‘The Rings of Power’ Season 2 Reveals a Lore-Accurate Explanation for How the Hobbits Defeated Sauron

Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power became a massive hit, despite facing significant backlash from certain “fans.” As we’ve mentioned in previous reports, the show was renewed for a second season, which premiered on August 29, 2024, and has been well-received by both critics and audiences. The series is taking a new direction, making it exciting to see how things unfold.

Season 2 has been praised for being more faithful to Tolkien’s lore, sparking online debates among fans. From the start, the show’s relationship to the original lore has been a key point of discussion. While we’ve covered several major moments, another significant one recently stood out.

In Episode 5 of Season 2, the writers finally explain why the Hobbits were able to defeat Sauron—something hinted at in Peter Jackson’s films but now made crystal clear by the show.

In the latest episodes of The Rings of Power, especially Episode 5, the focus has been on Sauron’s rise to power and the creation of the Rings of Power.

We’ve already covered how the show handled the distribution and numbers of the Rings more effectively than Tolkien himself, and now it delivers another significant moment—this time surpassing Peter Jackson’s films and staying true to Tolkien’s lore.

This key moment explains why the Hobbits, out of all the races in Middle-earth, were the only ones capable of defeating Sauron. While Jackson’s films hinted at the answer, they never offered a clear explanation, leaving viewers who hadn’t read the books to speculate.

For those familiar with Tolkien’s writings, the answer is known, but The Rings of Power has now provided an explicit explanation for non-readers. During a scene with Celebrimbor, Sauron, in disguise, is asked if Men could handle the power of the Rings. Sauron replies, “Men are capable of great frailty. But when the darkness falls, there are always some who rise forth and shine.”

This subtle statement reveals that while Elves and Dwarves could resist the Rings’ corruption, Men were susceptible to it.

This shows why Men couldn’t defeat Sauron—they would be corrupted by the Rings’ power. However, the Hobbits, whom Sauron overlooked due to their perceived lack of strength, had the pure hearts necessary to complete the task, as demonstrated in the original trilogy.

While not without struggles, this moment reinforces The Rings of Power as increasingly lore-accurate with each new episode.

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