A terrifying and mysterious monster appears in the trailer for Amazon’s “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”, which aired during the Super Bowl. The clip features a cloaked man running from a gigantic monster, among other sights of Middle Earth. The creature does not like anything from previous Middle Earth films, implying that it could be a new addition to J. R. R. Tolkien’s vast fantasy universe’s formidable bestiary.
With a budget of $1 billion and a cast of hundreds, Amazon’s “The Rings of Power” is one of the most ambitious television or streaming projects ever, set thousands of years before the events of “The Lord of the Rings“ trilogy. The goal of the series is to look into the creation of the Rings of Power and the impact they have on the world beyond the One Ring. While many parts of the production were kept under wraps by Amazon, fans now have a better idea of what to expect from “The Rings of Power”.
The monster in the clip looks a lot like a cave troll, but it has some distinguishing features, such as a massive set of horns and what appears to be a second mouth. Trolls were formed by Melkor before the First Age, according to Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings mythology, therefore they would exist during the period of The Rings of Power. It’s possible that this monster is a precursor to the trolls before they were enslaved by Sauron or one that has undergone its own dark transformations as a result of Melkor’s influence.
Melkor, the villain, also produced a number of other monsters, one of which could be the beast in the trailer. The Uvanimor, or monster-folk, is the collective name for these creatures. Nauglath, or “wicked dwarves,” giants and ogres are among them. Ogres would appear to be the most plausible candidate based on the creature’s size in comparison to the person it is hunting. Ogres are briefly seen as gray-skinned humanoids in the Hobbit films, however, this could be ascribed to the trailer’s monster being a more primitive version. The horns imply that this is a variant of a balrog, which was also affiliated with Melkor.
It’s also plausible that the creature is a brand-new creature, either from Melkor’s Uvanimor or from somewhere else entirely. The double-mouth design appears to be influenced by modern monsters, particularly H. R. Giger’s Alien design, rather than the classical fantasy of Tolkien’s original books and the first Lord of the Rings film trilogy. This design hints that The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King will combine more modern inspirations while maintaining a similar style to Peter Jackson’s previous films.
A primitive troll, balrog, or ogre is most likely the monster in the “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” trailer. Its emergence may allude to Melkor and his Uvanimor’s increasing danger. However, fans will most likely have to wait until the full release of “The Rings of Power” season 1 to learn more about this and other creatures in the series.