The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has been creating debate since its launch, but many agree that its season 2 Sauron storyline will be hard to beat. Rings of Power season 1’s ending reveals that the show’s original character, Halbrand (Charlie Vickers), has actually been Sauron all along. Halbrand transforms into Annatar for the second season, marking huge progress in the show. Meanwhile, the show’s primary mystery shifts to the Stranger (Daniel Weyman), whose identity is finally confirmed in Rings of Power season 2’s ending, leaving him free to oppose Sauron. Yet even this may not bring season 3 up to season 2’s standard.

Now Gandalf, the Stranger finishes season 2 being tutored by Tom Bombadil (Rory Kinnear) in the ways of his growing power and resisting Sauron. Elsewhere Lord of the Villains’ villain Sauron will be on a new journey all his own. Charlie Vickers has excelled in the role of Halbrand and Annatar, and season 3 could well see a whole new form of Sauron as he hands out the Rings of Men, takes control of the Orc army, and eventually gets taken prisoner by Númenor. However, it will still be hard for Rings of Power to top Sauron’s season 2 arc with Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards).

The Rings Of Power Season 3 Will Struggle To Top Sauron & Celebrimbor’s Season 2 Story

Season 2’s Sauron Story Was A Highlight Of The Franchise

It will be difficult for Sauron’s plot going forward to compare to the brilliance of season 2’s Celebrimbor deception. Celebrimbor dies tragically at the end of Rings of Power season 2, marking the end of the series’ best storyline so far. His death scene was pulled from Unfinished Tales, which implies Celebrimbor may get one final swan song in season 3. Sauron should also soon manipulate Pharazôn (Trystan Gravelle) into doing his bidding. However, by and large, season 3 will sorely miss Charles Edwards’ influence, even if Sauron gets a similar arc tempting Ar-Pharazôn in Númenor.

Even The Creation Of The One Ring Might Not Match The Tension Of Sauron’s Season 2 Arc

Sauron’s Arc Still Has Huge Highlights Coming Up

Sauron must forge the One Ring soon, but even this may pale in comparison to season 2’s drama. Charles Edwards and Charlie Vickers’ chemistry is outstanding as Sauron deceives Celebrimbor into thinking that he is an emissary of the Valar. Season 2 built the metaphor of Sauron as the archetypal deceiver, and speeding up the pace or reducing the focus on this would be a shame. Sauron giving out the nine Rings of Men and developing Lord of the Rings’ Ringwraiths on-screen is incredibly exciting, but will lack the core betrayal of the Celebrimbor arc.

Sauron will need Celebrimbor’s help to forge the One Ring and will rely on what he managed to learn from him before he killed him. In this sense, it will be interesting to see the intrigue between Sauron and Celebrimbor continue into the One Ring forging storyline even after Celebrimbor’s death. Hopefully, Sauron’s deceiver person will come back with full force for the Númenor arc. Even so, it will be hard to feel sorry for Pharazôn the way it was natural to pity Celebrimbor, which is what made The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 instantly iconic.