10 burning questions we have after ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ finale

The Season 1 finale of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power answered many of our most pressing questions about the goings-on of Middle-earth. However, it has also left us with a hunger for knowledge that unfortunately won’t be sated until Season 2. Sure, now we know Sauron’s true identity and who the Stranger is, but what does the future hold for the elves, dwarves, humans, and Harfoots we’re grown to know and love?

Honestly, who knows! At this point, The Rings of Power has strayed far enough from J.R.R. Tolkien’s work that it’s anyone’s guess. Some things have to happen — more rings, including the One Ring, must be forged — but when, why, and how they’ll happen are mysteries we’ll just have to wait to unravel.

Still, as we settle in for the long lull between seasons, why not throw ourselves into question mode? Gather up your Tolkien books, your notes, and your favorite conspiracy theory yarn wall, because we’re going on an adventure! (If not of the body, then at least of the curious mind.)

How will the rest of the Rings of Power be forged?

As we know from the title of the show, The Rings of Power will eventually lead to the forging of 20 rings: three for elves, seven for dwarves, nine for mortal men, and one evil ring forged in secret by Sauron himself. The Season 1 finale ends with Celebrimbor forging the three elven rings, so we know the others are soon to follow.

In Tolkien’s work, the elves’ rings are the last of the original 19 rings to be forged, so their early arrival in The Rings of Power definitely shakes up what we know from the books. However, I have a hunch that the dwarves will get their rings next, and all thanks to the friendship between Elrond and Durin. Elrond discovered the scroll that revealed that Halbrand couldn’t be King of the Southlanders, so it’s likely that he realized that Halbrand was Sauron and that he escaped. Knowing that Sauron is on the loose, he could warn the dwarves of the growing evil and encourage them to forge their own rings. Who knows if the dwarves and elves will be able to trust each other again, but at this point I just want to see my favorite duo reunite.

What’s next for the Southlanders?

Bronwyn, Theo, and Arondir didn’t appear in the finale, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have questions about them! Now that the Southlands have been reduced to the ashy hellscape that is Mordor, where will these three and their fellow displaced Southlanders go?

Luckily, episode 7 (“The Eye”) gives us some idea of what they’ll be up to next. A garrison of Númenoreans is staying behind in Middle-earth to accompany the Southlanders to safety. Their destination? The old Númenorean colony of Pelargir, at the mouth of the Anduin river. Pelargir is part of the land that will eventually become Gondor, so it appears The Rings of Power is going to explore how the Southlanders help populate that area. However, in the books, Gondor doesn’t become Gondor until after Númenor experiences great catastrophe. We’ll have to wait a while to see the great kingdom come into its own. Also, the Southlanders still have other pressing issues to deal with, like the very real threat of Mordor. Adar and his orcs may have their home now, but who’s to say they won’t try to expand it?

Who will take control of Mordor, Adar or Sauron?

Season 1 of The Rings of Power ends with Sauron confidently heading into Mordor, but don’t think his rise to power will be an easy road. After all, one does not simply walk into Mordor… especially not when Mordor is currently ruled by the orc who tried to murder you. That’s right: Sauron still has orc daddy Adar to contend with.

As Adar recalled to Galadriel in episode 6, “Udûn,” he killed Sauron after his search for power led to the deaths of countless orcs. However, as we all know by now, Sauron is far from dead. And once Adar finds that out, there’s no way he’s giving up the home he’s created for his orc children without a fight.

What does Halbrand’s betrayal mean for Galadriel?

Galadriel has spent the entirety of The Rings of Power trying to destroy Sauron, only to realize in the finale that she’s done something far worse: She’s brought him back to Middle-earth in the guise of Halbrand. Obviously, his betrayal is a terrible blow to her, as she’s worried throughout the season that she’s grown too close to the darkness. Plus, depending on how much Elrond figures out and how he reacts, her trust in Halbrand may jeopardize her relationship with the other elves.

In Tolkien’s work, Sauron deceives many people, but he never deceives Galadriel. Even when he’s in his fair form as Annatar, the Lord of Gifts, she has misgivings. Perhaps Halbrand’s breach in trust will better equip her for future Sauron encounters. After all, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger — though it will fight side by side with you, gain your trust, then flee when you realize it’s evil incarnate. We’ve all been there, Galadriel. You’ll get through this, I believe in you!

Tell me where is Celeborn, for I much desire to speak with him.

One of the biggest bombshells of The Rings of Power — aside from the nuclear warhead that is the Sauron-Halbrand reveal — is that Galadriel’s husband Celeborn is dead. At least she thinks he’s dead. He went off to war to fight Morgoth and never returned, but we never see his body, so the jury’s still out on whether he’s actually dead.

As a fervent “Celeborn is alive” truther, I also have to point out that Celeborn doesn’t die in Tolkien’s works. In fact, he and Galadriel have a pretty happy life together, and their children (and grandchildren) are extremely important to the future of Middle-earth. Killing off Celeborn would be much more than a mere deviation from Tolkien lore; it would be more like shattering canon. Celeborn has to have been imprisoned somewhere, or perhaps he’s gravely wounded and fighting his way back to Galadriel. I simply refuse to believe he won’t be a bigger part of this show in some way!

Is Isildur really dead?

