Who Gets the Nine Rings for Men in THE RINGS OF POWER? Every Nazgnagôl, Explained

In The Rings of Power season two, Sauron finally manipulated Celebrimbor into forging the Nine Rings for Mortal Men. Now The Rings of Power season three has a chance to tell a story never before told in Tolkien’s world: the making of the nine Ring-servants destined to become Ringwraiths or Nazgûl. In the lore, Tolkien revealed very little about the identities of the nine mortal men who took Rings of Power from Sauron, leaving room for the series to answer one of Middle-earth’s biggest mysteries. So who gets the Nine Rings for Mortal Men in The Rings of Power? We break down the identity of every known Ring-servant or Nazgnagôl so far, how Sauron chooses them, who we think will become the Witch-king of Angmar, what powers the Rings for Men hold, and how the Nazgnagôl will ultimately become Sauron’s nine Nazgûl.

What Are the Nine Rings for Mortal Men in The Rings of Power?

The Nine Rings for Mortal Men are Rings of Power forged by Celebrimbor under Sauron’s instructions, in order to bring the kingdoms of men under his rule. Unlike the Elven and Dwarven Rings of Power, in The Rings of Power, the Nine were forged without mithril. Instead, Sauron disguised his blood as mithril and fooled Celebrimbor into using it to forge the Nine, making them extra evil and corrupting.

Celebrimbor tried to keep the Rings for Men away from Sauron in The Rings of Power season two, but was unsuccessful, and Sauron reclaimed them during the siege of Eregion. In season three, Sauron begins offering these Rings of Power to powerful men to bring them under his control. Sauron uses the Nine to turn Men against the Elves, promising them the rings will bring them power and riches. When the men put on their rings, they become Sauron’s Nazgnagôl, or Ring-servants. The men who wear the Nine Rings are not yet Ringwraiths, but their souls have become bound to Sauron and the Unseen World.

Who Has the Nine Rings for Men in The Rings of Power?

Theo Receives One of the Nine Rings for Men—and May Become the Witch-king of Angmar

Theo is the most important recipient of one of the Nine Rings for Men in The Rings of Power. After suffering at the hands of Númenor’s men, Theo rallies the men of the Southlands to accept Sauron’s summons to Barad-dûr—a summons originally intended for and rejected by the Númenóreans. When the Southlanders arrive, Sauron recognizes the mark of his own dark hilt on Theo’s arm. Theo’s connection to the hilt reveals to Sauron that Theo has a great capacity for evil, and the Dark Lord’s interest is immediately piqued.

Using dark magic and necromancy, Sauron peers into Theo’s history and delightedly reveals that Theo’s father was a Gothmondur, or a Sword Steward of Mordor, during Morgoth’s rule. This heritage, Sauron claims, grants Theo certain powers. The Dark Lord also tells Theo what he most wants to hear: that he was born to rule over all those who hurt him. And all this causes Theo to accept one of the Nine Rings for Men, becoming the first previously established character from the series to serve as one of Sauron’s ring-servants. But it is Sauron’s other words to him that are most interesting. Sauron tells Theo that he could become ” a conqueror, a sorcerer… A King.” Clearly, The Rings of Power hints here that Theo will be the future Witch-king of Angmar, who is all of those things. But Theo’s identity as the Witch-king is not yet fully confirmed.

Khamûl the Easterling Receives One of the Nine Rings on The Rings of Power

Khamûl the Easterling is actually the only Nazgûl that Tolkien identified by name. In the Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth, Tolkien reveals that Khamûl is one of the Easterlings from Rhûn (the Shadow of the East), and notes that he was second-in-command among the Nazgûl, answering only to the Witch-king of Angmar. Interestingly, Khamûl is said to have been the Ringwraith with the greatest ability to sense the One Ring, but that this power weakened greatly in daylight. Overall, Tolkien writes in the Unfinished Tales, “Khamûl, Nazgul, second to the Chief; dwelt in Dol Guldur after its reoccupation in Third Age.”

In The Rings of Power, Khamûl, played by Zubin Varla, receives a fuller origin story as he becomes one of Sauron’s ring-bearers or Nazgnagôl. Khamûl is one of the Men of Rhûn who were deceived by the Dark Wizard, now revealed as the Blue Wizard, Pallando. The Dark Wizard promised the Easterlings, known as Gaudrim, power and greatness, but instead cursed them as he bound them to his will. So it’s no surprise Khamûl and the other Easterlings are willing to betray the Dark Wizard when Sauron offers them a Ring of Power.

