The Rings of Power Season 2 Confirmed to Include Another Major Lord of the Rings Villain

The Rings of Power Season 2 has already teased fans with appearances from iconic villains from Lord of the Rings or other J.R.R. Tolkien lore – including the Balrog beneath the Dwarven mine of Khazad-dum, an ionic new identity for Sauron to hide behind, or undead horror of the Barrow-Wights. Thanks to the latest interviews with the cast and crew of The Rings of Power, we can know add yet another monstrous foe to the list of Season 2 villains: Shelob. 

There’s a new feature about Rings of Power Season 2’s storyline, and where we find each of the main characters in the ensemble cast when the season begins. For actor Maxim Baldry, continuing the story of Isildur (who becomes one of the most pivotal figures in Middle-earth’s battle against Sauron) means going to some literal dark places – namely, the lair of Shelob, the giant Spider fans best know from Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee were famously lured into Shelob’s webs by Gollum, as the impish sycophant tried to steam Sauron’s evil One Ring back from Frodo. 

Now, it seems that Isildur will tread the same dreaded ground that Sam and Frodo would centuries later: 

“I’m awoken in a cave and I have to fight my way through Shelob to get to safety, which is an obscene way to start a season,” Baldry revealed to EW. “It’s a story of survival and it’s a story about ‘be careful what you wish for.’ He grows from a boy into a man and has to learn who to trust and who not to trust.”

Last we saw of Isildur was in The Rings of Power Season 1’s penultimate episode. After the Southlands mountain Orodruin erupted, the Elf Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and her human companions from Númenór jumped into action to help the people of the region. Isildur heroically sacrificed himself to save Queen Miriel from a burning building, and has been presumed dead, ever since. The Season Finale didn’t reveal anything about Isildur’s fate, leaving the matter to be resolved in Season 2. 

Lord of the Rings fans already know that Isildur survives the fire – and everything else he will face, including Shelob. The opportunity that Rings of Power has in front of it is helping Lord of the Rings fans better understand the shades of both darkness and light that exist inside Isildur. That complexity is necessary to explain a character whose will was strong enough to cut the One Ring from Sauron’s finger – but too weak to give up the ring himself, and banish evil from the world. Maybe the roots of that evil’s hold on Isildur will be planted during his journey this season… 

The Rings of Power Season 2 will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on August 29th.