Joining Celeborn in the “he could be dead but probably isn’t” club is Elendil’s son Isildur. Last time we saw him, he was trapped in a fire in Mordor. His Númenorean companions all believe him to be dead, and who could blame them? Not many people can survive a burning house collapsing on them or being alone in orc territory. But trust me, Isildur can (and will) do it.

Isildur has to survive because he has a massive role to play in the future of Middle-earth, including the founding of Gondor and the upcoming battle against Sauron. Unless Elendil has a secret child also named Isildur, we’re getting him back. And since Elendil released his horse Berek out into Middle-earth, there’s a good chance Isildur will get to reunite with his beloved horse. Perhaps he’ll join Bronwyn, Theo, and Arondir at Pelargir, or maybe he’ll attempt to sail home by himself. One thing is (almost) entirely certain: Isildur lives!

Just what, exactly, is going down in Númenor?

The island of Númenor is one of the most important parts of Tolkien’s mythos, but we’ve never seen it portrayed onscreen until now. The Rings of Power strayed quite a bit from Tolkien’s legendarium with the plotline that brought Galadriel and Sauron to Númenor. However, as Elendil and Queen-Regent Míriel return home, the stage is set for Númenor’s canonical corruption.

Galadriel’s involvement in the losses Númenor suffered in Mordor will surely stir up even more anger towards the elves and the Valar. We can already see this with Elendil, who is grieving Isildur and who was noticeably colder to Galadriel when they parted ways. Plus, with the king’s recent death, Númenor will have to fill a power vacuum. Will Míriel, who vowed to return to Middle-earth and aid the elves, take her father’s throne? Or will the scheming Pharazôn take her place?

And you can’t forget Eärien’s discovery of the seeing stone, or palantír, in the king’s chambers. Perhaps she saw Míriel’s vision of the wave, or even worse, opened up a pathway for Númenor to unknowingly communicate with Sauron. Eärien, Pharazôn, and Pharazôn’s son Kemen did not have much screen time this season, but based on what the finale is setting up, it’s likely they’re about to become far more influential.

Will Disa and Durin IV try to dig more mithril? (And will the Balrog appear?)

We were tragically denied any dwarf scenes in the Rings of Power finale, but our last look at them this season was still quite memorable. In episode 7, King Durin III discovered his son Durin IV trying to mine more mithril for the elves. He disowned his son in one of the show’s most heartbreaking scenes yet. But when Durin IV returned to his wife Disa, she said that Durin III was just jealous. In a speech that gave off some big Lady Macbeth energy, she told him that one day the two of them would rule Khazad-dûm and all other mountains, and that they would dig all the mithril they want.

That raises the question: Are they going to do some guerilla mining next season? Or will they go the full Macbeth route and make a play for the throne… with murder? The latter would be intense but interesting, positioning mithril as a corrupting force in the same way that Sauron and the (yet-to-be made One Ring) are.

But perhaps the biggest cliffhanger in the dwarves’ storyline is the teeny tiny matter of the Balrog living in the depths of Khazad-dûm. As we know from the main Lord of the Rings trilogy, the dwarves awaken this Balrog — known later as Durin’s Bane — by delving too greedily and too deep in their search for mithril. Naturally, all hell breaks loose. The Durin in “Durin’s Bane” actually refers to Durin VI, so perhaps Durin IV is safe from this Balrog. However, based on The Rings of Power‘s looseness with Tolkien’s timeline and that Balrog foreshadowing in episode 7, anything is possible.

What will the Stranger and Nori find in Rhûn?

The Stranger (whose real identity was heavily hinted at but never confirmed) and Nori Brandyfoot end Season 1 of The Rings of Power by setting off east towards the land of Rhûn. There, they hope to find answers about the Stranger’s past, including why he crash-landed in Middle-earth.

Nori and the Stranger’s entire plotline is completely new, so this upcoming story could go in many different directions. The uncertainty about their future is intensified by the fact that not much is known about Rhûn. We do know that it’s the home of the Easterlings, who go on to support Sauron. Tolkien didn’t go into much detail beyond that, so the creative team behind The Rings of Power might as well have free rein. The Stranger and Nori could encounter other members of the Stranger’s Istari Order. Or maybe we’ll find out more about the white-cloaked Mystics who were hunting the Stranger throughout the season. Either way, we’re headed into uncharted territory.

Will we see more of the Poppy and the other Harfoots?

It seemed like main purpose of the Harfoot storyline was to introduce the Stranger and have him set off on an adventure with a Harfoot as his companion. However, along the way I fell in love with the rest of the Harfoots, especially Poppy Proudfellow. From her loyalty to Nori to her singing “This Wandering Day,” she quickly became a scene-stealer. But now that the Stranger and Nori are off to Rhûn, will we be hearing more from Poppy and company?

Since Harfoots and related Hobbit-y creatures don’t figure majorly into Middle-earth history until Bilbo and Frodo in the Third Age, it’s unlikely (but not impossible) that we’ll see Poppy cross paths with, say, Galadriel or the Númenoreans. However, the finale did appear to be setting Poppy up as the Harfoots’ next trail finder, so perhaps next time we see her, she’ll be guiding the Harfoots across Middle-earth. Nobody goes off-trail, and nobody walks alone! (And hopefully nobody gets written off the show just yet.)

Season 1 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is now streaming on Prime Video.(opens in a new tab)