Fellowship of the ring mines of moria

This post contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. If you're not caught up just yet, check out our spoiler-free premiere review.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has been slowly introducing us to the Second Age of the sprawling fantasy world. While many of the characters and creations for the show are new, one of the most enjoyable parts of the epic take on Tolkien are the moments when someone or something that we recognize glints through the shadows, hinting at the story to come. That happens in a big way this week as Elrond (Robert Aramayo) finally discovers what his good bud Durin IV (Owain Arthur) has been hiding in the old mines of Khazad-dûm. The duo have quickly become a firm fan-favorite alongside Durin's brilliant wife, Disa (Sophia Nomvete), who it turns out had a vital part to play in this week's discovery. Let's excavate the secrets of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Episode 4 and what it means going forward.

Every Major Player in the Premier Episodes of Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

What Has Durin IV Discovered in the Mines of Moria?

Durin's shifty behavior comes to a head this episode as Elrond seeks him out in the caves of Moria. The Dwarf isn't happy as he believes his so-called friend wants his hidden treasure. But Elrond just cares about his BFF and wants to know where he's been sneaking off to. The pair swear an oath that they'll never speak of what Durin has found and soon he's telling Elrond all he knows. The Dwarves have found a new substance in the mines. Well, not just any Dwarf, but Disa, who "uncovered it during a routine gold seaming." What did his beloved wife discover? That would be what the Dwarves call "Gray Glitter," but what in Elvish and The Lord of the Rings lore is known as Mithril. And the metal plays a massive role in the world of the author's stories.

What is Mithril?

A precious metal that was light, beautiful, and immensely strong, Mithril is only found in the Mines of Moria. In The Fellowship of the Ring, Gandalf describes the properties and value of the rare ore thus: "The wealth of Moria was not in gold or jewels, the toys of the Dwarves; nor in iron, their servant…. Its worth was ten times that of gold, and now it is beyond price; for little is left above ground, and even the Orcs dare not delve here for it... Mithril! All folk desired it. It could be beaten like copper, and polished like glass; and the Dwarves could make of it a metal, light and yet harder than tempered steel. Its beauty was like to that of common silver, but the beauty of mithril did not tarnish or grow dim." Though this is the first time we've seen Mithril in The Rings of Power, we know it was valuable and highly regarded in both Elven and Dwarf culture. But by the Third Age--when the original Lord of the Rings trilogy was set--it was pretty impossible to find thanks to the dangers of mining it, which have already been hinted at here.

The Lord of the Rings Movies in (Chronological) Order

How Will Mithril Play into the Future of The Rings of Power?

As shown in the books and Peter Jackson's Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Mithril is used to make a number of items. There's the famed Mithril chainmail that both of the Baggins wore after Bilbo was gifted the so-called "shirt" by the Dwarf, Thorin II Oakenshield. Later, the Hobbit would hand it down to his young cousin Frodo before his epic adventure to Mount Doom. Mithril was also forged into weapons, jewelry, and armor. That second one will absolutely come into play as the rings are forged, because we know that at least one of the Eleven Rings of Power, Nenya, was forged from Mithril. The other major question about Mithril in regards to the events of The Rings of Power is how the mining of the metal will affect the Dwarves. We already saw the mine caving in this episode as Durin's men aimed to find more Mithril. King Durin III had warned his son against trying to find more of the ore, but we know that he won't listen. And that's where one of the most infamous beasts in The Lord of the Rings lore could come into play.

How Are Balrogs Connected to Mithril?

The mythical creatures known as Balrogs are corrupted demons that worked under the will of Melkor A.K.A. Morgoth. They were active in the First Age but were mostly unheard of during the Second Age, which is the era that The Rings of Power is set. Centuries later, the Dwarves would mine too deep and awaken a Balrog in the old mines of Khazad-dûm that would end up destroying the Dwarves' way of life and killing their current king. Though the series likely won't reach that far--and certainly not this season--the fact that Mithril has been uncovered means we're seeing the early days of not just the forging of the rings but also the beginning of the downfall of Durin IV and the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm. We also know that we'll be seeing some kind of Balrog action in Season 1 thanks to The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power's Balrog tease in it's SDCC trailer.

Rosie Knight is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything from anime to comic books to kaiju to kids movies to horror flicks. She has over half a decade of experience in entertainment journalism with bylines at Nerdist, Den of Geek, Polygon, and more. Rosie is a published comics author who has written titles including Godzilla Rivals vs. Battra and The Haunted High-Tops. She co-hosts the weekly Crooked Media pop-culture podcast X-Ray Vision.