The time of darkness is upon Middle-earth as Sauron rises to his absolute peak in the latest outing of The Rings of Power season 3. Slated for release on Nov. 11, 2026, the television lore of one of the greatest fantasy stories ever told returns to showcase the most crucial part of Sauron’s rise to power and the fall of Middle-earth.
Prime Video recently released a full-length final trailer for season 3, and it's packed to the brim with clues and Easter eggs that have the fans talking. The trailer offers glimpses of what seems like a new world order, a darkness quickly consuming everything in its sight. Sauron managed to destroy Eregion and forge the Rings at the end of season 2.
He deceived everyone and learned the secrets that he needed to forge the One Ring. Judging by the scenes in the trailer, a significant portion of the upcoming season will be dedicated to the making of the Dark Lord’s iconic ring and the power boost it will give Sauron as a formidable force that will take over everything.
From the fires of Mount Doom to the Balrog, here’s everything you might have missed in The Rings of Power season 3 trailer.
Sauron prepares to rule them all
Sauron is definitely the man of the hour because, at the moment, he seems unstoppable. From manipulating Galadriel to deceiving the elves of Eregion, the Dark Lord’s cunning schemes allowed him to gather power and influence under everyone’s noses. With the rings in his hand, he has the ultimate weapon of corruption, which he can be seen using in the trailer.
In one shot, the Dwarf King of Khazad-dûm is shown kneeling down to Sauron as he stands in their midst, in their home. However, it doesn’t look like it's Durin; rather, the dwarf in the trailer resembles Thrain, Durin’s brother. It seems Thrain may have taken control from his brother, who was clearly aware of the ring's corruption. Unfortunately, not only has the rule changed, but the dwarf king has also submitted to the Dark Lord.
This is a new direction for the show because this unique association isn’t part of the original lore; on the contrary, Sauron has never been able to completely control the Dwarf rings as he intended. Therefore, Khazad-dûm’s subjugation to Sauron would be something the fans would be eagerly waiting to be explained.
In another shot, we see Sauron wearing the iconic iron crown, looking into the distance at an endless sea of darkness, orcs, and fire. There’s another shot of Sauron hitting Feanor’s hammer, presumably deep within Mount Doom to forge the ring. The scene then intercuts to another one in which Sauron is standing inside his stronghold and an orc is holding something that resembles hot mold.
These could very well be the scenes that will establish one of the most critical aspects of Tolkien’s lore: the construction of the One Ring. It’ll be extremely important for the series to nail this subplot because that’s how the series will lay the core foundation of what Sauron’s reign is all about and how he conquers everything.
The Nazgûl wreak havoc on Middle-Earth
The Nazgûl, or the Nazgnagol in the show, will make their highly anticipated debut in The Rings of Power season 3. We know that the Nazgûl used to be mortal men before becoming Sauron’s Ringwraiths; however, the million-dollar question is whether the show will explore their origin. Will The Rings of Power show the process by which Sauron chooses and corrupts his most feared followers?
The Nazgnagol appear a few times in the trailer, mostly terrorizing the elves. One of Sauron’s black-armored lieutenants appears quite early in the clip, in action, riding on a horse and body-slamming an elf in its way. Then there’s a shot of another Nazgnagol throwing Galadriel away with a swing of its sword. It all looks as if there’s going to be a full-on confrontation between the Nazgnagol and the elves.
There’s also a scene where it looks like Sauron is addressing three Nazgnagols in Mordor, but the shot isn’t as shocking as seeing one going against Gandalf. Yes, in one shot, a Nazgûl lifts Gandalf by the throat, and he seems to be in some kind of throne room for Sauron in Mordor. Now, it's a mystery how Gandalf will end up in Mordor, but it doesn’t look like a pleasant visit.
Fortunately, we get a bit more of the Gandalf fight with the Nazgûl in the later part of the trailer. It looks like there’s going to be an intense fight between one of the Nazgnagols and Gandalf in Sauron’s fortress, and this is the point when Gandalf proves his wizarding prowess. As the Nazgûl charges towards him, Gandalf stops its blade with the light from his staff.
Sauron may have kidnapped or summoned Gandalf because, in one scene, we see him standing in his fortress overlooking Mordor, with two wizards on either side, one of whom looks like Gandalf. The Nazgûl must be there to test how powerful the wizards are because it’ll be better if they fight with Sauron than against him.
The elves, dwarves, and men come together
One of the most defining elements of season 3 would be the unification of Middle-earth. Sauron isn’t just out to get men, but he eyes total domination from Lindon to Númenor. Everyone will have to set their differences aside if the Dark Lord is to be challenged. That’s why the trailer shows several glimpses of a potential alignment between elves, men, and dwarves.