After the skirmish for one of the Nine Rings, Khamûl emerges victorious. Sauron gives him “the fairest of the nine,” and we watch as Khamûl’s body and soul bind themselves with the Ring for Men and Sauron. With one of the Nine Rings for Men on his finger, Khamûl has officially crosses from Tolkien’s lore into The Rings of Power—beginning his journey to become the Nazgûl who will be the Witch-king’s second-in-command.

The King of the Lossoth Takes Sauron’s Ring

The King of the Lossoth originally pledged himself to the elves on The Rings of Power, but we learn that he betrayed them in order to receive a Ring for Men from Sauron. We don’t learn much about the King of the Lossoth, except to understand he is power-hungry, greedy, and now one of Sauron’s ring-servants and Nazgnagôl.

In Tolkien’s lore, the Lossoth don’t play a major role in the Second Age of Middle-earth. But we do know they hail from the Northern lands of Middle-earth and are part of the ancient people of Forodwaith. In The Rings of Power, Forodwaith becomes one of Sauron’s strongholds, so we suppose it makes sense that the people of this land have come to his side. We enjoy that the people of Lossoth are also called “the Snowmen of Forochel” due to their adaptations to living in snowy climates.

Interestingly, in the Third Age of Middle-earth, the people of Lossoth are said to greatly fear the Witch-king of Angmar, believing he has powers over frost and ice. So we’ll have to see what happens there on The Rings of Power.

A Haradrim King Receives One of Sauron’s Nine Rings

The final person to get one of Sauron’s Rings for Men on The Rings of Power so far is an unnamed King of the Haradrim. We don’t know this King’s name, his kingdom, or other specific information about him at this point.

In Tolkien’s lore, the Haradrim are the peoples of Harad, a vast region south of what becomes Gondor. They are said to be a proud, warlike people. Many of the Haradrim ally themselves with Sauron to fight against the elves and remain under his influence into the Third Age of Middle-earth. However, Tolkien also suggests that some of the Haradrim actually oppose Sauron. And, under the leadership of the Blue Wizards, who, in some stories, travel South and East to bolster resistance against Sauron, these Haradrim turn away from his thrall. Should the Dark Wizard remember his roots as Pallando the Blue, he might be able to lead some of the Haradrim away from the leadership of their now ring-bearing, Nazgnagôl king.

The Haradrim are also known for their use of Mûmakil, elephant-like beasts of Middle-earth. Now that Sauron has given the King of the Haradrim one of his Nine Rings for Men, his army may have just vastly expanded. Beyond gaining another ring-bearer, Sauron has likely acquired an enormous army of Mûmakil and men, greatly expanding his military power.

One of the Nine Rings for Men Has Been Given Away in Secret

Theo is the newest Nazgnagôl to join Sauron. After Theo receives his ring from Sauron, four rings remain in the Dark Lord’s Ring Box, where he stores his Rings for Men. That means five Rings for Men have been given away by Sauron in total, but we only know the identities of four Nazgnagôl so far.

That means one of Sauron’s existing ring-servants has not yet been identified in The Rings of Power season three. Whether the identity of this mystery Nazgnagôl is important remains to be seen.

How Many Rings for Men Does Sauron Still Have Left to Give Away?

With five Rings for Men given out, Sauron has four more rings to give away to important mortals.

We know from Tolkien’s lore that three rings go to Númenórean lords and one Ring for Men goes to an Easterling King. Khamûl has received the Easterling ring. That means three of the four could go to Númenor leaving one wildcard space… Pending the identity of the mystery Nazgnagôl, that is.

Could Kemen Receive One of the Nine Rings From Sauron?

It’s been long speculated that Pharazôn’s son Kemen could receive a Ring for Men from Sauron. Kemen is self-important, rude, power-hungry, and unlikable… with access to great power, making him the perfect Nazgnagôl in the making. He also fits the bill for “Númenórean Lord.”

We’re going to say that Kemen is almost suspiciously ring-less in The Rings of Power season three. Even though he rejects Sauron’s Rings of Power at the beginning of the season, we bet he’s next in line to receive a Ring for Men… if he hasn’t gotten one already.

How Does Sauron Choose His Nine Ring-Servants?

