The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power may be looking to fill the gap left by Adar’s shocking removal from the show in season 2. Adar was the surprise highlight of The Rings of Power season 2. Even since the start of the show in 2022, he had exemplified everything that was best about it, but in season 2, his character development propelled him from a complex villain to a total hero. This 180 came just in time for his murder at the hands of traitorous but understandable Orcs, making his death tragic and his absence significant going into season 3.

The Rings of Power season 3 may amp up the role of one of its more ominous current characters to replace Adar as an important narrative villain. Likewise, it may darken the arc of a sympathetic character or introduce new evil. There is, of course, one villain left standing in the show who may just about be able to carry the show’s whole quota of evil on his own two shoulders. Regardless, any character replacing Joseph Mawle and Sam Hazeldine’s mercurial Adar in any way has big boots to fill.

10Khamûl The Easterling

A Nazgûl From Rhûn

The Rings of Power season 2 may introduce Khamûl the Easterling, a character from J.R.R. Tolkien’s books who has not yet appeared in the show. The Rings of Power has full rights to adapt The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit but has been securing one-off rights as needed. Khamûl the Easterling appears in Unfinished Tales, so while Rings of Power doesn’t have full rights to this text, that shouldn’t be an issue.

Unfinished Tales is a compilation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s stories, essays, and drafts, some more finished than others. It was published by Tolkien’s son, Christopher, after Tolkien passed away.

Khamûl the Easterling is the only named Nazgûl in the legendarium other than the Nazgûl leader. And yet, he was barely characterized beyond a name. That makes him a blank slate, so he may appeal to the show as a basis for one of the Nine, who season 3 must introduce. Sauron will be divvying out the nine Rings of Men in season 3 and then forging the One Ring, since he didn’t get around to doing this in season 2.

9A Blue Wizard

Alatar Or Pallando

The mysterious Blue Wizards may already have a dark presence in The Rings of Power, but if not, season 3 may introduce them. There were two Blue Wizards, named Alatar and Pallando in Unfinished Tales, and they were included in the same order of Wizards as Gandalf, Saruman, and Radagast. The 15 Valar sent these five – the Istari – to Middle-earth to oppose Sauron. However, the Blue Wizards went east and failed to report back. The Stranger’s arrival beckoned the assumption that he could have been a Blue Wizard.

Tolkienian Age

Event Marking The Start
Years
Total Length In Solar Years

Before time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Indeterminate

Days before Days
The Ainur entered Eä
1 – 3,500 Valian Years
33,537

Pre-First Age Years of the Trees (Y.T.)
Yavanna created the Two Trees
Y.T. 1 – 1050
10,061

First Age (F.A.)
Elves awoke in Cuiviénen
Y.T. 1050 – Y.T. 1500, F.A. 1 – 590
4,902

Second Age (S.A.)
The War of Wrath ended
S.A. 1 – 3441
3,441

Third Age (T.A.)
The Last Alliance defeated Sauron
T.A. 1 – 3021
3,021

Fourth Age (Fo.A)
Frodo, Bilbo, Gandalf, Elrond, & Galadriel sailed to Valinor
Fo.A 1 – unknown
Unknown

This is because Tolkien flagged that they may have arrived in Middle-earth’s Second Age, which is when the show is set. Meanwhile, Lord of the Rings confirmed that the Istari, in general, arrived in the Third Age, suggesting that the Stranger may have been more likely to be a Blue than either of the other three Istar. Now that the Stranger is confirmed as Gandalf, the Dark Wizard remains a possible Blue Wizard. Whether he is or he isn’t, a Blue may join proceedings soon, since there were two of them.

8Durin IV’s Brother

A Mysterious Dwarf Noble

The Rings of Power has teased the brothers of both Isildur and Durin IV thus far, and season 3 may just be their time to shine. With Elendil on his way to Isildur’s brother, Anárion, at the end of season 2, Anárion’s appearance in season 3 is inevitable. And, now that Durin III is gone, having sacrificed himself to bury the Balrog, Durin IV will be contesting with his brother for the throne, as per Disa’s comments.

7Theo

Bronwyn’s Orphan

Theo has long been teased as a character with an inner darkness in The Rings of Power, and it may finally emerge in season 3. Theo was seen in season 1 discovering the Orc Sigil Hilt, which was used by Waldreg as a key to unlock a mechanism that triggered the eruption of Mount Doom, turning the Southlands into Mordor. Theo was hypnotized by the hilt, showing his vulnerability to Morgoth’s dark magic. Unfortunately, his beloved hilt destroyed his home, which had been the Southlands.

Not just that, but the conflict it created ended up getting his mother killed as well. Now that Bronwyn has left The Rings of Power, Theo will be in a darker state of mind and without a guiding parent, having rejected Arondir’s help. He may also be seeking revenge, ironically opening up his mind to the Dark Lord’s deceptions. If offered a Ring of Power to help him and his people, Theo may struggle to resist, making him a Ringwraith candidate.

