Breaking down RoP sneak peeks ahead of SDCC

Last week, we were treated to a few very interesting reveals for The Rings of Power Season 3, thanks to Amazon advertisements ahead of San Diego Comic-Con. These adverts were expected, given Amazon has consistently shown off The Rings of Power before its scheduled slot at SDCC. However, even though the adverts themselves were expected, the contents within them certainly were not. Here’s a quick breakdown of everything we’ve seen ahead of San Diego Comic-Con and what it all might mean for Season 3 of Rings of Power.

Sauron

The first completed advertisement that began circulating on the internet was the same one revealed to us a few months ago at Amazon Upfront. It’s a backshot of Sauron in a dark red chamber of sorts wearing Morgoth’s crown, sporting jet-black hair in his Dark Lord attire. Most of what should be said concerning this advert has already been said in great detail so, as not to dwell so long on it, I should only speak briefly of where I assume Sauron is in this photo.

Of the theories that I have seen, the most prevalent seems to be that Sauron is in his newly built tower of Barad-dûr, plotting and scheming away to his heart’s content. But in my opinion the new Dark Lord is actually in Mt. Doom here, contemplating what he should do next in regards to creating his master ring. Either way, it’s a great image of Sauron and I am sure we’ll see something relating to it at some point in Season 3.

The Stranger

“He has his hat!” is probably what most people thought when seeing the above advertisement for the first time, as I was no different myself. With each new season, Gandalf is beginning to look more and more like the wizard we all know and love, and Season 3 looks to be giving us even more than we had originally hoped. We will likely get the origin of the grey wizard’s pointy hat in the upcoming season, and if I had to bet, Tom Bombadil probably has something to do with it. The hat is not the only new item in Gandalf’s possession however, as it seems as though he has collected a blue crystal of sorts for his new staff. Indeed, the crystal can be seen lodged at the top of Gandalf’s wooden staff similar to the one seen in The Fellowship of the Ring film in Moria. What it does and how Mithrandir will use it, however, remain a mystery.

The One Ring

Lastly, we have the biggest surprise of them all. Not only did we get another image of Sauron fully decked out in his black armor, he’s also holding the One Ring in his left hand. A huge surprise considering many were expecting the Ring to either show up in the SDCC trailer for the first time or be kept under wraps entirely until its reveal in the show itself. Nevertheless, it showed up here on the wall in all its glory with a design that is… well… as you would expect. It’s slick. It’s shiny. It’s gold. It’s the One Ring.

As a short note, sharp eyes have noticed that the One Ring may not be the ONLY ring visible in the image as there are two rings visible on Sauron’s left gauntlet. Presumably, these are Season 2’s “Rings for Men” that Sauron is carrying and will be distributing at some point this coming season.