The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has been a bit of a slow burn thus far, but Season 3 looks set to deliver the characters and moments fans have been eager to see since Amazon first announced the show.
Now, as we get deeper into the Second Age and the ascension of Lord Sauron, the streaming series will finally introduce the Ringwraiths before they became the terrifying, inhuman Nazgûl. In The Rings of Power, they're known as the Nazgnagôl and are still normal men who loyally serve their master, Sauron.
In an interview with Empire (via SFFGazette.com), showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay revealed that they immersed themselves in J. R. R. Tolkien's work to figure out how best to portray their origin story.
"We love looking back at what inspired Tolkien," Payne explained. "He led with language. Language became a scaffold on which the myth would hang. 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,'" he continued. "'Nazgnagôl,' therefore, literally means 'Ring-servant.'"
Among those serving Sauron is Zubin Varla's Khamûl the Easterling. The actor, who you can see suited up as Khamûl below, likened the journey of him and his fellow Ringwraiths to that of Gollum. Why? Because inhumanity beckons.
"In a sense, they go on the same journey as Gollum," Varla explained. "Evil begets evil, and violence begets violence. Their souls, and their bodies, are corrupted until they are literally hollowed out, almost devoid of physical form."
The first trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 3 will be released later today ahead of the show's November debut. Hopefully, that will show us more of these characters in action, especially as we get closer to seeing a Middle-earth more in line with Tolkien's novels and Peter Jackson's movies.
Jumping forward several years from the events of Season 2, Season 3 takes place at the height of the War of the Elves and Sauron, as the Dark Lord seeks to craft the One Ring that will give him the edge he needs to win the war, bind all peoples to his will – and at last rule all Middle-earth.
Season 3 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is produced by showrunners and executive producers J.D. Payne & Patrick McKay. They are joined by executive producers Lindsey Weber, Justin Doble, Kate Hazell, and executive producer-director Charlotte Brandstrom. Matthew Penry-Davey is producer, and Ally O’Leary, Tim Keene, and Andrew Lee are co-producers.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premieres on Prime Video on November 11.