Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for Episode 2 of The Rings of Power.
is on the horizon in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Although the Elves believe that the dark lord Morgoth has been defeated for good, the series is already signaling that his chief lieutenant, Sauron, is on the rise. The High Elven King Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker) makes the mistake of sending the Elven warriors to sail off to Valinor. Shortly after Gil-gilad calls back the Elven troops, the young boy Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin) discovers a mysterious sword within his family home.
Theo lives in the Southland of Middle-earth with his mother, Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi), the villager’s healer. Bronwyn is secretly in a forbidden relationship with the Silvan Elf Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova). The Silvan Elves watch over the lands of men to ensure that an uprising does not occur. During the war against Morgoth, some humans chose to join the dark lord’s army and fight for the forces of evil. However, because Gil-galad does not believe Galadriel’s warnings, Arondir and the others at his post are called home.
Theo Finds a Mysterious Dark Blade Hidden in His Village
But, as we know, Galadriel is right and Gil-galad is wrong. Theo discovers the remains of a mysterious black sword hilt in a local barn that he is exploring. The blade begins to glow with the symbol of Sauron, which was also visible on the corpse of Galdriel’s brother, Finrod (Will Fletcher). While it’s clear that Theo might not know what is actually going on with the blade, he stashes it and hides it from his mother.
When Theo is wounded after he and his mother are attacked by an Orc, he picks up the hilt as they flee and a drop of his blood ignites the hilt and transforms it into smoke. The hilt begins to glow with dark energy and reform into a full blade. Although the sword’s owner is not revealed, we know that the area is full of descendants of the people loyal to Morgoth, so perhaps Theo is doomed to follow in the footsteps of his forefathers. It’s possible that either Theo’s father or one of his ancestors was among Morgoth’s servants.
Although the series has been shrouded in mystery, Muhafidin hinted at the sword’s meaning in an interview with Inverse. He stated that the weapon has “some cool things about it” and that “it does maybe drive the storyline a bit.” He also told Entertainment Tonight that the sword was the inciting object of the series, similar to the One Ring in The Lord of the Rings. “I think when you find something that is obviously so special, you’re gonna, you know, feel an attachment to it, and he definitely does.”
Does the Sword Have a Connection to Sauron?
Sauron uses the One Ring to take mortal form and amass his armies. However, the titular “rings of power” have not been constructed yet. Elrond (Robert Aramayo) is sent by the Elven leaders to join Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) in his forge. Tolkien’s mythology refers to Celebrimbor as the architect of the rings, who was deceived by Sauron in disguise.
The sword is also similar to the ones wielded by the Ring-wraiths in The Lord of the Rings. The nine Nazgûl warriors were the original human kings that were given the rings. The corrupting nature of power is a major theme in all of Tolkien’s work. It’s partially drawn from his own personal experiences; Tolkien served in the British Army and grew concerned about the rise of weapons manufacturing. The “One Ring” was conceived as an object that drew out people’s worst impulses. The alliance of men, Dwarves, and Elves in The Lord of the Rings can be seen as a parallel to the unification of the Allies. The Rings of Power focuses on similar themes that would coincide with the pre-World War II era.
It appears that Theo might be on a dark journey. He seems aware that his mother has some kind of relationship with Arondir, one that makes the village look at his mother with suspicion, but he might not be aware of the romantic nature of things. Tension between men and elves is already high; a brawl nearly breaks out at a local tavern between Arondir and a man who spitefully calls him “knife-ears.” Whether Theo will fall under Sauron’s influence is unclear, but it’s clear Theo and that sword will play a big role in the coming episodes.
