Full spoilers follow for The Rings of Power season 2 finale. Potential spoilers also follow for season 3 and The Lord of the Rings books.
The Rings of Power star Charlie Vickers has three big hopes for Sauron heading into the show's third season – and the One Ring's creation isn't the one he's "most looking forward" to.
Ahead of The Rings of Power season 2's final episode, titled 'Shadow and Flame' I sat down with Vickers to discuss this season's concluding chapter and where he wants Sauron's story to go next. Season 3 hasn't been officially announced but, with its showrunners and writers "working on it" as of late August and rumors circulating online that it'll be renewed for another season, a third installment seems to be a safe bet.
Thoughts, then, are unsurprisingly turning towards the high fantasy series' next outing. Vickers, who plays Sauron in the hit Prime Video show, is among those wondering where the Dark Lord's journey will go from here. Indeed, Sauron's backstory is covered extensively in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings books and wider literary works. But, if The Rings of Power's first two seasons have taught viewers anything, it's to expect changes – big and small – in Amazon's TV adaptation compared to what plays out in the source material.
Chief among those creative deviations was that the One Ring, the legendary artefact Sauron crafts to try and control those who wield the other 17 rings, wasn't forged alongside its brethren in season 2. However, with Sauron now in possession of Fëanor's hammer and experienced in the art of ring-making, Vickers believes it's inevitable that the One Ring will be created in season 3.
"It seems like the next logical step," Vickers mused when I asked him whether he expected Sauron to make the One Ring next season. "When you look through this time period [the Second Age] in the books, I can see that the show might go in that direction. That's something that would be really exciting, but then the questions I'm constantly asking myself now is 'When Sauron goes Númenor, what happens to the One Ring?' and 'Would Pharazôn imprison Sauron while he's wearing the One Ring?'. Maybe Pharazôn doesn't know the power of the One Ring but, yes, the One Ring's creations seems like the next piece of the puzzle."
Vickers' reference to Sauron's eventual return to Númenor – remember, he visited it in season 1, albeit under the disguise of Halbrand, alongside Galadriel – is a hugely important moment in Middle-earth's Second Age. Whether it happens in season 3 or beyond, then, his voyage back to the soon-to-bedoomed island kingdom is an unavoidable and vital story beat that'll play out at some point in one of the best Prime Video shows.
The One Ring's creation notwithstanding, though, Sauron has other parts of his grand masterplan to 'heal' Middle-earth that must be executed before he journeys to Númenor. Indeed, in 'Shadow and Flame', Sauron finally got his dark magic-wielding hands on the Nine, aka the group of rings created for the kings of mortal men. For diehard Tolkien fans, or those who've seen Peter Jackson's live-action Lord of the Rings movies, it's clear what happens next – and Vickers can't wait to see who he'll be distributing these mind and soul-poisoning rings to.
"The Nine are such an iconic part of the literature," Vickers said. "They've been brought to life in popular culture by the Peter Jackson films. If that's what's next, handing out the nine rings will be incredibly exciting to see. I've no idea if I'll be giving them to existing characters in the show and where they [showrunners Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne] are going to take that, but it would be really cool to see their plans [for next season]."
The One Ring's creation? Check. Handing out more black magic-based jewelry to other ring-bearers? Double check. What could be more exciting than hitting those two major moments in not only Middle-earth's history, but also Sauron's personal journey? As it turns out, Vickers has two more wishes for what he wants to see in season 3 – one of which gruesomely ties into what happens to Celebrimbor's corpse after his death in the source material.
"The thing I'm most looking forward to is the downfall of Númenor," Vickers said with a smile. "But I don't know if we'll get to that next season. I also don't know if there's an intention next season for, as Sauron's army sweeps across Middle-earth, to have Celebrimbor up on that spear [which he's impaled on in season 2's finale] and, like in the books, paraded as a banner. I don't know whether that'll happen, but I hope it does!"
I'll be bringing plenty more season 2 finale exclusives throughout the day, so make sure you regularly check in with TechRadar for more cast-based scoops. In the meantime, read my The Rings of Power season 2 ending explained article for more insight into this season's finale and how it sets up some fascinating season 3 storylines.
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