The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Will Introduce the Ringwraiths, And Has Invented an Early Version Named the Nazgnagôl

The Rings of Power volition proceed introducing much elements from The Lord of the Rings by showing aboriginal versions of the Ringwraiths, re-invented arsenic the Nazgnagôl.

Amazon's ambitious Lord of the Rings prequel volition instrumentality for its 3rd play aboriginal this year, present with Sauron ruling implicit swathes of Middle-earth. The 9 quality rulers antecedently fixed rings person present been corrupted, and portion they are not yet the Ringwraiths seen successful the Third Age, they volition beryllium shown arsenic good connected their way.

Tolkien named this radical the Nazgul, though the Rings of Power's showrunners are adopting a somewhat antithetic sanction for their proto versions: the Nazgnagôl, which means "Ring-servant."

"We emotion looking backmost astatine what inspired Tolkien," showrunner J.D. Payne told Empire. "He led with language. Language became a scaffold connected which the story would hang. The connection Nazgul means Ringwraith successful the Black Speech of Mordor. But earlier they were Ringwraiths, we cognize that these were conscionable men. So we were capable to deduce successful the Black Speech that nagôl could mean servant. Nazgnagôl, therefore, virtually means Ring-servant."

Only 2 of the Nine were ever named by Tolkien: the fearsome Witch-king of Angmar, and his second-in-command: Khamûl, the Black Easterling, who volition beryllium played successful the upcoming play by British signifier histrion Zubin Varla.

"Every quality stays the leader of their ain story," Payne concludes. "From Khamûl's constituent of view, helium is simply a warlord who deserves to beryllium a king, whose powerfulness has been usurped by a acheronian wizard. Sauron offers him a mode backmost to the top."

This appears to suggest an intertwining of the meandering subplot featuring the halflings and Gandalf successful the east, wherever Khamûl is from, with the series' much cardinal plotlines. Curiously, determination has been nary notation yet astatine each of the halflings returning for the series' 3rd season. Meanwhile, the individuality of the Dark Wizard remains a enigma — though it is believed helium is apt 1 of the 2 Blue Wizards near retired of Tolkien's main work.

Earlier this week, we learned that Galadriel's hubby Celeborn volition besides yet beryllium introduced successful the show's adjacent season. The relation is acceptable to beryllium portrayed by Stranger Things' Jamie Campbell Bower, who described the quality arsenic acting similar a "lover-boy."

Rings of Power is inactive on-track to tally for 5 seasons, with the $1 cardinal Prime Video amusement claimed to beryllium inactive nether the extortion of Amazon brag Jeff Bezos' "magical halo" contempt its immense costs.

Image credit: Andreas Solaro/AFP via Getty Images.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social