Sauron plans to forge the One Ring to neutralize the power of the Three Elven rings in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3. Showrunner J. D. Payne explained that the Elves are still using their rings to hold him at bay. At the same time, Sauron is recruiting a large army by handing out the Nine Rings to Men.
Co-showrunner Patrick McKay said characters turning to evil will bring tragic consequences, including painful outcomes for people whose stories viewers want to see continue. Gil-galad’s Elves look to Númenor for support, but the island kingdom faces civil war between the followers of Míriel and Pharazôn. The Dwarves, meanwhile, have shut the doors of Khazad-dûm to protect their rings.
Galadriel’s reunion with her long-lost husband Celeborn, played by Jamie Campbell Bower, provides another major storyline. Payne described romance as one of the season’s central objectives. The team asked writers to be especially critical of the relationship and looked to The Princess Bride and Before Sunset while discussing how former lovers rebuild a bond after a long separation.
Season 3 premieres on Prime Video on November 11, 2026, with the first four episodes arriving together.
