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This month, Tolkien fans get another chance to travel to Middle-earth. The second season of The Rings of Power takes you deeper into the dark plots of Sauron, which Galadriel, Elrond and their allies will try to thwart.
The first part reached an explosive climax, with a real villain ready to take center stage. So it should come as no surprise that the series is returning for a second season. If you want to know when The Rings of Power will return to our screens and what the story could be, we’ve rounded up everything we know so far.
We also have a similar article for the next season of the Netflix fantasy hit The Witcher.
When will season 2 of The Rings of Power be released?
The show’s second season debuts on Prime Video Thursday August 29, 2024.
If the show remains a success, the showrunners have content planned for at least five seasons, according to Empire.
In the second season, the classic filming location of New Zealand was exchanged for Great Britain, much to the dismay of many fans.
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The Rings of Power season 2 cast – who returns?
Spoilers for The Rings of Power season 1 below
Considering the events that are expected to happen, we think we could see the return of the following characters:
- Morfydd Clark as Galadriel
- Charlie Vickers as Sauron/Halbrand
- Daniel Weyman as the Stranger
- Robert Aramayo as Elrond
- Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir
- Charles Edwards as Lord Celebrimbor
- Benjamin Walker as High King Gil-galad
- Owain Arthur as Prince Durin
- Sophia Nomvete as Princess Disa
- Peter Mullan as King Durin III
- Nazanin Boniadi as Bronwyn
- Tyroe Muhafidin as Theo
- Geoff Morrell as Waldreg
- Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Míriel, Queen Regent of Númenor
- Lloyd Owen as Captain Elendil
- Ema Horvath as Eärien
- Trystan Gravelle as Pharazôn
- Alex Tarrant as Valandil
- Dylan Smith as Largo Brandyfoot
- Sara Zwangobani as Marigold Brandyfoot
- Beau Cassidy as Dilly Brandyfoot
- Megan Richards as Poppy Proudfellow
- Aldusitha Jayasundera as Malva
There’s also a whole bunch of new faces coming to the next season of the show. Sam Hazeldine will replace Joseph Mawle as Orc leader Adar – he is best known for Peaky Blinders.
One of the most exciting cast-related news is Rory Kinnearwho will play Tom Bombadil – a mysterious creature in surprisingly colorful clothing who is considered one of the oldest inhabitants of Middle-earth.

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Other new additions include Gabriel Akuwudike, Yasen ‘Zates’ Atour, Ben Daniels, Amelia Kenworthy, Nia Towle, Nicholas Woodeson, Oliver Alvin-Wilson, Stuart Bowman, Gavi Singh Chera, William Chubb, Kevin Eldon, Will Keen, Selina Lo , Calam Lynch, Ciarán Hinds and Tanya Moodie.
What will be the plot of The Rings of Power season 2?
Overall, fans can expect the next season to be “grinder, more intense, [and] maybe a little scarier” said executive producer Lindsey Weber (via Deadline).
The official description of season 2 reads:
Sauron has returned. Driven out by Galadriel, without an army or ally, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his power and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power, allowing him to conquer all the peoples of Middle-earth can bind to his power. sinister will.
As friendships become strained and kingdoms begin to fall apart, the forces of good will fight ever more valiantly to hold on to what matters most to them: each other.
The end of season 1 concluded with Sauron – previously disguised as the wanderer Halbrand – arriving in Mordor. He is probably preparing for an upcoming battle with Adar and the Orcs.
Showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay discussed with The Hollywood Reporter how the character can now fully embrace the role of the villain:
Like Tony Soprano or Walter White. He’s bad, but complexly bad. We felt like if we did that in season one, he would overshadow everything else. So the first season is similar to Batman Begins, and The Dark Knight is the next film, with Sauron maneuvering in the open.
Galadriel will almost certainly be reeling from the revelation of Halbrand’s true identity after he manipulated her, especially considering the pair had a number of romantic entanglements. We wouldn’t be surprised if she worked on her revenge next season.

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Galadriel, together with Elrond and Celebrimbor, forged the Three Rings of Power to save the elven race. However, will they be able to maintain this and ensure that no one is corrupted in the process?
These aren’t the only rings explored on the show. McKay told The Radio Times:
The second season is mainly about more rings. The song at the end [of season 1], by Fiona Apple – which is a crazy dream come true – suggests that there are Three, and then there is Seven. Why would the Dwarves be desperate for rings? And how are they seduced? And how are they fooled? And then Men is an even more complex story.
There are nine leaders of people who want power, and so each of those rings and the forging of them is not like, “Now the magic thing is made,” but a story that needs to be told. And I think there are other stories to tell as well, but we’ve definitely started it and we’ll delve deeper into it next season.
The other extremely intriguing plot thread in Season 1 involves Nori Brandyfoot and The Stranger traveling together. All signs seem to point to this mysterious character being a younger version of Gandalf, so it’s almost certain that their journey will be a crucial plot point in season 2.
Is there a trailer for The Rings of Power season 2?
Amazon has released the first teaser for the series, giving us a taste of the new version of Sauron:
The latest trailer shows the web of conspiracies spreading in Middle-earth because of Sauron:
How to watch The Rings of Power
You can watch the first season of The Rings of Power on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon’s rival to Netflix.
Prime Video is one of the many benefits of a general Prime subscription, with other perks like free next-day shipping and Prime Music. Prime costs £8.99/$14.99 per month or £95/$139 per year. However, you can always try it for free via a free trial.
If you’re not interested in any of the other benefits, you can subscribe to Prime Video for £5.99/$8.99 per month.