6The Dark Wizard

One Of The Istari

The Dark Wizard was already set up as a villainous authority by Rings of Power, and season 3 may see his role expand, now that Adar has exited. The Dark Wizard may be Saruman, but The Rings of Power showrunners all but shot this theory down completely, speaking to Vanity Fair. It seems more likely that he is a Blue Wizard, from their words, and the fact that Gandalf would be warier of Saruman in LotR if he’d already witnessed his cruelty.

The Dark Wizard could turn out to be Alatar, Pallando, or a Blue Wizard with a name invented by the show. Regardless, he demonstrated his unscrupulous pursuit of power in season 2 when he thrust Brânk aside, killing him unnecessarily. It was a sad waste of a potentially excellent villain, as Brânk could have been anyone under the mask. The Dark Wizard and his disciples are full of dangerous mystery, giving them strong villain potential in season 3.

5Kemen

Pharazôn’s Son

Viewers already love to hate Kemen, in his cruelty and incompetence, making him the ideal villain to build up in The Rings of Power season 3. As an original character with neither life nor death preordained by canon, Valandil was a safe character for the show to kill off. As such, he was the perfect protagonist to sacrifice to Kemen in season 2, used as an eloquent vehicle to express Kemen’s increasing and petty villainy. Tolkien wrote a letter in 1954 suggesting that Sauron handed three of his Rings of Men to Númenoreans.

With handing out Rings of Men next on Sauron’s to-do list, Kemen is a Nazgûl candidate. Alternatively, Kemen could become the Mouth of Sauron. Many Númenoreans came to be known as Black Númenoreans, turning from faith in the Valar toward Sauron’s dark designs. The Nazgûl, and possibly also the Mouth, became embroiled in Sauron’s life-extending sorcery. If the despicable Kemen does turn out to be the Mouth of Sauron, Aragorn’s frustratingly noncanonical murder of the Mouth in The Return of the King extended edition may no longer be quite so hard to watch.

4Pharazôn

Númenórean Politician

Pharazôn started his arc in The Rings of Power with seemingly good intentions, but he is turning out to be a scheming, power-hungry politician. And so he should, in order to line up with his character in The Silmarillion. The fall of Númenor is a major storyline in the Second Age that has only really been set up so far, leaving seasons 3 or 4 to dive into it properly. Pharazôn and Sauron are two of the main characters in the Númenor arc in the books, making these two an incredibly exciting villainous duo in the show’s future.

Publication of The Fall of Númenor was timed to coincide with The Rings of Power, offering a convenient selection of Tolkien’s writing on the Second Age.

Whether or not season 3 dives into this arc or not, Pharazôn will surely continue to be a venomous counterpoint to heroes like Míriel and Elendil. Now that he has taken control of Númenor, there is nothing between him and the aggressive expansion of his realm, which the legendarium tells tales of. Pharazôn may drag Eärien with him into his villainy, making her a foil for her brother, the radically Faithful Anárion.

3An Unconfirmed Nazgûl

Bearer Of A Ring Of Men

The Rings of Power season 3 is set to be the season of the Nazgûl, as Sauron needs to hand out the Rings of Men. It is unclear whether this will come before the show’s inevitable Númenor arc or during it. In many ways, it would make sense for the show to have Sauron breathing into his newly claimed title as Lord of Mordor before he heads to Númenor.

The Rings of Power season 3 is set to be the season of the Nazgûl…

This would allow him to grow roots into the role before he leaves, somehow cementing his status as Orc leader, which is notoriously fragile, in the context of the show. Either way, Rings of Power is likely to reveal at least a few of the bearers of Rings of Men in season 3. They could be characters that the show has already introduced or new original characters with an ambition for power.

2The Witch-King

Leader Of The Ringwraiths

The legendary leader of the Ringwraiths is one of the most powerful characters of The Lord of the Rings and The Rings of Power season 3 may bless screens with his origin story. Finally defeated by Éowyn and Merry in the year 3019 of the Third Age, the Witch-king of Angmar caused untold damage over centuries. The appendices detail many of the Witch-king’s heinous acts.

The Witch-king presents The Rings of Power with a relatively blank slate, since Tolkien barely fleshed the character out, leaving his enigmatic terror to grow and take its own shape in reader’s hearts. The show can leave this terrifying mystery to the experience of book reading and exploit its TV format to tell a detailed story. The Witch-king may turn out to be Theo, Kemen, or a new season 3 character, but tragic or odious origins would both amplify his ultimate fate as leader of the Nazgûl.

1Sauron

Dark Lord Of Mordor

Villains may come and go in The Rings of Power, but its titular evildoer is here to stay until the last episode. Sauron has always had a big role in the show – Halbrand was a main character of season 1 and Annatar was a main character of season 2. Sauron’s shapeshifting allows for a refreshing level of reinvention from season to season. With showrunners confirming that the show is “an origin story for Sauron,” season 3 presents the exciting enigma of which version of the villain viewers will get next (THR). Charlie Vickers is excited about donning Sauron’s black armor (i).