Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Rings of Power season 2.
The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Powerseason 2, episode 5 has made a rewatch ofThe Hobbittrilogy essential. ThroughoutThe Rings of Powerseason 2’s episodesthus far, the dwarves have received more of a focus than they did in season 1. While Durin IV and Disa were two central characters in season 1,The Rings of Powerseason 2’s castfeatures Durin III as more of a consequential character, as well as other supporting dwarves like Narvi.
Naturally, the Khazad-dûm storyline is made more important by the forging of moreRings of Power fromLord of the Rings, specifically the seven given to the dwarf lords of Middle-earth. InThe Rings of Powerseason 2, episode 5, Durin III claims one of the rings for himself, before pawning the others off to other dwarven lords in return for gold and riches. DespiteThe Rings of Power’s timelinecoming millennia before Peter Jackson’s movies, a rewatch ofThe Hobbitwill be made all the more effective after season 2, episode 5’s events.
The Rings Of Power Season 2, Episode 5 Shows How The Dwarves' Downfall Begins
The Dwarves Eventually Dwindle In Power
During the time ofThe HobbitandThe Lord of the Ringsin the Third Age of Middle-earth, the dwarves are much less powerful than they were duringThe Rings of Power. The latter is set in the Second Age, with Khazad-dûm being the shining light of the dwarves' power in Middle-earth. However,The Rings of Powerseason 2, episode 5 shows how the dwarves will succumb to ruin thanks to the inclusion of the titular jewelry, the effects the rings have on the dwarves, and how this causes their eventual downfall.
Lord Of The Rings' Second Age Explained, Completely & Succinctly
Long before Frodo and Bilbo’s adventures in the Third Age, the Lord of the Rings' Second Age happened, filled with wicked wars and seismic shifts.
In Tolkien’s mythology, the Rings of Power did not affect the dwarves as they did men. While the men of Middle-earth became wholly dominated by Sauron, eventually becomingLord of the Rings’Nazgûl, the dwarves simply became more wrathful and greedy upon wearing the rings.This was showcased inThe Rings of Powerseason 2, episode 5 thanks to Durin III, whose greed was stoked as he told his miners to delve deeper into the mountainsto find gold and jewels, with a notable disregard for safety and precaution.
Eventually, this greed sees the Balrog, teased inThe Rings of Powerseason 1’s ending, destroy the kingdom of Khazad-dûm, causing it to become the desolate land of Moria seen inThe Lord of the Rings. Through the inclusion of the other dwarven Rings of Power and their wearers,The Rings of Powerseason 2, episode 5 brings to mind the events ofThe Hobbitand the fall of Erebor, one of the last great dwarven kingdoms by the time of Middle-earth’s Third Age.
Would Any Of The Hobbit’s Story Happen Without Sauron’s Influence?
Smaug May Have Come To Erebor Anyway, But The Rings Of Power Likely Sped Up The Latter’s Destruction
InThe Hobbit, the strength, wealth, and prosperity of Erebor was highlighted. Erebor was a dwarven kingdom beneath the Lonely Mountain and was not formed until the Third Age, long afterThe Rings of Power. However, a connection lies in one of the seven dwarven rings fromThe Rings of Powerseason 2, episode 5, which eventually finds its way to Thráin, the founder of Erebor.Thráin, and later his son Thrór, became immensely wealthy through their rule of Erebor, with both possessing the last known dwarven Ringof Power.
Thráin and Thrór were both included in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’s prologue as the grandfather and father of Thorin Oakenshield.
As established inThe Rings of Powerseason 2, dwarven greed is heightened by the rings. It could be the case that the ring possessed by Thráin and Thrór fueled their desire to amass a giant treasure horde. As is explained inThe Hobbit, it is this very treasure horde that draws the attention of Smaug, the dragon who destroyed Erebor and claimed dominion over the Lonely Mountain. Thus, the question of whetherThe Hobbit’s story would still have happened without Sauron’s influence is prevalent.
Sauron’s influence via the dwarven ring of power held by Durin’s Folk inThe Hobbitcould have hastened the timeline of Erebor’s destruction…
Given that dwarves covet gold and jewels anyway, Smaug would likely have eventually found his way to Erebor regardless. However, Sauron’s influence via the dwarven ring of power held by Durin’s Folk inThe Hobbitcould have hastened the timeline of Erebor’s destruction. As such, not only isThe Rings of Powersetting up the fall of Khazad-dûm, but it is also teasing the ruin of another major dwarven kingdom in Erebor, thus makingThe Hobbitan all but essential trilogy to rewatch.
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.
