The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powermay answer questions about the Ringwraiths thatLord of the Ringsfans have had for years. The Amazon Prime Video show, helmed by J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, is set inLord of the Rings’Second Age. Many casualLord of the Ringsfans, or people who have watched the movies but not read the books, may not be aware that the Ringwraiths were around in the Second Age. Fans wonder many things about these enigmatic characters, but the show may reveal something unique to this period of time.
While Payne and McKay took criticism for introducing Gandalf to proceedings what many believe was thousands of years too early, the show may be taking a faithful approach to the Nazgûl.Peter Jackson’sHobbitandLord of the Ringsmoviessituated Gandalf in the Third Age, where J.R.R. Tolkien’s landmark 1955 novel stated he was prominent. Meanwhile,Rings of Powerriffed off an obscure Tolkien note that suggested the possibility of Wizards in the Second Age. But when it comes to the Ringwraiths, the show may invent backstory for their canonical Second Age disappearance.
The Rings Of Power Can Finally Reveal Where The Nazgûl Are During Tolkien’s Second Age
Nobody Knows Where The Ringwraiths Were During Their Development
One of the recurring debates ofThe Lord of the Ringsfandom is what happened to the Ringwraiths in their first few years. The Ringwraiths are widely understood to have been the weapons of mass destruction ofLord of the Rings’Sauronduring Frodo’s Third Age adventures. ButSauron made and distributed the rings in the Second Age, as per 1977’sThe Silmarillion. Yet, Nazgûl were mysteriously absent from those tales.The Rings of Powermay address this as it tackles the backstories of the Nazgûl and may even cover their whereabouts during the War of the Last Alliance.
Why The LOTR Show Must Explain The Ringwraiths' Absence During The War Of The Last Alliance
The Rings Of Power Will Likely Dive Into Some Of The Ringwraiths
It seems very likely that Amazon’s Second AgeLord of the Ringsshow will depict both the Ringwraiths and the War of the Last Alliance, so it will probably address why the Ringwraiths didn’t fight the war.The Rings of Powerseason 2ending showedSauron picking up the Rings of Men from Galadriel’s vulnerable form, promising that he will hand them out moving forward. He must do so before he forges the One Ring, as per the books. In showing the Ringwraiths' development, it is likely that the show won’t leave their stories hanging as it approaches the war.
WhileThe Rings of Powerseason 3will likely reveal the identities of at least some of the Nazgûl, the Fall of Númenor will probably play out across season 3 or 4, andthe War of the Last Alliance will probably occur in season 5. The showrunners are trying to tellThe Fellowship of the Ring’sprologue story in five seasons. So, season 5 will end with Sauron’s defeat in the War of the Last Alliance.The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powermay have to cook up a reason why the Nazgûl were mysteriously absent from these battles.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Cast
Set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power explores the forging of the iconic rings, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, and the epic events leading up to the stories in J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novels. The series chronicles the creation of legendary characters and the historic alliances and rivalries that shape the fate of Middle-earth.
