Sauron is amassing his Nazgnagôl on The Rings of Power season three. Those ring servants, mortal men doomed to die, are destined to become the Dark Lord’s Nazgûl. J.R.R. Tolkien wrote little about who those human kings were before they became Ringwraiths. But we know one of the nine will stand above the others as the Witch-king of Angmar. And we might already know who The Rings of Power is setting up to rule the Black Riders as the Witch-King, their newest member, Theo. In an interview with Nerdist, The Rings of Power actor Tyroe Muhafidin, who plays Theo, exclusively addressed the theory.
Is Theo the Witch-king of Angmar in The Rings of Power? Here’s What Tyroe Muhafidin Told Us
The Rings of Power strongly hints that Theo is the Witch-king of Angmar early in season three. The evidence remains circumstantial, however, and the series has yet to confirm if that fate awaits him. But when Nerdist spoke to Theo’s actor, Tyroe Muhafidin, he revealed he too has discussed this theory with the showrunners… More than once.
Muhafidin told us the following about whether Theo will become The Rings of Power‘s Witch-king, “It’s been discussed. I talk about it with the showrunners a lot, but they’ve got their plans that I don’t know, and I try to poke and figure it out, but they know what’s up.”
It seems we’re not the only people wondering whether Theo could become the Witch-king. And even though Muhafidin can’t confirm the theory, his own curiosity on the topic feels important, as is the idea that he discusses the notion with the showrunners “a lot.” The idea that Theo could be the Witch-king of Angmar isn’t just being mulled over among fans, folks—though not confirmed, it sounds like it’s at least come up between the cast and creators of The Rings of Power.
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Who Is the Witch-king of Angmar?
Now that we know Muhafidin has discussed this Theo theory with the showrunners, let’s dive into the question of who the Witch-king is in The Lord of the Rings‘ world. The Witch-king of Angmar is best known from Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. He is the leader of the Nazgûl, the nine mortal men Sauron bound to him with rings of power during the Second Age. The Witch-king, who ruled in the north in Angmar, was also a powerful sorcerer. He famously died at the hands of “no man,” Éowyn, in The Return of the King.
Did Tolkien Ever Reveal the Witch-king’s Real Identity?
Tolkien never revealed the Witch-King of Angmar’s specific identity in The Lord of the Rings. In truth, we only know a little about the Nazgûl’s identities overall. Tolkien stipulated that three were Númenóreans. Additionally, only one Ringwraith was ever named: Khamûl, an Easterling King who ruled in Rhûn. The Rings of Power also introduced him in the first batch of episodes.
This leaves the show with a lot of freedom to fill in the many gaps from Tolkien’s lore of the Second Age, including revealing the identities of the Nazgûl and the Witch-king. So far, The Rings of Power season three revealed Sauron gave rings to the King of Lossoth and the King of the Haradrim. Theo is the other human to whom Sauron gave a ring. And we see him commit a truly evil act as a Proto-Nazgûl (which the show calls Nazgnagôl, a term created by the showrunners) when he killed Arondir, who only wanted to save him. This evil act certainly puts Theo in strong contention to become the Witch-king, but that’s not the only reason why he seems like the best candidate for the job.
The Rings of Power Hints That Theo Is the Witch-King of Angmar
It has always seemed certain on The Rings of Power that the future Witch-king of Angmar would be one of the show’s most important human characters. The list of potential mortal candidates has included Theo from the start. He lived in a former southern stronghold of men loyal to Morgoth in the First Age. Theo also bears the mark of Sauron and was drawn to the hilt of the Dark Lord’s sword in season one. That hilt was the literal key to unleashing Mount Doom, where Sauron will forge the One Ring.
In season one, we wondered if the hilt of that sword Theo found, which briefly reformed in dark smoke when his blood touched it, would become the hilt of the Witch-king’s own sword. Season three gave us more reason to think it will, and that Theo will be the infamous Ringwraith leader wielding it.
Who Is Theo’s Father? And How Does That Tie Him to Sauron?
Sauron—who can communicate with the Unseen world but is also a master manipulator and liar—claimed to speak with Theo’s dead father during a dark ritual. Theo never met or even knew his dad. Sauron claimed the spirit who spoke to him through the coal fire said it’s because Theo’s mom, Bronwyn, killed Fäldred, Son of Hammethreg. Sauron said Theo comes from a noble house of Mordor called something like Gorthmundor. More than that, his family were sworn stewards of Mordor, a show creation that stands as a dark mirror to the sworn stewards of Gondor in the Third Age.
Sauron said Theo’s family is also “blessed with certain powers, a heritage passed from father to son.” It’s why Theo found himself drawn to Sauron’s hilt in The Rings of Power. It’s also why his mother killed his father, because of “what he was.” And if Bronwyn hadn’t done that, Theo might have come to rule the Southlands.
Sauron, who we then saw gave Theo a ring, also told the young mortal man he was “born to have power over them all” because he has it in him “to be a conqueror, a sorcerer, a king.”
That description of Theo’s potential also perfectly describes the powerful sorcerer, the Witch-king of Angmar, who was once a mortal man. Does that mean Theo is definitely going to become the Witch-King? Well, there are still three Númenóreans who will become Ring-servants, and until we know who they are and what powers they possess, we can’t rule them out. But we already know Theo, a descendant of Morgoth’s followers, bears the mark of Sauron. He also found himself drawn to the Dark Lord’s sword and bears his mark. And now he wears a Ring of Power and a dark crown.
The Rings of Power hasn’t confirmed that its new Ring-servant, Theo, is the future Witch-king. But it certainly has given us every reason to believe he will soon rule the Nazgûl from Angmar.