Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Rings of Power season 2’s finale.
The Balrog’s inclusion inThe Rings of Powerseason 2 will lead many to wonder what becomes of the dark creature. The Balrog was first teased to be part of the Prime Video adaptation inThe Rings of Powerseason 1’s ending. The Balrog was shown to have been awoken by the dwarves of Khazad-dûm, lurking deep beneath the mountains. This foreshadowed the Balrog’s destruction of Moria teased in thetimeline of theLord of the Ringsmovies, begging the question of how integral to the show the creature would be.
Theending ofThe Rings of Powerseason 2seems to have answered that question, with the Balrog making its biggest appearance yet. As Durin III succumbed to the greed of the dwarven Ring of Power, the Balrog made itself known. Durin IV could only watch as his father leaped to face the Balrog, sealing the dwarven king and the creature of shadow and flame deep within Khazad-dûm’s chasms. WithThe Rings of Powerseason 3’s storyon the horizon, the question of what becomes of the Balrog is more prevalent than ever.
The Balrog Is Unlikely To Return In The Rings Of Power Season 3, According To Canon
Tolkien’s Books Indicate The Balrog Remains Hidden For Much Longer
Although it is not clear what directionThe Rings of Powerwill take the Balrog, there is somewhat of a roadmap based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s original novels. The Balrog was first mentioned as the creature responsible for destroying Khazad-dûm and rendering it the ruined mine of Moria. Interestingly,the Balrog’s awakening was said to happen well into Middle-earth’s Third Age, thousands of years afterThe Rings of Power,which is set in the Second Age.
Lord Of The Rings' Second Age Explained, Completely & Succinctly
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After the Balrog destroyed Khazad-dûm and routed the dwarves from the Misty Mountains, it was said that the creature slumbered alone for around 500 years. Only then did the Fellowship of the Ring enter Moria on their journey to Mordor, leading to the Balrog’s fateful confrontation with Gandalf that saw it eventually destroyed.The Rings of Powertakes place millennia before this, meaning that - should the show follow Tolkien’s writings - the Balrog will likely not return in season 3.
How The Rings Of Power Can Break Canon To Bring Back The Balrog
The Rings Of Power Has A Condensed Timeline
Despite Tolkien’s timeline,The Rings of Powercould go against this and see the Balrog return. Many would see this as a slight against Tolkien, a criticism that is often aimed at the show, yetThe Rings of Powerhas already established that it sports a condensed timeline in comparison to the source material. The events of the Second Age are happening much quicker than they do in Tolkien’s works, meaning a change could also be made to bring back the Balrog.
Tolkien’s books do not outline events of any significance between The War of the Elves and Sauron, depicted inThe Rings of Powerseason 2, and the destruction of Khazad-dûm…
The timeline of the dwarves in Middle-earth could be altered so that Khazad-dûm is destroyed at the end of the Second Age. After all, Tolkien’s books do not outline events of any significance between The War of the Elves and Sauron, depicted inThe Rings of Powerseason 2, and the destruction of Khazad-dûm. As such, it could be the case thatThe Rings of Powersimply moves forward the Balrog’s destruction of the dwarven kingdom as this would not make much of a difference to Tolkien’s writings aside from when exactly the event happened.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Cast
Set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power explores the forging of the iconic rings, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, and the epic events leading up to the stories in J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novels. The series chronicles the creation of legendary characters and the historic alliances and rivalries that shape the fate of Middle-earth.
