originator of palatethe seeing stones (Tar-Míriel, queen of Númenor, has one).

The first names that Nori wants to give to the Stranger are not chosen at random

Although in the books, Gandalf arrives in Middle-earth well after the time in which the series takes place, Amazon has chosen to integrate it. Before we learn that he is the Stranger, Norithe Hobbit who accompanies him, tries to find him a first name in episode 2. She gives Fredegar And Doderic. These are, logically, Hobbit namesbut taken from the works of Tolkien.

In The Lord of the Rings, Fredegar Bolger is a friend of Frodo who helps him at the start of his journey. He even led a band of rebels during the occupation of the Shire by the troops of Sarumanafter the War of the Ring. Less developed, the character of Doderic Brandebouc is cited in the appendices of Return of the King.

Even if he wants to enslave them, Sauron recognizes the value of humans

Celebrimbor refuses to create rings for men, whom he considers weak and easily corruptible. To convince him, Annatar (Sauron) reminds him that some are exceptional, like Ëarendil, Tuor And Berenson of Barahir. Who are they?

Ëarendil is the father of Elrond. He is half human and half elf. It is he who asks for and obtains help from Valarthe guardians of the world, while Morgoth conquered almost the entirety of Middle-earth towards the end of the First Age. After his defeat, the Valar send Ëarendil, his ship and a Silmaril into the sky, where it becomes a star.

Tuor100% human, is Father Ëarendil and therefore grandfather of Elrond. He marries the elf princess Idrilthe mother of the half-elf, and will participate in the war against Morgoth.

Finally, Beren is the human spoken of in the famous romance invented by Tolkien: Beren and Lúthienwho loved each other against all odds. On the tomb of Tolkien and his wife, Edith, we can read the names of the two characters, with whom they affectionately identified.

Galadriel escaped a very unenviable punishment

In the first episode of season 2, the elf king Gil-Galad reprimands Galadriel, telling her that he should have thrown her into the Etten Moors. This is a region populated by trolls. There Bilbo meets the 3 who will turn to stone at daybreak, and who we also find in the Lord of the Rings.

Dogs do exist in Middle Earth

You can see a dog for a few seconds in Eregion. This may seem anecdotal, and perhaps even unintentional, but the presence of the animal in the elven kingdom is not an error. Tolkien speaks of hunting dogs a few times, and one of them, Huanis even an important character in an adventure of Beren and Lúthien. He helps the pair recover one of the Silmarilli stolen by Morgoth. The canine is so intelligent that it speaks 3 times during its life.

Throwing the rings into the water is a plan discussed much later by other characters

To get rid of the 3 rings of the elves, Elrond and Círdan decide to throw them into the ocean. The elf does not succeed, being interrupted at the last second by an eddy from the depths. This plan is actually mentioned in The Fellowship of the Ring during the Council of Elrond. The idea of ​​throwing awayunique ring of Sauron at the bottom of the sea is however rejected since it could still be found.

Several scenes directly reference Peter Jackson’s films

Whether in terms of staging or dialogue, the Amazon Prime series does not forget to pay homage to Peter Jackson’s immense trilogy. We are not going to list everything, but the most important reference is undoubtedly Rían’s deaththe elf archer who accompanies Elrond and his band of warriors.

During the battle ofEregionshe is riddled with several arrows, but manages to get up and shoot one which will explode the ram used by the Uruks. A direct reference to the death of Boromir in the Fellowship of the Ring.