Sauron's engines of war loom large in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3 trailer, released on Wednesday, October 21. It's a given, since Sauron is ready to rise like he never has before in this series. In season 1, he was still disguised as Halbrand, charmingly portrayed by Charlie Vickers, and in season 2, he laid low in Eregion, disguised as Annatar. In season 3, he shrugs off the costumes and gets serious with world domination to the tune of fell beasts, a Balrog, Nazgnagôl, and a variety of physical and psychological warfare.
Coming on November 11, 2026, The Rings of Power season 3 has been keeping the world waiting, with the last episode airing in October of 2024. But judging from the season 3 trailer, it will be worth the wait. Not in fans' wildest dreams did Sauron's machinations extend this far, although they do extend into Galadriel's. Tossing and turning at night, Morfydd Clark's Noldor Elf will be facing Sauron in dreams, nightmares, and by the looks of it, on the battlefield too. All this before the Lord of the Rings finally dons the One Ring.
Fell beasts rain terror from above
Fell beasts rain terror from above in The Rings of Power season 3, but explore new ground and new activity. Familiar from Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings movies, the fell beasts are the Nazgûl's airborne steeds. Like giant eels with legs and wings, the grey horrors carry the Ringwraiths from A to B rapidly with devastating effect, the way a chopper might advantage a modern military unit.
In the teaser trailer released in July, one of these monsters can be seen clinging to the walls of Barad-dûr, demonstrating either a wild nature or permission to scale the tower. Since rubble can be seen falling from the tower in the beast's wake, health and safety doesn't seem to be prioritised here. In the official trailer out last week, a beast roams Mordor's skies with a maskless rider. Flying miles above land doesn't seem the best time to ditch the helmet, but we can only assume this near-Ringwraith is in training. Known as Nazgnagôl in Rings of Power, these aren't yet the fully fledged Ringwraiths of the Third Age.
Who is falling from Barad-dûr in the trailer?
Someone falls catastrophically from Barad-dûr in the season 3 trailer, only to be pursued by a fell beast. It isn't clear if this creature is eyeing the unfortunate person up for dinner or trying to save their life, but either way, they should have been wearing a helmet. Who are they? Lore can't point in the right direction, given this is a scene made up by J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, rather than anything lifted from J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium.
However, some clues in the trailer suggest that it could be a hapless Orc, fed to the fell beast, an early Nazgûl learning the ropes, or possibly Gandalf. If the trailer is anything to go by, Gandalf is in the Dark Tower a lot for a good Istar in season 3, along with the Dark Wizard. He could be communing with the Dark Lord mentally, which wouldn't be unwarranted given his need to discover his past and also protect his friends. But Gandalf's fight with a Nazgnagôl seems very physical, so it could be him being flung from the tower. Especially as he can be seen being shoved towards a door of some kind.
Balrogs and Mûmakil step up
Mûmakil and a balrog haunt the scenes of Rings of Power season 3, sure to carry out some of Sauron's heavier lifting. Much like 2024's The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, The Rings of Power season 3 is coming to put its own stamp on Tolkien's famous Mûmakil. The giant war elephants can be seen stamping their feet in the trailer, assembled with legions of Orcs in Mordor. It's likely that the Battle of the Gwathló awaits Sauron and the Elves in season 3, so it's possible the Mûmakil are about to be thrown into it.
Add to this a huge troll beating a drum and the rivers of lava offsetting Mordor's battle-ready plains and the tower's fortifications, and Sauron looks just about ready to attack. The lava in Rings of Power serves a novel purpose, flowing into Sauron's headquarters to help him forge. This wasn't featured in Jackson's movies and will bring an innovative focus to his creation of the One Ring — the ultimate LotR weapon.
The Balrog lurking in Moria is back too, with the fiery burn behind its eyes subdued to blue embers as it waits to spring into action. This is something else that viewers of the movies won't have seen before. Nor will they have seen Sauron's direct confrontation with the beast. Season 3 may see Sauron coming into conflict with the Balrog – there is a scene where he holds up his crown to meet the balrog's weapon. But Sauron may well succeed in using the monster for his own purposes.
Sauron and Galadriel's back and forth continues
Sauron's mind games with Galadriel will be far from over in season 3. Galadriel is used to harvesting intel from Sauron's mind by the Third Age, according to the books, although she says that to him, her mind is closed. That is not so in the Second Age, according to The Rings of Power, which posits that Sauron and Galadriel have a deep shared history that stems from their time together in season 1, going some way to explaining their Third Age communication.
Sauron was diving into Galadriel's mind in season 1, and she was completely vulnerable to his invasions. But in season 2, she started to see glimpses of his private life, her hazy connection to him growing through her ring. It's not clear from the season 3 trailer where Galadriel begins and Sauron ends, their dreams and nightmares intertwined. At least, we assume they're dreaming, since Galadriel waking up in bed next to Sauron would be bold, even for The Rings of Power. What is certain is that season 3 will treat viewers to new displays of the kind of telepathy Sauron uses to manipulate people and win wars, through the Second Age and into the Third.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3 will release its first four episodes on November 11 on Prime Video. Read through the release schedule here.
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