Rings of Power reveals Slow Horses star as Sauron in shocking Season 2 scene

Charlie Vickers will return as Rings of Power’s titular Lord of the Rings – but another actor will appear as Sauron in Season 2.

Season 1 ended with a jaw-dropping reveal: Halbrand, the so-called king of the Southlands, was actually Sauron in disguise the whole time.

With darkness spreading across Middle-earth (and a major Lord of the Rings battle confirmed), Rings of Power Season 2 will follow the Dark Lord as he continues his main mission: convincing Celebrimbor to forge the other rings; seven for the Dwarf-lords, nine for mortal men, and the One Ring.

Before we return to the forge, the second season will take audiences back to the aftermath of Morgoth’s defeat, around 1,000 years before Season 1.

Don’t expect to see Vickers, though. Instead, this earlier incarnation of Sauron is played by Jack Lowden, of Slow Horses, Fighting with My Family, and Dunkirk fame.

Speaking to Total Film, Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne revealed: “We open in the darkness, an orc walks in, and we see there are thousands of orcs gathered.

“He’s about to be crowned, pitching his vision of Middle-earth, and right before they lay the crown on his head, his right-hand man, Adar, turns it upside down, and stabs him in the back. It’s the assassination of Sauron.”

Remember, Sauron isn’t just the Lord of the Rings – he’s a master of disguise. He’s not even a person, he’s a Maia (a spirit created by the Valar) who can change his appearance (as well as reality) at will.

We’ll see Vickers in his Halbrand aesthetic, but he’ll also appear as Annatar, the alleged “Lord of Gifts” who suckers Celebrimbor into forging rings at his ethereal behest.

“Sauron is the center of gravity. It’s an ensemble show, but the focus is starting to get pulled towards him. He’s driving everything,” McKay added.

Make sure you’ve read our Rings of Power Season 2 release schedule, and find out how Season 2 will fix the show’s Sauron mistake.