Sauron is choosing ring-bearers in a brutal, Hunger Games-style trial by combat when it comes to the Nine. Sauron brings in a big group of Men that represent powerful regions with strong armies and offers them one singular Ring of Power. When the Ring has successfully whispered in their ear, appealing to their ambitions and dark sides, Sauron tosses the group of men one weapon and commands that they fight to the death until only one man remains alive. The survivor of the bloodbath receives one of the Nine Rings for Men and pledges his allegiance to Sauron.

The man who triumphs has proven himself to be the most evil, ambitious, and ruthless of the group, exactly the qualities Sauron is looking for. With all the other rulers of the region dead, Sauron can pick up a loyal servant and a ton of firepower.

What Powers Do the Nine Rings Give Their Wearers When They Become Nazgnagôl?

In The Rings of Power, a Man who puts on one of Sauron’s Nine Rings for Man becomes a Nazgnagôl, which affords them new powers. The Rings of Power explains that when a Man puts on their Ring of Power, their bodies begin to learn how to live in this world and another. They are no longer fully alive, but they are not dead either, granting them new abilities.

The Rings of Power give their bearers immense strength, the power to walk unseen/become invisible, and life unending. It’s a painful process, but the pain passes, leaving them more powerful, though creepily bound to Sauron. They are now ring-servants or Nazgnagôl.

The Nine Rings give the Nazgnagôl:

• Immense physical strength
• The ability to become invisible
• Knowledge of the Seen and Unseen Worlds
• An unnaturally prolonged life
• A supernatural connection to Sauron

What Is the Difference Between a Nazgûl and a Nazgnagôl?

A Nazgnagôl is a Ring-servant of Sauron who has put on one of the Nine Rings for Men, but has not yet become a Ringwraith, a shadow who is fully bound to Sauron. Nazgnagôl still seem to retain some space for individual thought and decision-making that is their own and not influenced by Sauron. A Nazgûl is the final form of a Nazgnagôl, a ring-bearer who has been wholly enslaved to the will of Sauron through the power of the One Ring. In short, the Nazgnagôl are Men who have become servants of the Nine Rings, but their corruption has only begun; the Nazgûl are what the Nazgnagôl eventually become.

The Rings of Power introduces us to the term “Nazgnagôl,” which literally means “Ring-servant.” Showrunner JD Payne reveals, “The word ‘Nazgûl’ means ‘Ringwraith’ in the Black Speech of Mordor. But before they were Ringwraiths, we know that these were just men. So we were able to derive in the Black Speech that ‘nagôl’ could mean ‘servant’.” ‘Nazgnagôl’, therefore, literally means ‘Ring-servant’.”

The Nazgnagôl have not yet been fully corrupted by the rings they wear, although they have been altered. Because they donned their rings before Sauron forged the One Ring, the Nazgnagôl still have some semblance of free will. However, after the forging of the One Ring, the ring’s power will slowly turn them into wraiths. These ringwraiths, or Nazgûl, are pure slaves to Sauron and exist only to serve his will through the power of the One Ring. Their lives and powers are totally bound up in Sauron; they grow stronger when Sauron does and diminish when he diminishes.

It is said that the Nazgûl also become permanently invisible and only appear to whoever is wearing the One Ring. Later in the narrative, they must wear cloaks to remain visible… But as Nazgnagôl, they still have their human bodies.

Did Tolkien Ever Reveal the Identity of the Nine Men Who Wore Sauron’s Rings?

Tolkien revealed the identities of only two of the Men who carried the Nine Rings for Mortals. He specifically referenced the Witch-king of Angmar and Khamûl the Easterling in The Lord of the Rings‘ lore. The Witch-king, however, was never given a specific name. We only know the Witch-king was a sorcerer and the most feared servant of Sauron, allowing us to theorize that Theo will become this important figure. Meanwhile, Khamûl is the only Nazgûl ever overtly named by Tolkien.

As mentioned, we additionally know from The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales that three of Sauron’s nine Rings for Men go to Númenórean lords and one to an Easterling king.

This lack of insight into the identities of the Nine ring-bearers of mortal rings gives The Rings of Power a lot of room to create interesting new additions to the lore.

Learn More About The Rings of Power

If you’d like to learn more about this Middle-earth adventure, you can pick up The Fall of Númenor: And Other Tales from the Second Age of Middle-earth and read more about Tolkien’s vision of the time when the show takes place.

The Rings of Power season three is now releasing on Prime Video.