The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power just confirmed two new stars stepping into key roles in season 3.
According to a report and exclusive first look from Screen Rant, Lee Braithwaite and Amber Mendez-Martin will star as Gamli and Gerda, respectively. The duo are the son and daughter of King Durin IV (Owain Arthur) and Queen Disa (Sophia Nomvete) in The Rings of Power season 3.
We've seen Durin and Disa's kids in The Rings of Power, but we didn't get a great look at them, and they haven't been integral to the story so far. That's all about to change in season 3, which takes place five years after the events of season 2.
Braithwaite hasn't been in a ton of big projects yet. His biggest role to date was in We Live in Time, the 2024 film starring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh. Mendez-Martin's biggest role was in the 2025 series The Puzzle Lady.
The Rings of Power season 3 could be the end of Khazad-dûm
Remember, Durin's father, King Durin III, was killed in a fight with the Balrog in the season 2 finale, which resulted in the start of Durin IV's reign during the most turbulent time in Middle-earth's second age.
In the five years since Durin III's death, war has come to Middle-earth. Sauron's forces are growing in numbers, and men, elves, and dwarves are losing ground in the fight against Mordor.
So, how do Gamli and Gerda fit in this picture? Well, that's to be determined. These characters are not in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings lore. They are new characters for The Rings of Power. We do know that the rise of the Balrog was the beginning of the end of Durin's kingdom and Khazad-dûm. Durin's Bane will return in season 3, and that's not good news for Durin, Disa, Gamli, and Gerda.
Of course, those who are familiar with the story of Middle-earth know that Durin's Bane is happening way earlier in The Rings of Power than it should be happening. It's easy to see the allure of the fall of the Dwarven kingdom and the Balrog of Morgoth.
To me, I don't think Gamli and Gerda would be a big part of this story unless The Rings of Power is going to fully commit and show the fall of the dwarves in season 3. Why introduce new characters to sit around and do a whole lot of nothing? No, I think these characters will be right in the middle of the mess that Durin III caused in the first and second seasons. It's probably not going to get better from here on out for Durin and his family.
There's no doubt that The Rings of Power season 3 has the potential to be the most exciting season of the series so far. We know that Middle-earth is at war, and we know that Sauron is about to forge the One Ring in the new season. Just seeing that happen should be iconic for fans of The Lord of the Rings. With that, though, this part of the story is much more action-packed than what we've seen so far.
We're about to see a lot more dangerous missions and a lot more battles in season 3. Will that make the show better? We'll have to wait and see, but I'm definitely going to be tuning in to see the forces of Middle-earth rise to meet Sauron and Mordor in the new season.
The Rings of Power season 3 premieres on Prime Video on Nov. 11. This season, Prime Video is dropping the first four episodes of the season on Nov. 11, followed by two episodes each for the final two weeks. That means we'll see new episodes on Nov. 18 and the final episodes of the season on Nov. 25. It's an interesting release strategy for the series, but we'll see if the bold strategy pays off.
Stay tuned for more news about The Rings of Power season 3.
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