The first trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 has been released and it teases the ramifications of Sauron's return to Middle-earth.
The Dark Lord is in disguise after sowing discord in the elven kingdom of Eregion by manipulating Celebrimbor into forging the show's titular rings of power. We saw three of them in the season 1 finale, though Sauron still has plenty of work to do: remember, there are seven rings for the Dwarves, nine for mortal men, and his own One Ring to Rule Them All.
There are lots of other exciting teases throughout this trailer, including a glimpse of the Stranger wielding a wooden staff. All signs point to him being a young Gandalf and it looks like his story will remain key to The Rings of Power.
Elsewhere, you'll spot Mount Doom, a Great Eagle, and even an early version of Sauron's Mordor fortress, Barad-dûr.
"Sauron has returned," declares a new season 2 synopsis. "Cast out by Galadriel, without army or ally, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power, which will allow him to bind all the peoples of Middle-earth to his sinister will."
"Building on Season 1’s epic scope and ambition, Season 2 of Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power plunges even its most beloved and vulnerable characters into a rising tide of darkness, challenging each to find their place in a world that is increasingly on the brink of calamity."
"Elves and dwarves, orcs and men, wizards and Harfoots... as friendships are strained and kingdoms begin to fracture, the forces of good will struggle ever more valiantly to hold on to what matters to them most of all.. each other," it concludes.
Most of season 1's cast returns, though Sam Hazeldine (Peaky Blinders) replaces Joseph Mawle as the villainous Adar, leader of the Orcs. Ciarán Hinds (Game of Thrones), Rory Kinnear (Penny Dreadful), and Tanya Moodie (The Man Who Fell to Earth) are among the biggest new additions to the show.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 returns to Prime Video on August 29.