With the new teaser trailer out for the upcomingRings of PowerTV show on Amazon Prime, the excitement and trepidation among fans builds even greater. Some look forward to the show’s release in early September, while others hold back their judgement in fear that the show will flop despite its massive budget, because it goes against Tolkien’s original vision for Middle Earth.
With more and more information being provided, audiences are receiving closer glimpses at the world the show is building, as well as fleeting moments that flesh out characters that have been teased for so long, includingSaruron himself who gets his first moments of screen time. The identity of some characters are still veiled in a thick layer of mystery, such as the meteor man, but also the identity of the mysterious race of beings donned in skull masks, living beneath the fabric canopy.
REALTED:The Hobbit: This Scene Was Cut Because It Was Thought To Be Too Gory
There are various theories as to who these are, the most obvious being orcs. The clothes that these characters wear are reminiscent of the orc armor shown within not only the previous trailers, but of orcs present with the Peter Jackson films. The fabric skull masks are similar to the metal masks worn by Sam and Frodo as they walk disguised within the fiery wasteland of Mordor inThe Return of the King. It’s worth noting as well that the orcs in theRings of Powerare different from the villains seen intheLord of the Ringsfilms, their main difference being that they are true to lore andare weak to sunlight. The Uruk-hai introduced in the main books are special as they are able to withstand direct sunlight, something that gave them much greater autonomy and power than the traditional orcs found within the second age. The masks then, as well as the fabric canopy, would suggest these are orcs donning gear to hide every inch of their skin from the sun.
The other factor that point to these being orcs is the sinister figure that walks in silhouette into their midst. The black plated gauntlet is almost identical to the one seen in the promotional posters, with many believing that this being is either Sauron himself or another villainous orc leader, but until the show comes out, this will most likely remain a mystery. The hooded figures seem to bow as this figure walks slowly through them, commanding respect, but there is something about the way they do this that has made some fans question their identity. There seems to be something fearful about the way they how, like captives to a slave master. This makes some people think that people are in fact human (or elf) slaveswho have been capturedand tasked with working or building. The only ‘weapon’ seen being held by these figures looks suspiciously like a tool, which might hint at their status as slaves rather than orc warriors. They are also not wearing the specific orc robes and garbs shown in promotional photos; rather, a much dirtier and shabbier version, hinting they might not be orcs at all.
Another thing that adds to this suspicion is Arondir, one of the main elvish characters in the show. He is shown later in the trailer to be fighting a hooded figure. This figure is wearingtheRings of Power‘traditional’ orc garbs, but Arondir himself is shown in tattered rags rather than his usual intricate armor, and there is another figure beside him wearing similar rags. He is also clearly in chains, which he is using to his advance to attack, but might suggest he is (or was) a prisoner. This once again hints at the orcs having elven slaves. While this is all conjecture, there is definitely a link between the orcs and slaves, but whether the masked figures are these slaves or not is still unknown.
There is, of course, another take on these masked figures. Some fans have found it odd that in most of the scenes these masked figures are shown, even the ones where they are attacking Arondir, every single bit of them is covered. This makes sense in terms of them wanting to keep away from the sunlight, but it’s strange that not even a bit of skin is shown in shadow. It seems like the trailer is purposefully trying to hide their identity. This might just be for the mystery of it all, not revealing explicitly anything prior to the release of the show, but it might also be because they are not orcs at all like suggested above, or that they are a very specific and different type of orc. There is a possibility that these are female orcs, their existence intheRings of Powerhaving already been confirmed by executive producer Lindsey Weber. This might account for them being hidden from view, wanting the reveal in the show to be all the more impactful.
It’s unlikely at this point that audiences will get any further details as to the identity of these masked figures or what their roles within the narrative until the show airs in early September. The minds behind theRings of Powerrightfully do not want to give too much away. What they have shown fans has gone down well, however. A vast amount of mystery and intrigue has been presented, via some truly powerful-looking scenes with very little context. It’s enough to keep people excited about the show, without ruining what will happen. It’s all a perfect recipe to build hype.
