Sauron’s rise to power is one of the most significant events of the Second Age. In his bid to overthrow the Valar and become all-powerful, he corrupted several people and brought about the downfall of quite a few kingdoms. The main kingdom among them was Númenor.
LOTR: The Rings of Power will eventually depict these events, but here’s an understanding of what happened to the prosperous Númenor you currently see on the show.
The legendary kingdom of Númenor is destroyed by the Valar as a punishment for Ar-Pharazôn sailing to the Undying Lands. The event happens towards the end of the Second Age and may be depicted in either Season 2 or 3 of Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Events That Lead to Númenor’s Fall
In terms of the timeline of LOTR: The Rings of Power, the fall of Númenor may take place either at end of Season 2 or in Season 3.
So, this is not an event that we’ll see right away. But the show has already started building towards it.
Let’s get into some history. Númenor is an island, created by the Valar, that rose out of the Great Sea. It was gifted to the Men who supported them in their war against Morgoth. Although they were free to do as they wished (which included going to Middle-Earth), they were forbidden to sail to the Undying Lands.
(Fun fact: Númenoreans have a longer lifespan than their Middle-Earthen counterparts. Another blessing bestowed by the Valar perhaps?)
However, as time passed, the show portrays their increased distrust and superiority complex towards outsiders, especially Elves.
The current king of Númenor, Tar-Palantir, is quite unwell, and Queen Regent Miriel rules in his absence. However, since Palantir has no male heir, he will order Miriel to marry the politician, Ar-Pharazôn.
Ar-Pharazôn is the person responsible for the fall of Númenor. We currently see him rallying folks to believe in his politics. Through his marriage with Miriel, he will be able to usurp her throne in the future.
After the Rings of Power are forged and Sauron has made his presence known, the Elves will go to war with him. During this time, the Númenoreans will aid them as well.
However, during one of Ar-Pharazôn’s trips to Middle-Earth, Sauron pretends to surrender to him. This is where the dark lord is able to corrupt him with promises of infinite power and immortality. Thus, Ar-Pharazôn begins worshipping Morgoth and leads a war against the Elves.
Sauron convinces Ar-Pharazôn to sail to the Undying Lands, questioning why Elves should be the only ones with access to immortality.
Although Ar-Pharazôn makes it to shore, he was intercepted by Eru Ilúvatar, the leader of the Valar. As punishment, he kills Ar-Pharazôn and causes Númenor to sink, killing all its people. This includes Sauron, who is trapped on the island in his human form.
After this, Ilúvatar also changes the shape of Arda from flat to round, so that mortals are unable to reach the Undying Lands.
Númenor’s Legacy Lives On
Númenor getting destroyed doesn’t mean that its legacy ends there!
A very important Númenórean named Elendil (yes, you’ve seen him in the show!) realizes that the kingdom’s end is near. He is also one of the Faithful—the few Númenóreans who maintain friendships with Elves and respect the Valar.
Because Elendil refuses to worship Morgoth, the Valar spare his and the Faithful’s lives, allowing them to sail to Middle-Earth. There, they eventually build the kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor.
These kingdoms are then ruled by his sons, Isildur and Anárion. You may recognize them from their large statues at the entrance of Arnor as depicted in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
While the kingdoms went through several changes of leadership, LOTR movie fans will know that the infamous Aragorn takes over them during the War of the Ring. He was a descendant of Isildur and Anárion, and played a pivotal role in taking down Sauron in the Third Age.
About The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is an American TV series, based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien, developed by J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay for streaming on Amazon Prime.
Set 3,000 years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, the show will be set in the Second Age of Middle-earth. Beginning with a time of peace, the series will follow the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron and the forging of the rings of power.
The cast includes Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Nazanin Boniadi, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, and Dylan Smith among many others.
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