The elves have finally arrived. At the end of The Rings of Power Season 2, High King Gil-galad raises his sword high in an idyllic forest, ending the dark and destructive episode with a moment of hope. The Elves have a future in these woods and that future will shape the entire history of Middle-earth for the better.
Lord of the Rings creator J.R.R. Tolkien was fantastic at describing the natural world, and the location of Rivendell was no exception. This beautiful Elven settlement from the books (and films) is one of the most famous places in all of Middle-earth. But at this point in the timeline, this isn’t quite the version of Rivendell that longtime Tolkien fans might be used to. And in some ways, it seems that the founding of this version of Rivendell differs slightly from the source material — or does it? Let’s take a closer look.
Rings of Power Season 2 ending sets-up Rivendell
As established in the original Lord of the Rings novels, Rivendell is a refuge located in a steep and, crucially, hidden valley. In keeping with the Tolkien backstory, the Elves find themselves here after fleeing from Eregion after its destruction. As with all things Rings of Power, the founding of Rivendell depicted here is slightly different than in the books. The parting shot shows the high Elf king, Gil-galad holding his sword aloft, symbolizing his defiance of Sauron and the forces of evil. But technically, in the books, it’s Elrond who founds Rivendell, which is still partially true in The Rings of Power finale, though the presence of Gil-galad doesn’t center Elrond in this moment. But, who's to say what counts as “founding” a particular place in Middle-earth?
This change is minor, but like the moment earlier in the finale when Celebrimbor succumbs to his wounds, the larger canonical result is the same. The bottom line is clear, we can expect much of Season 3 to take place in Rivendell, and perhaps this area will start to resemble the place it will eventually become by the Third Age.
Rivendell is the key to defeating Sauron
Although we think of Rivendell as a place where Frodo, Sam, Pippin, and Merry stop for a while in the middle of The Fellowship of the Ring, the entire history of Rivendell is all about recovery. In The Rings of Power, the Elves desperately need a place to regroup and recover before figuring out how to fight back against Sauron. The entire vibe of the end of the episode makes it clear that the Elves are united in the idea that they can’t and won’t retreat from Middle-earth, and now is the time to make a stand against Sauron. (After they lick their wounds and figure out what to do about having lost the tactically important city of Eregion, of course.)
Although Rivendell is set to be a key location for Season 3 (and beyond), the bigger picture here is that the Elves are now on a path that will lead them to an alliance with humans — better known as the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. We probably won’t see this team-up until Season 4 or Season 5 of The Rings of Power (assuming the show makes it that far).
But regardless of how The Rings of Power ends, or how many episodes it runs in total, the bigger events in the future of Middle-earth are unavoidable. Just as Eregion had to fall this season, at some point, Rivendell will become a powerful haven for Elves, which will lead to their greatest victory over Sauron at the end of the second age. And even if that victory is somewhat temporary — and Elrond is a long way off from partnering with Elendil— the future triumph of the Elves begins at this moment, far beyond the relative comfort of Lindon and the Grey Havens.
