10 Things We NEED To See In The Rings Of Power

Much like Peter Jackson's original film trilogy, it's likely we'll receive some kind of prologue to layout all the necessary background context for the show.

Although it would be impossible to go through all the key events of the First Age, the most important is the War of Wrath. By the end of the First Age, Middle-earth was almost completely dominated by Melkor, the First Dark Lord, and Sauron's master.

The Valar gathered a huge army to aid the remaining elves, dwarves and men, who still opposed evil. It was the largest conflict in all of Tolkien's writing, spanning over 40 years and resulting in the deaths of thousands.

The onscreen spectacle, if done correctly, would put Peter Jackson's depiction of the Last Alliance to shame. Every race in Middle-earth took part in the war, and towards the final stages, the Dark Lord unleashed a whole host of winged dragons. The biggest of which was called Ancalagon The Black; a beast so huge that when he fell from the sky he destroyed the mountains beneath him.

Melkor was eventually defeated, but Sauron managed to escape, going into hiding until the events of the Second Age. It's seems only fitting this would be the way to open up the series.