While The Lord of the Rings is almost universally loved, The Rings of Power has been a topic of controversy since its inception. Some people are excited to see the LOTR-themed project in September, but a lot of fans have had some legitimate concerns. First, the showrunners are condensing thousands of years into a story that fits into a single human lifetime. Other concerns were new characters, overused CGI and a lack of adherence to LOTR lore. To whit -- Galadriel's role, Disa's missing beard and the inclusion of two Durins.

While all of those things were legitimate quibbles, the newly released, official teaser did a lot to quell fears that The Rings of Power will be an expensive failure. The teaser featured plenty of breathtaking panorama shots, close up character introductions and some dialogue. It also showed the varied races of Middle-earth, saying what was most important to each race. However, the most important thing that the trailer did -- and the thing that has Lord of the Rings fans excited -- was embracing LOTR lore.

The Trees of Valinor Were Breathtaking

In one of its first promotional images, The Rings of Power showed a glimpse of Laurelin and Telperion, and now, the teaser showed them in their full glory at the 0:13 mark. The two trees were in Valinor, not Middle-earth. So, it looks like the series will show LOTR's Holy Lands at some point. It might only be for an introduction sequence, but the fact that Valinor was in the trailer is a good omen for the series' storytelling potential. It points to the many stories from and before the First Age. Seeing how that ancient history affected the series' characters will be super important for characterization.

Elrond's Dialogue Was Important

Rings of Power Teaser Elrond

One of the ways that the First Age will affect characterization can already be seen in a conversation between Elrond and Galadriel. It was clear that no one agreed with Galadriel, but at the 1:04 mark, Elrond tried to convince her to stop looking for evil. To that, she twice responded, "You have not seen what I have seen." That was significant because Elrond was too young to fight in the War of Wrath. That attention to detail bodes well for the accuracy of other aspects of LOTR lore.

Death, Destruction and Morgoth

Rings of Power Teaser Utumno

Interspersed with Galadriel's and Elrond's conversation was a chilling scene that happened inside of Galadriel's mind. At the 1:12 mark, she remembered the evil that she had seen during the War of Wrath. There was an eerie red glow, as dead bodies floated around a fortress. That spoke to the awful power and evil of Morgoth, and hopefully it means that the series will show the fall of Morgoth and his fortress, Utumno.

Durin IV Discovered Mithril

Rings of Power Teaser Durin and Mithril

While Galadriel's quest to destroy the evil in Middle-earth might be the series' main plot, there are a lot of other things happening at the same time. For instance, the Dwarvish kingdom of Khazad-dûm will be heavily featured, and the trailer showed why. At the 2:00 mark, Prince Durin IV held up a piece of metal and said, "This could be the beginning of a new era." By all indication, Durin IV was holding a piece of mithril -- the most valuable metal in all of Middle-earth. It's what would make Khazad-dûm thrive, but the metal would also lead to the kingdom's destruction.

The Drawing of Swords Pointed to the Oath Of Fëanor

Rebellion Of Feanor

Perhaps the most consequential shot happened at the 2:01 mark. It was a moving shot (thus making it impossible to get a clear image) of Elves drawing their swords and lifting them to the sky -- as if they were pledging their loyalty to someone. Because of the time period and the Elves' dark hair, many fans have predicted that they were Noldorian Elves swearing the Oath of Fëanor. That would be significant because it led to the Kinslaying at Alqualondë, the Curse of the Noldor and centuries of conflict between the Sons of Fëanor and the rest of the Elves in Middle-earth. If the scene did show the Oath of Fëanor, it will have big ramifications on the relationship between all the Elves in the series.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premieres Sept. 2 on Prime Video.