The latest trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power makes one thing pretty clear: Middle-earth is heading into a very dark period. Five years have passed since the fall of Eregion, and Sauron is getting closer to forging the One Ring. The Elves, Dwarves and Men know what’s coming, but bringing them together to fight back is easier said than done. Season 3 arrives on Prime Video on November 11, 2026, and the new footage suggests that the conflict is about to get a whole lot bigger.
Prime Video released the trailer on October 21, and while there’s plenty of large-scale action to look at, a few smaller details might be even more interesting. The footage offers glimpses of Sauron’s growing army, the return of a familiar creature from the depths of Middle-earth, and a character whose family will eventually help shape the world we know from The Lord of the Rings. Showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay have also shared details about what some of these moments mean. Here are three things worth paying attention to.
The Nazgnagôl Are Connected to the Nazgûl, but There’s a Difference
Some of the more unsettling shots in the trailer feature dark, heavily armored warriors fighting alongside Sauron’s forces. Prime Video has identified these figures as the Nazgnagôl, a name that will immediately remind Tolkien fans of the Nazgûl, better known as the Ringwraiths. And that’s no accident. These warriors are connected to the same servants who will eventually become some of Sauron’s most feared followers, though they’re not quite at that stage yet.
In Tolkien’s mythology, the Nazgûl were once nine mortal men who received Rings of Power from Sauron. The rings brought them wealth, influence and unnaturally long lives, but there was a catch. Over time, the men became increasingly bound to Sauron’s will, eventually fading from the visible world and turning into the terrifying Ringwraiths seen in The Lord of the Rings. They didn’t simply put on a ring one day and become invisible servants of evil. It was a gradual transformation, and Season 3 appears ready to explore an earlier part of that process.
According to the show’s explanation, the rings initially enhance the men’s physical abilities rather than immediately making them invisible. That distinction helps explain the name Nazgnagôl, which the series translates as “Servants of the Ring,” compared with Nazgûl, meaning “Ringwraiths.” The term Nazgnagôl isn’t found in Tolkien’s original writings; it was constructed for the show using elements of Black Speech, the language associated with Sauron and his followers.
Season 3 will also introduce Khamûl, played by Zubin Varla. He’s a particularly interesting addition for fans familiar with Tolkien’s wider mythology. Khamûl came from the eastern lands of Rhûn and eventually became one of the Nine Ringwraiths. He’s also identified in Tolkien’s writings as the second most powerful of the Nazgûl, behind the Witch-king of Angmar. Seeing him before his transformation is complete could give the series a chance to explore how an ordinary man becomes one of Sauron’s most dangerous servants.
The Balrog Is Finally Going to Speak, and Sauron Is Involved
The trailer also brings back the Balrog lurking beneath Khazad-dûm, the terrifying creature teased in earlier seasons. Fans of the films will recognize the general idea immediately: this is the being that will eventually become known as Durin’s Bane, the same Balrog Gandalf confronts in the Mines of Moria thousands of years later. But Season 3 has something new in store for the creature. According to the show’s producers, the Balrog will speak for the first time, with Simon Pegg providing its voice.
That’s quite a change from Peter Jackson’s film trilogy, where the Balrog is an overwhelming presence but never speaks intelligibly. Still, the idea isn’t as strange as it might sound if you go back to Tolkien’s mythology. Balrogs aren’t just giant monsters that happen to live underground. They’re Maiar, immortal spiritual beings who were corrupted by Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, long before the events of The Rings of Power. Sauron himself is also a Maia, which means these two beings share a much deeper connection than their appearances might suggest.
Patrick McKay revealed at San Diego Comic-Con that the Balrog will share a scene with Sauron involving the mastery of extreme heat and flame. Sauron is preparing to forge the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom, so the meeting appears to have a purpose beyond simply putting two powerful villains in the same room. The Dark Lord needs to understand and control immense heat, and the Balrog may have knowledge that can help him.
It’s an intriguing setup, although exactly how the scene plays out remains to be seen. The Balrog is usually remembered as a force of destruction, something that even Gandalf struggles to overcome. Giving it a voice could make it feel less like a creature of pure instinct and more like an ancient being with its own knowledge and history. Whether that makes the Balrog more frightening or simply changes how audiences see it will depend on what the show does with the idea.
Anárion’s Arrival Brings the Story Closer to the Origins of Gondor
Númenor remains one of the major pieces of the story, with the island kingdom divided by political tensions between Pharazôn’s supporters and the Faithful. Elendil and his family are caught in the middle, and the new season will introduce another important member of that family. Andrew Richardson has been cast as Anárion, Elendil’s younger son and Isildur’s brother. If the name doesn’t ring a bell straight away, don’t worry. Anárion isn’t nearly as famous as Isildur, the man who cuts the One Ring from Sauron’s hand in the backstory to The Lord of the Rings. But he has a crucial role in the history of Middle-earth, particularly when it comes to the kingdom of Gondor.
According to Tolkien’s chronology, Númenor is destroyed in SA 3319, forcing Elendil and his sons to escape to Middle-earth. Elendil establishes Arnor in the north, while Isildur and Anárion found Gondor in the south in SA 3320. The brothers rule together from Osgiliath, with Isildur based at Minas Ithil and Anárion at Minas Anor. Those names should sound familiar to anyone who knows the films. Minas Anor eventually becomes Minas Tirith, the great city that stands against Sauron’s forces during the War of the Ring. Minas Ithil, meanwhile, is captured by Sauron’s forces and transformed into Minas Morgul, one of the most ominous places in the entire story.
Introducing Anárion gives The Rings of Power another important piece of the puzzle. His arrival helps fill out Elendil’s family and brings the series closer to the events described in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings. It also sets up a future in which the fall of Númenor doesn’t mark the end of its people, but the beginning of two kingdoms that will shape Middle-earth for generations.
Season 3 still has plenty of ground to cover before those events unfold, of course. Sauron is focused on the One Ring, the peoples of Middle-earth are struggling to unite against him, and Númenor is facing divisions that could have devastating consequences. But these three details suggest the new season isn’t just raising the stakes with bigger battles. It’s also laying more groundwork for the mythology that Tolkien fans already know, while giving some familiar figures and creatures a different side to show.