Amazon's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is set to further expand its lore in its upcoming third season by introducing an early iteration of the dreaded Ringwraiths. These figures will be presented as the Nazgnagôl, a term derived from Black Speech that translates to "Ring-servant."
The showrunners are exploring the origins of these nine corrupt figures, who were once powerful human rulers granted rings by Sauron. While they are not yet the fully realized Ringwraiths of the Third Age, their transformation will be depicted. Showrunner J.D. Payne explained to Empire that the name Nazgnagôl was developed by drawing inspiration from Tolkien's use of language, specifically the Black Speech where "nagôl" can signify a servant. Thus, "Nazgnagôl" literally means "Ring-servant."
Tolkien himself named only two of the Nine: the Witch-king of Angmar and Khamûl the Black Easterling. Khamûl, portrayed by Zubin Varla in the new season, is envisioned by the showrunners as a warlord whose ambition was exploited by Sauron, offering him a path to regain power. This narrative suggests a potential integration with the subplot involving halflings and Gandalf in the East, Khamûl's homeland, though the return of the halflings has not yet been confirmed.
Meanwhile, the identity of the Dark Wizard, who is believed to be one of the Blue Wizards, remains a mystery. The upcoming season will also feature the debut of Galadriel's husband, Celeborn, played by Jamie Campbell Bower, who described the character as a "lover-boy."
The Rings of Power, a production with a substantial budget, is planned for a five-season run and continues to have the backing of Amazon executive Jeff Bezos.