Rings of Power finale theory reveals Celebrimbor's surprising plan

The Season 1 finale of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is set to debut this week. The episode will end the first season of Amazon’s ambitious, infamously expensive fantasy series, which has proven to be uneven in ways that not even the show’s most fervent supporters (or haters) saw coming. Fan expectations seem particularly high heading into The Rings of Power’s Season 1 finale.

Early trailers have suggested the episode may live up to those expectations. That said, the finale’s plot may not be quite as straightforward as some fans believe.

Crafting a New Power — In the trailer for The Rings of Power’s Season 1 finale, Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) says, “We are on the cusp of crafting a new power.” From there, the trailer includes multiple shots of Celebrimbor working within what is presumably the Great Forge that the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm and the Elves of Eregion have been building throughout the season.

Celebrimbor’s remark has led Tolkien fans to suspect that the Season 1 finale will see the elven smith begin to craft the famous magical artifacts of the show’s title. However, the Rings of Power aren’t the only noteworthy items Celebrimbor could forge.

The Season 1 finale could instead see Celebrimbor successfully forge ithildin for the first time.

To the Forge — In Tolkien’s writings, the Elves of Eregion create a new alloy out of mithril that becomes known as “ithildin,” which means “star moon.” The alloy is only visible when starlight or moonlight shines on it, and it’s used to create the Doors of Durin, which is the entrance the Fellowship of the Ring uses to get into Moria.

Ithildin is not, of course, the only notable mithril creation made by the Elves of Eregion. Celebrimbor also forges one of the Three Elven Rings of Power using mithril. However, Celebrimbor can only do so because of the healthy trading relationship that develops between the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm and the Elves of Eregion. That relationship doesn’t currently exist in The Rings of Power, but it seems fair to assume it eventually will. Arguably, it would make more sense for the Season 1 finale to first show Celebrimbor forging a new material like ithildin, rather than cutting straight to the forging of the Rings of Power themselves.

The creation of ithildin could serve as a way for Celebrimbor to convince King Durin III (Peter Mullan) to reconsider his current stance on mithril. That, in turn, would allow The Rings of Power to not only close its season-long mithril storyline, but also establish Celebrimbor’s considerable skills as a blacksmith.

The Inverse Analysis — Among other goals, The Rings of Power’s Season 1 finale will have to wrap up many of the mysteries the show has used to keep viewers engaged. That fact has led fans to believe that the Amazon series’ next episode will feature the actual forging of at least some of the Rings of Power.

However, not nearly enough about the show’s eponymous artifacts has been established for The Rings of Power to depict their creation without making it feel abrupt. For that reason, it seems more likely the “new power” Celebrimbor will help forge won’t be a magical ring, but a substance like ithildin.

The finale of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 1 premieres Fridays on Prime Video.