In more than one instance, we see Gil-galad with Pharazon, who has taken complete control of Numenor. This could mean Gil-galad is asking Pharazon for help against Sauron’s skirmishes, which have increased substantially; in another shot, Gil-galad stands in a forest overlooking injured elves, like the aftermath of a battle. If Gil-galad went to Numenor himself, this can only mean he’s looking for an alliance.
We again see Pharazon and Gil-galad alongside Elrond at another location in battle-ready armors. There’s a fleet in the background, but it’s hard to tell when and where the meeting takes place. However, what does seem clear is Númenor’s stance in the war against Sauron, as Pharazon tells Gil-galad he’s here to ‘slay a god.’ He is obviously talking about Sauron, which means Gil-galad’s efforts to form an alliance were successful.
Sauron and the Balrog’s ultimate showdown
The biggest highlight of The Rings of Power season 3 would hands down be the fateful meeting between the mighty Balrog and the Dark Lord. Now, book readers will be a tad bit on the edge with this particular subplot because it's hard to tell what it's there for. There’s no such meeting in the lore, so it’s hard to tell what this confrontation has to do with the larger narrative.
In the trailer, we first see the Balrog’s dimmed blue eyes and mouth in the darkness as Sauron looks ahead. However, in the next scene, the monster is in its full glory as it strikes a magnificent blow, but it's almost immediately stopped by Sauron. It’s a visually breathtaking scene, even if it takes fans into unknown territory; one cannot deny the beauty and grandeur of this confrontation.
One popular fan theory suggests Sauron will have difficulty forging the One Ring. Since the synopsis says five years have passed since last season’s events, it's safe to assume Sauron spent that time forging the ring but failed. There could be several reasons Sauron seeks the Balrog: either to bring him to his side or to learn the secrets of the fire that will forge the One Ring. Nonetheless, since Sauron and the Balrog’s meeting would classify as uncharted waters, the lore can pretty much go in any direction as long as it consolidates and supports the story well.
Númenor is plunged into a civil war
Númenor receives quite the highlight in the trailer, especially since it will likely go through a civil war in the upcoming season. After Pharazon’s takeover, the city is fractured into two factions: the King's Men (those loyal to the king) and the Faithful (those who are loyal to the Valar). On several occasions in the trailer, we see two Numenorean armies standing against each other.
In one shot, there’s Elendil, who is leading the charge with an army with blue banners while he stands atop a hill and faces a large army with red banners. It is very likely that at some point, Elendil, who is leading the Faithful, will go against the King’s Men. However, it’s hard to tell how deep this animosity will run in the show because in another scene we see Gil-galad, Ar-Pharazon, Celeborn, and Galadriel standing in front of a massive army, leading the charge together.
It could be that at some point, everyone set aside their differences and came together to confront Sauron’s armies. This could be a glimpse of an epic battle, maybe toward the end of the season, that will shape future entries or seal the fate of several key characters.
In case you missed something
The Rings of Power season 3 trailer has countless glimpses of many characters engaged in battle, including Isildur, Celeborn, Gandalf, and Arondir. Celeborn will have a major role to play in season 3 since it has been established that he might have been in Sauron’s captivity all this time. There’s also a shot to confirm in which it looks like Celeborn is hanging from the sealing, and the Dark Lord is preparing to torture him.
There’s another instance where Celeborn is engaged in a sword fight with someone while he’s also standing on top of a hill in a dark place alongside Galadriel and Arondir. Galadriel might conduct a rescue mission for Celeborn once she learns he’s alive, or they might all be on a secret mission somewhere.
As for Isildur, in one shot, he’s seen shooting an arrow, while in another he is taking the charge in front of an army. As for Gandalf, he seems busy in the trailer since he’s taking on a Nazgûl and contemplating his options, working with the Dark Wizard and Sauron. However, the highlight of the trailer is definitely the moments when different characters say the same thing: a great war is coming.
Last but not the least, the most important detail of them all –the One Ring. In one epic shot, glimmering in the finger of the Dark Lord, we see a shot of the forged One Ring beaming against the backdrop of Sauron’s proud face. The shining iconic scripture wrapped around the amber-gold ring proves the fans will finally see the ring in action
Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3 is all set to premiere on Prime Video on Nov. 11 Here’s a release schedule for the upcoming season:
- Episodes 1–4: Nov. 11
- Episodes 5–6: Nov. 18
- Episodes 7-8: Nov. 25
Stay tuned for more news about The Rings of Power season 3.
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