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New The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power images reveal the first look at the prequel show's Orcs. The upcoming streaming series from Prime Video based on the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien is set thousands of years prior to the events of both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, which were made into successful movie trilogies directed by Peter Jackson. After much anticipation, The Rings of Power season 1 release date approaches, with the premiere set for September 2.

While still set in the world of Middle-earth, The Rings of Power takes place in the Second Age, meaning viewers will be treated to very different versions of the places and peoples they've seen before. A handful of characters will crossover, including the Elf Galadriel, who Morfydd Clark will portray as much more of a warrior than Cate Blanchett's version in Jackson's films, but many beings won't even exist in their Third Age forms yet. One notable example of this so far has been the Harfoots, precursors to Hobbits that will feature prominently in the series.

Now, however, new The Rings of Power images shared by IGN reveal another major race of beings that won't be exactly what fans are familiar with - Orcs. Within Tolkien's world, the twisted creatures that were once elves were hunted almost to extinction at the end of the First Age, and they are only just starting to reemerge from hiding at the time of The Rings of Power. Check out the new orc images below:

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While fans of The Lord of the Rings movies are used to seeing Orcs amassed in large armies, those in The Rings of Power season 1 have yet to build back in those kinds of numbers. Instead, the outset of the Prime Video series depicts them as scattered scavengers, though they notably won't stay that way forever. Across The Rings of Power's five seasons, the show is expected to build to the fabled last alliance between Elves and Men, in which their joint forces wage war against Sauron and his Orcs of Mordor.

This image reveal is a big one for Lord of the Rings fans, particularly those who have been wary of The Rings of Power. The striking Orc designs were one of the most praised elements of Jackson's original trilogy, and while The Hobbit movies took some flak for leaning more heavily into a CGI aesthetic, these Orcs look to emulate the tactility of the 2000s films. Audiences will of course have to reserve judgment until The Rings of Power premieres on September 2, but these photos will likely make many people feel a bit more optimistic as they queue up episode 1.