The closing scenes of Rings of Power Season 2 take place in a valley “protected by the rings,” surrounded by greenery and waterfalls – is it Rivendell? Well, we know the answer.
Eregion falls in the Season 2 finale of Rings of Power. Adar’s Orcs overrun the city, reducing its history to ash and its extraordinary buildings to rubble.
With Celebrimbor dead and Galadriel out of action after her fight with Sauron, Gil-galad, Elrond, and Arondir have no choice but to flee with any survivors. They find their way to a valley in the north, a picturesque haven of nature hidden away from the world… for now.
Fortunately, the Elven rings can protect them, making it a sanctuary for the Elves and anyone else who’s allowed to stay there. Even if you’re a casual Lord of the Rings fan, it looks and sounds a lot like Rivendell in everything but name – and you’d be (pretty much) right.
Charlotte Brändström, the episode’s director, told Dexerto: “It’s on the way to Rivendell. Yeah, it stopped on the way.”
When the Fellowship makes it to Rivendell in the Lord of the Rings movies, it’s breathtaking; a feat of Elven architecture and one of the safest places in Middle-earth.
Going off Tolkien’s writings, we know it was founded by Elrond after the siege of Eregion in the Second Age (1697 specifically, but Rings of Power’s timeline isn’t as simple as that), and it was also known as Imladris and the Last Homely House.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
We also spoke to Robert Aramayo, who plays Elrond in the series, and asked him if they end up Rivendell. “Even if it were, I don’t think they’d know… lore-wise, it’s not, ‘Oh we’ve arrived in this magical place,'” he explained.
“It’s a strategic position that is advantageous to that moment. And it develops into the Last Homely House and then Imladris. I think that even if they were where they could be, I’m not sure they would know that.”
We also spoke to Elrond’s actor about that Galadriel kiss, which he said he was “shocked” by.
After the finale, make sure you check out our recaps of the rest of Rings of Power Season 2:
Read our guides on Tom Bombadil, the Dark Wizard, Undying Lands, Forodwaith, and Círdan. You can also find out if Rings of Power is considered canon in Lord of the Rings.