The Rings of Power's showrunners have promised some big changes for Season 2. Maybe they will do a better job of aligning with Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings lore, and maybe they won't. But something needs to be done because Warner Bros. has officially started a war by announcing its new LOTR movies.
Aside from the lore arguments, there are a lot of things that will be different in Season 2. With Mount Doom spilling fire, Halbrand will likely abandon his redemption arc and fully embrace his role as a Dark Lord. Rhûn and Pelargir will also be exciting, new locations for the series to explore. However, there's another change that Season 2 will address, and that's how two major characters are about to adopt new names.
Why Míriel & Pharazôn Weren't Tar-Míriel & Ar-Pharazôn
Because Númenor was destroyed in the middle of the Second Age, it wasn't something that The Lord of the Rings was able to show. So, it was one of the things that fans were looking forward to on The Rings of Power. The island was ruled by Queen Regent Míriel and her close advisor Pharazôn. However, when their characters were introduced, some fans were slightly confused. In Tolkien's story, they were known as Tar-Míriel and Ar-Pharazôn.
The "Tar" and "Ar" prefixes denoted royalty in Númenórean culture, and at first, their absence didn't make any sense. About halfway through the season, though, something came to light. Tar-Palantir -- Míriel's father and the true king -- was still alive. He was very old, but he had been locked in a tower for his extremist views and for trying to restore the old ways. However, at the very end of Season 1, Tar-Palantir passed away. With the king dead, it's only a matter of procedure before Míriel officially takes the throne.
The Difference in 'Tar' and 'Ar' Prefixes for Númenóreans
With her father dead, Míriel will become Tar-Míriel, but there's going to be trouble afoot. Míriel's defeat in Middle-earth won't bode well for her popularity, and that's probably how Pharazôn will swoop in. He's always had his eye on the throne, and now, he has the perfect opportunity to make his move. In LOTR canon, he forcefully made Tar-Míriel his bride and declared himself Ar-Pharazôn the Golden. It's likely that The Rings of Power will also utilize that plot and name change.
What Pharazôn is going to do will be bad enough, but there's also a hidden insult in his name change. The "Tar" prefix comes from Quenya, the language of the High Elves, while the "Ar" prefix comes from Adunic, the language of Men. So, when Pharazôn becomes king and takes the "Ar" prefix as his royal signifier, he will be making it clear that he is part of the King's Men and wants nothing to do with the Elves or the Elven customs. Eventually, that will come back to bite him when Sauron convinces Ar-Pharazôn to assail Valinor, which leads to his death and the destruction of Númenor.
The Rings of Power Season 2 does not have a release date. Season 1 is streaming now on Prime Video.