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We finally return to the gripping world of Middle-earth this November with the season 3 premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Prime Video’s definitely divisive prequel to the much-beloved Tolkien trilogy.
It’s been two years since we joined Galadriel on her confusing quest to take down Sauron and followed the newly-named Gandalf on his journey to become the wizard we love. There’s a lot to know ahead of watching the new season, including where we are in the war for Middle-earth and whether or not Galadriel is going to get it on with Sauron…
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So, here’s a full Middle-earth primer for your viewing pleasure.
Watch the trailer for The Rings of Power season 3 below:
Sauron and his army of Orcs is raging and the Ring-servants, the Nazgnagôl, have made their intro into Middle-earth as the Elves struggle to hold the front lines, at least by the looks of this season's official trailer. We see what looks to be King Durin IV kneeling in front of Sauron inside Khazad-dûm. And clearly, Númenor is on the brink of civil war. Galadriel is clearly conflicted as Sauron creepily haunts her dreams as is reunited with her long-lost husband, Celeborn. “All of it has come to this,” she says in the teaser clip.
Where did we leave off in The Rings of Power season 2?
Spoilers ahead!
We learned that the Stranger is Gandalf, saw Eregion ransacked and watched Galadriel spar unsuccessfully with Sauron over the rings, jumping off a cliff so he couldn’t get her ring (she survived). Elendil also received the sword of Narsil as he becomes High King of Gondor and Arnor. The sword is the one Isildur eventually uses to cut the One Ring from Sauron's finger during The War of the Last Alliance and is reforged into Andúril, Flame of the West, for Aragorn during The War of the Ring.
What’s happening in The Rings of Power season 3?
In season 3, it’s been five years since those aforementioned events, and Sauron’s armies are on the warpath. There are only a few isolated pockets left, including the Dwarven Khazad-dûm and the elven realms of Lindon and Rivendell, which are protected by their Three Rings. With his tower, Barad-dûr, completed, Sauron is on his shit (planning to bring his enemies to their knees with the One Ring).
Who's in The Rings of Power season 3?
All the main players from last season will return: Morfydd Clark (Galadriel), Charlie Vickers (Sauron), Robert Aramayo (Elrond), Daniel Weyman (Gandalf) and Charles Edwards (the memory of Celebrimbor).
But we also have new characters to look forward to:
- Jamie Campbell Bower (Stranger Things) as Celeborn
- Zubin Varla (Andor) as Khamûl the Easterling of Rhûn
- Eddie Marsan (Happy-Go-Lucky) as King Durin IV’s older brother, Thrain
- Andrew Richardson (Guys & Dolls) as Elendil’s younger son and Isildur’s brother, Anárion
- Adam Young (Don’t Breathe 2) as Marnûkh, a mysterious orc
When will The Rings of Power season 3 premiere?
The first four episodes will drop on Wednesday, November 11. Episodes 5 and 6 will follow on November 18, with the final two episodes of the season capping things off on November 25.
How to watch The Rings of Power season 3:
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is available to stream on Prime Video. You can watch the first two seasons there now.