The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will officially solve a 72-year-old J.R.R. Tolkien mystery, and it’s yet another reason to look forward to the episodes coming this fall. The Rings of Power Season 3 is set to premiere on November 11, and thanks to San Diego Comic-Con, fans are getting lots of news about the next chapter this week. Thus far, there’s been confirmation that Jamie Campbell Bower is playing Galadriel’s husband, Celeborn, as well as a glimpse of Sauron’s final form. This all comes ahead of the show’s SDCC panel, which takes place on Friday, July 24, and will hopefully give fans official footage to chew on.
In the meantime, all the images and interviews being released are giving them plenty to discuss. And a new update confirms that The Rings of Power Season 3 will answer one question even Tolkien didn’t. Prime Video’s Second Age series is known for expanding on the author’s lore, filling in the gaps of his writings with original characters and narratives. Season 3 will do that once again, adding a layer of tragedy to some of The Lord of the Rings‘ most mysterious villains.
‘The Rings of Power’ Season 3 Will Reveal the Identities of the Nazgûl After 72 Years
A new exclusive from Empire confirms that The Rings of Power Season 3 will solve a huge Tolkien mystery that stretches back to the publication of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in 1954. The series will reveal the identities of the Ringwraiths, also known as the Nazgûl, in its coming episodes. These servants of Sauron are nameless entities by the time Frodo encounters them in the original story. The exceptions are the Witch-king of Angmar and Khamûl the Easterling, and even they’re never given detailed backgrounds. All readers really know is that Sauron chooses important Men like kings, lords, and warriors to give the nine rings to. They become tainted shells of themselves, but their transition is largely glossed over.
With Sauron securing the nine rings for Men at the end of The Rings of Power Season 2, the show has the chance to delve deeper into the Ringwraiths’ lives before they became so corrupted. And showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay confirmed they’re seizing that opportunity, though they’re calling them something else for now: the Nazgnagôl. Citing Tolkien’s passion for linguistics, they felt it was appropriate for them to have a different name while they’re still human. They told Empire:
“The word ‘Nazgûl’ means ‘Ringwraith’ in the Black Speech of Mordor. But before they were Ringwraiths, we know that these were just men. So we were able to derive in the Black Speech that ‘nagôl’ could mean ‘servant.’ ‘Nazgnagôl’, therefore, literally means ‘Ring-servant.’“
It’ll be interesting to see the Ringwraiths as more humanized individuals, and Payne confirmed they’ll be portrayed with a level of nuance they don’t get in The Lord of the Rings. “Every character stays the hero of their own story,” he explained. Referencing Zubin Varla’s Khamûl the Easterling, he added, “From Khamûl’s point of view, he is a warlord who deserves to be a king, whose power has been usurped by a dark wizard. Sauron offers him a way back to the top.“
There’s much to be excited about ahead of The Rings of Power Season 3, and this Ringwraith tease is easily one of the biggest highlights. This sort of expansion of Tolkien’s characters and lore is precisely what the Prime Video show exists for. And introducing fans to the Nazgûl as humans will add a layer of tragedy to both The Rings of Power and the larger Lord of the Rings franchise. It will offer an emotional tie to villains that don’t originally demand it, allowing fans to look at the main story differently in hindsight.
It’ll also take viewers on a corruption journey during the latter half of the show, highlighting the growing influence Sauron has on Middle-earth. His reign during the Second Age may not last, but it’s important to demonstrate how he becomes such a force to be reckoned with. Fans already get a glimpse of his knack for manipulation in Season 2, but the Ringwraith story promises to further drive home his power.
What do you think of this latest The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power update? Let us know in the comments!
- Release Date
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September 1, 2022
- Network
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Amazon Prime Video
- Showrunner
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John D. Payne, Patrick McKay, Louise Hooper, Charlotte Brändström, Wayne Yip
