The Rings Of Power What Are The Silmarils Why Do They Matter

The Silmarils get their biggest shout-out yet in The Rings of Power Season 2, Episode 6 – yet the show still won’t explain what they are! So, read on for everything you need to know about the Silmarils, including why they’re so important to The Rings of Power‘s story.

What the Silmarils Are & Why They Matter in The Rings of Power Season 2

The Silmarils are three legendary gems forged by Celebrimbor’s grandfather, Fëanor, in the First Age – centuries before The Rings of Power‘s main narrative. They contain the light of the Two Trees of Valinor: the direct forerunners of Middle-earth’s Sun and Moon. This makes the Silmarils highly sought after, especially after Sauron’s then-boss, Morgoth, destroys the Trees. Indeed, conflict over the gems – which kicks off when Morgoth pinches them – drives the plot of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings prequel, The Silmarillion. Adar touches on this in Episode 6, recalling how Morgoth’s crown once held the stolen Silmarils. Meanwhile, Sauron (disguised as Annatar) invokes the Silmarils’ unrivaled beauty elsewhere in the episode, convincing Celebrimbor to forge the remaining Rings of Power as a way of finally topping Fëanor’s legacy. So, the Silmarils matter in The Rings of Power in the sense that the show’s core ensemble still cares about them a lot.

What Happened to the Silmarils After Morgoth’s Downfall?

It’s a bit complicated (this is Tolkien, so of course it is). The short version is that one of the Silmarils becomes a star, while the other two wind up in a fiery crevasse and at the bottom of the sea, respectively. That doesn’t mean the Silmarils’ role in Middle-earth’s story ends with The Silmarillion, however. Remember the phial of starlight Galadriel gives Frodo in The Fellowship of the Ring? The one he and Samwise Gamgee use to defeat oversized spider-spirit Shelob later on? It contains the light of Eärendil – the star that once was (and technically, still is) a Silmaril! The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 is currently streaming on Prime Video, with new episodes dropping Thursdays.