Sauron has long been considered the perpetrator of an infamous Middle-earth crime, butThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerseason 2 suggests a different cause. The Second Age was full of war and destruction, and the consequence of this was the loss of many major cities and settlements. Much of this had everything to do with Sauron and his Orcs, butRings of Powerhas explored alternative forces, like Adar’s involvement in the Siege of Eregion in season 2. Now, it looks like season 3 will dive into further events involving devastating destruction, such as the clearing of Middle-earth’s forests.
Thefinal episode ofRings of Powerseason 2saw Eregion fall to its knees following Adar’s siege, which means it’s time for the next steps in Sauron’s plans. Now that he has the Nine Rings for Men, he is sure to begin handing these out to the lucky few destined to become theRingwraiths ofLord of the Rings. Still,Sauron isn’t the only one in Middle-earth with nefarious goals. Things are growing increasingly sinister in Númenor, with Ar-Pharazôn’s son, Kemen, proving to be a particularly nasty character. He arrived in Middle-earth at the end ofRings of Powerseason 2, and it looks like he is about to cause some trouble there.
Rings Of Power’s Season 2 Ending Hints That Kemen Will Wipe Out The Entwives
Kemen Is Threatening The Trees
The last that Kemen was seen inRings of Powerseason 2, he was taunting Isildur and demanding that the people of Pelargir supply the Númenóreans with timber. They must comply or be denied the food and supplies they need for the coming winter.Kemen’s final words, “they’re only trees,” are rather tellingsince Isildur and Theo had previously discovered the trees surrounding this region are governed by Ents—one of which, afemale called an Entwife—is already full of wrath regarding the trees felled by the Orcs that marched from Mordor to Eregion.
The Entwife inRings of Powerseason 2 is the first of her kind seen inThe Lord of the Ringssince all the female Ents had vanished by the Third Age (when Frodo’s story is set). Treebeard famously asked the Hobbits Merry and Pippin if they had seen any Entwives near the Shire since he tragically had not given up hope that he would find them again one day. The last the Entwives were ever seen was near the Brown Lands near Mordor, but their fate after this has remained one of the greatest mysteries ofLord of the Rings. Kemen’s final line inRings of Powerimplies he will have something to do with their disappearance.
It Has Long Been Assumed That Sauron Destroyed The Entwives
The Fate Of The Entwives Is Still A Mystery
Though Tolkien never provided definitive answers regarding the Entwives' fate, all the evidence pointed at Sauron. Treebeard said inLord of the Ringsthat the Entwives had been planting gardens in the Brown Lands, but when he traveled there to discover what came of them, he only found the burned remains of their work. Still, he held on hope that the Entwives had simply moved elsewhere when the Brown Lands grew too dangerous and maintained the belief that they could still turn up one day. It’s a heartbreaking reminder of the damage Sauron did—but maybe it wasn’t him after all.
It’s a heartbreaking reminder of the damage Sauron did—but maybe it wasn’t him after all.
Theo and Isildur will be in a tough spot inRings of Powerseason 3. For the people of Pelargir to survive, they must fell the trees and hand the lumber over to Kemen and the Númenóreans. However, in doing so, they will anger the Ents, with whom they already promised to keep peace. Kemen is unlikely to have much compassion for the Ents, and he is sure to take swift and violent action against any who try to stop them.This could lead to a surprising answer regarding the fate of the Entwives, involving Kemen and the Númenóreans rather than Sauron himself.
Sauron Will Still Have A Role To Play In Númenor’s Crimes
Kemen’s Evil Has A Source
If this is the route thatRings of Powertakes with its coming episodes, this wouldn’t necessarily make Sauron blameless. After all, any and all discord in Middle-earth can find its roots in the evil thatMorgoth and his followers—including Sauron—sewed there. Additionally,the Dark Lord of the Second Age has a lot to do with the crimes that Númenor is destined tocommit. Now done with Eregion, Sauron should head to Númenor in the next couple of seasons and influence Pharazôn to attack the gods of Valinor themselves. This and more are sure to impact Kemen as well. So, his sins are, at their core, Sauron’s sins.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Cast
Set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power explores the forging of the iconic rings, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, and the epic events leading up to the stories in J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novels. The series chronicles the creation of legendary characters and the historic alliances and rivalries that shape the fate of Middle-earth.
