Lord of the Rings fans confused by Sauron in first Rings of Power Season 2 trailer 

Middle-earth returns in the first trailer for Rings of Power Season 2, but Lord of the Rings fans have been left confused about why Sauron looks so different than the first season.

Rings of Power Season 2 will continue where the first season left off. The trailer reveals Sauron continuing his quest to reshape Middle-earth, but he doesn’t look like what fans remember.

While Charlie Vickers is reprising his role as Sauron, he now looks like an elf, complete with long blonde hair, pointy ears, and impeccable complexion. He looks majestic and haunting.

It led a few people confused about why Sauron is an elf. “Is that Sauron as an elf? Sauron is not an elf,” said one fan on X/Twitter.

The answer is simple. Sauron is a shapeshifter with one fan answering, “That is Sauron in his fair guise as Annatar the Lord of Gifts, it’s how he creates the 16 rings given to men and dwarves.”

“Sauron can be whatever he wants to be. Even in the first season, he took a different form,” said another.

For the casual watcher, Sauron’s new look may have been a head-scratcher, with one fan saying, “Maybe you just haven’t read Tolkien.”

Rings of Power Season 1 ended with the grand reveal that Sauron had been among the elves all along fulfilling his evil plans. He was under the guise of Halbrand, a supposed forgotten heir of the Southlands.

As Halbrand, he was a handsome young man with smooth hair and a beard. He revealed his true self to Galadriel in the finale by simply shifting his demeanor. Sauron is a dark, evil character; he’s arguably the epitome of evil.

Halbrand is believed to be based on Sauron’s Annator form, also known as the Dark Lord’s fair form, from Tolkien’s The Silmarillion. But die-hard fans would have caught on to Rings of Power teasing Sauron’s new form in Season 2. When he first meets Celebrimbor and suggests combining the Mithril with other alloys, he calls it a “gift.” Sauron’s Annator translates to “lord of gifts.”

Rings of Power Season 2 will premiere on August 29, 2024, and you can catch up on other TV series streaming this month.