Warning: SPOILERS ahead for The Rings of Power season 2, episode 8, “Shadow and Flame.”Celebrimbor perishes during The Rings of Power season 2 finale, but he makes an accurate prediction about Sauron’s future before he does. Celebrimbor’s final moments in Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series are powerful, as he manages to defy Sauron, even as the Dark Lord takes his life. Celebrimbor accurately notes that Sauron is deceiving himself with his claims of saving Middle-earth. He also foretells Sauron’s future in an eerily accurate manner, guessing that one specific ring will be the villain’s downfall later on.
“Hear the dying words of Celebrimbor,” Charles Edwards’ character says to Sauron during The Rings of Power season 2’s finale. “The Rings of Power shall destroy you. And in the end, I foresee one alone shall prove your utter ruin.” The Lord of Eregion is, of course, referring to the One Ring in this statement — though it doesn’t exist at this point in the series. Even still, Celebrimbor correctly guesses The Lord of the Rings’ ending, and it’s enough to temporarily shake The Rings of Power’s villain.
The Rings Of Power’s Celebrimbor Foresees The One Ring Bringing Down Sauron
He Accurately Predicts The Lord Of The Rings’ Ending
The One Ring does eventually prove the death of Sauron, as losing it to Isildur temporarily defeats him during the Second Age — and Frodo destroying it permanently kills Sauron during the Third Age. The One Ring doesn’t exist yet in The Rings of Power season 2, as Sauron spends much of the outing manipulating Celebrimbor to make the other Rings of Power. However, when Sauron finally creates the ring that will rule them all, he places most of his power in it. This proves a costly mistake for him before and during The Lord of the Rings.
With Sauron tying his strength to the One Ring, he perishes when it does — exactly as Celebrimbor predicts at the end of The Rings of Power season 2. It’s fitting that Celebrimbor is the one to foresee Sauron’s demise, as he helps begin the villain’s conquest with the Rings of Power. And although viewers may be wondering how Celebrimbor could see Sauron’s future so clearly, his final words make sense after how closely they worked together during the previous episodes.
How Celebrimbor Knows What Will Happen To Sauron In The Future
The Characters Work Together Closely In The Rings Of Power Season 2
It’s eerie how accurate Celebrimbor’s final words to Sauron are, but they make sense within the context of The Rings of Power season 2. After Sauron disguises himself as Annatar, he works closely with Celebrimbor to forge the Dwarves’ Seven Rings and the Nine Rings for Men. The time these characters spend together in Celebrimbor’s forge allows them to get to know one another. Celebrimbor learns exactly how Sauron thinks before he even realizes the villain’s true identity. With that in mind, it’s no surprise the Lord of Eregion can predict Sauron’s next move.
Celebrimbor’s hope for the future gives him reason to believe Sauron will fall, even if it takes time for the rest of Middle-earth to defeat him.
In addition to being capable of reading Sauron’s intentions, Celebrimbor has faith in the Elves and the other races of Middle-earth. He proves as much multiple times during the season 2 finale, expressing hope even when facing his own demise. Celebrimbor’s hope for the future gives him reason to believe Sauron will fall, even if it takes time for the rest of Middle-earth to defeat him. And his ability to predict the villain’s plans gives him insight into how it could happen, painting a picture that looks a lot like The Return of the King.
Celebrimbor Already Predicted Frodo & Sam Would Save Middle-earth
They’re The Light The Lord Of Eregion Refers To
Celebrimbor’s optimism about the future doesn’t just predict Sauron’s downfall; it also alludes to Frodo and Sam’s journey thousands of years before The Lord of the Rings. During his farewell to Galadriel, Celebrimbor tells her that light prevails over all else. He suggests that armies won’t defeat the darkness in Middle-earth, claiming “light” will do so instead. And the light he refers to can be seen within every character who opposes Sauron during the Second and Third Ages. It’s a light that allows Frodo and Sam to vanquish the villain once and for all.
Sam and Frodo don’t use physical strength or armies to overcome Sauron in The Lord of the Rings. Instead, their courage turns out to be the villain’s downfall, as it takes him by surprise — and pushes them forward to destroy the One Ring, even when all hope seems lost. Celebrimbor’s speech in The Rings of Power season 2 sets up this outcome, predicting the end of Sauron’s story, as well as the triumph of Sam and Frodo. It’s a shame the Amazon series won’t directly connect to the Lord of the Rings adaptations, as it brings everything that happens together nicely.