Rings of Power: Sauron's Eregion Deception - Timeline Explained

Fans of The Lord of the Rings are always looking for more stories! The Rings of Power series, set in the Second Age, showed Sauron's plan unfold!

Sauron's Time in Eregion:

In The Rings of Power season 2, Sauron, using the name Annatar, spent time in Eregion to get close to the elves. This plan had him gain their trust, and make them forge the Rings of Power. This wasn't exactly the case in J.R.R. Tolkien's books. According to the lore, it really took him a whole lot longer.

Also Read: Celebrimbor & Sauron's Deception in The Rings of Power Season 2: Is It a Plot Hole?

The Book Timeline:

Sauron (Charlie Vickers) contemplating the hammer of Fëanor in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 Episode 8 Image

According to Tolkien's writings, like "Appendix B" in The Lord of the Rings, Sauron first arrived in Eregion in the year 1200 of the Second Age. His plan was elaborate!

He befriended the elves.
He shared his knowledge of forging.
He waited a whole 300 years before beginning to forge the rings with Celebrimbor!

That's a whole lot of time for someone to become close enough to trick someone. The elves in Eregion are super intelligent. Having a close bond with the chief elf smith Celebrimbor is why it makes it such an accomplishment!

Also Read: Galadriel & Adar Team Up in The Rings of Power Season 2? Here's What It Could Mean

Rings of Power's Take:

Sauron (Charlie Vickers) smiling in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Image

The Amazon series, The Rings of Power, made some big changes! They reduced Sauron's time considerably! It's explained in Season 2, as he uses "Halbrand," his second fair form on the show and that was established in Season 1.

The show basically kept Sauron in the exact position he left off at! It went without adding an extensive amount of time! Sauron and the team even began forging right away, going without that original 100 years!

Also Read: The Rings of Power Season 2: Celeborn's Return and the Fate of Galadriel-Halbrand Romance

Why The Changes Were Made:

Sauron in Lord of the Rings and Sauron Eye in The Rings of Power Image

Why did the show do what it did? They made this adjustment for the sake of time, using more storytelling elements to allow fans a better story in shorter intervals! You see, showing the entirety of what really happened would not only be extremely lengthy, but take away some opportunities that they couldn't afford to miss.

There are so many interesting details they didn't want to forget, specifically showing Adar and his involvement in forging these powerful rings.
Númenor is not to be missed, either! With its role to support Sauron's growing power.
Then there was the story that featured Gandalf and Nori! It's also a very big arc, as it does go beyond just what took place in Sauron's arc, so getting to keep the same story is critical!

To those who wanted an in-depth show from beginning to end! It makes sense! Showing the evolution of a compelling story should be more interesting! Even for viewers that might be interested in how those interactions went with the Elves!

In The Rings of Power the writers show Halbrand's evolution into Annatar using some serious intimidation. That's a faster path than the books!

Regardless of how things came to be, it seems Sauron made the most of his time!

Even though his history is significantly compressed! The Rings of Power makes the time worth it. His interaction with the Elves is very dramatic.

And shows why he's a very well-respected antagonist. While it is true the Rings of Power took the history from J.R.R Tolkien. What it provides is a version that aims for higher excitement while showing that his impact might not be about 300 years as it suggests from books but truly a carefully planned and carefully laid plan!

Rings of Power: Sauron's Eregion Deception - Timeline Explained

Sauron's Time in Eregion:

The Book Timeline:

Rings of Power's Take:

Why The Changes Were Made:

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