LoTR: Every Clue in Amazon’s ‘Rings of Power’ Teaser– Breakdown
The new Amazon series will tell the condensed story of the Second Age. Panel-for-panel, here’s our Rings of Power teaser breakdown.
We’ve had plenty of time to dive into the lore of Tolkien’s epic fantasy tales and the first teaser trailer from Rings of Power. What does the trailer tell us about this new adaptation of the writer’s famous works?
The Ancient City of Númenor
Wow. Keeping up with the tradition of epic landscapes, this trailer opened with a gorgeous view of a port city in Númenor. Left of center, we see a giant statue reminiscent of the Argonath. To its right in the background, we see Meneltarma, the holy mountain.
We also get a look at a bridge as a ship sails into the city. Interestingly, the bridge bears the same sun emblem we see on a sword hilt and robes in the character posters released for the series. Could this be the sword and city of Elendil, father of the infamous Isildur?
Courtesy of Amazon Prime
Halbrand, a New Human Character in Rings of Power
Amazon show-runners have confirmed that a series-original character named Halbrand will interact with Galadriel as the two cling to a raft during a storm. According to Vanity Fair, “Galadriel is fighting for the future; Halbrand is running from the past.”
Oddly enough, this was the only image from the upcoming show that gave me a “huh?” moment. Only because they practically put this guy in a t-shirt. But anyway…
We’re almost positive that it’s Halbrand’s hand pushing back Galadriel’s wet hair to reveal her elven ears in the teaser trailer. What does this mean? Well, an Elven reveal could indicate that the relations between Man and Elf are a little tenuous at this time.
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Galadriel & Her Quest for Vengeance
Rings of Power takes place in a condensed version of the Second Age, after Morgoth was defeated. Unfortunately, while a great evil was purged from the land, baddies like the Balrog and Sauron are still out-and-about.
It looks like Galadriel is on a mission to rid these evils from the land. And this could, perhaps, put her at odds with a whole slew of characters– good and evil.
If the teaser trailer has a main character, it’s definitely Galadriel. We see her and some other Elves making a dangerous trek through the Northern Waste. The young Elven woman drives her dagger into a frozen wall while climbing, confirming that hers are the hands holding the Two Trees dagger from the character posters.
There are also stars on the shoulders of her armor, which could be the symbol of the House of Fëanor.
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Galadriel is also seen leading several riders on horseback. It has been said that she’ll be seeking revenge for the fate of her brother.
Toward the end of the trailer, we get a look at a full-on battle between Orcs and Elves. One of the Elves wears no helmet, and fans online are speculating that this could be Galadriel’s brother on his way to meet an unfortunate fate.
While the trailer gave us our first look at the Orcs, the clip isn’t clear enough to make a judgement on their design quite yet.
Courtesy of Amazon Prime
Arrondir the Silvan Elf
Thanks to a feature in Vanity Fair, we know that Arrondir is a series-original character who fosters a forbidden romance with a human.
Arrondir is a Silvin Elf, and he’s briefly featured in one of the highlights of this teaser trailer. With perfect grace and swiftness, the Elf catches an arrow in thin air, then seamlessly rethreads and fires it back at his attackers. And I am here for it.
Later in the trailer, a character who could also be Arrondir leaps through the air to bust up a large canopy with an ax. Is this Arrondir, or another character? And who’s holding the chain wrapped around his ankle?
Courtesy of Amazon Prime
Rings of Power: Gil-Galad Finally Gets His Day
Rings of Power will finally give us a more thorough look at the reign of Gil-Galad, the High King of Noldor. You may not know it, buy you’ve very briefly seen this very important Elf in Fellowship when Galadriel recounts the bullet-points of the War of the Rings.
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We could be looking at the High King watching the meteor fall to earth, or the two events could just be shown in order during the trailer. Either way, Gil-Galad is very likely a golden-robed character in the series’ character posters.
He’s also probably visible during the trailer in an Elvish ceremony of some sort. Possibly a moment that sends Elrond on his way to parlay with the Dwarves.
Elrond and the Prince of Khazad-dûm, Durin IX
This teaser trailer gives us several looks at younger versions of our favorite Elven characters, including Elrond. It looks like to Lord-to-be has been sent as an emissary to the Dwarf realm of Khazad-dûm.
One still of Elrond features him kneeling over a rock, with a fuzzy pair of mugs toasting in the background. It appears that Elrond is underground, and the mugs likely belong to some good-timing Dwarves with cause to celebrate.
Perhaps it’s another successful rock-breaking by Prince Durin IX? He certainly looks like a very good rock-breaker.
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The trailer also introduces us to Disa, Durin’s wife and the Dwarf princess of Khazad-dûm. While we aren’t blessed with the sound of her voice, we do know that she’s singing a lament– although for whom, we’ve yet to find out.
Harfoots
The teaser trailer also gives us a glimpse of a proto-Hobbit race known as the Harfoots. It’s likely that this character is the voice narrating our teaser, and also belongs to the small set of hands holding acorns in the series character posters.
The Harfoots, like Hobbits, are known to be adept at staying hidden. Unlike previous Tolkien-based stories, the show-runners have indicated that these little creatures will be involved in the story, but won’t be the focal point of the story’s events.
Courtesy of Amazon Prime
The Man in the Meteorite
One of the most curious aspects of this trailer is an occurrence with absolutely no precedent in the books. Move over, Rocket Man– the Rings of Power has a meteorite man?
As he crawls from the fire, the man is grabbing onto the arm of someone quite smaller than him. Are we looking at the silhouette of a Harfoot?
This could explain the teaser trailer’s final image of a large, dirt-covered hand holding a much smaller hand. Tolkien fans are speculating that this man could be one of the Maiar of Valinor– and wishful thinkers are guessing it could be Gandalf.
This certainly seems like a stretch, but not impossible. If the meteorite-man is one of the Maiar, this would completely change their lore from the original Tolkien universe.
Courtesy of Amazon Prime
Rings of Power Teaser Breakdown: What Else We Saw
Oh look! An ice troll! And some poor Elf-guy trying to scare him off with fire. Yikes. Maybe better to face the weather outside this particular cave, buddy.
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