All darkness breaks loose in the latest trailer for Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power. Taking place seven years after the events of Season 2, Season 3 begins at the height of the War of the Elves and Sauron (Charlie Vickers). In all of that time, you would think that just maybe, Sauron had cooled off a bit on Middle-earth domination, especially considering that he got what he needed to make the one ring of legend, but no. The Dark Lord is just getting started.
Kicking off the trailer is a pan over the ever-flowing magma region of Mordor. At the top of the tower, Sauron stares deeply into, presumably, a fire pit. “I see the path to victory so certain,” his voiceover says. Then there’s a smash cut to the valiant Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) galloping into an ensuing scuffle with a Ringwraith who quickly lobs one of her soldiers at her, knocking her off her horse and sending her to the ground of a forest. As Galadriel becomes overpowered by the Ringwraith, Sauron’s voiceover continues, “I will take my place as the conqueror, a sorcerer, a king.” As an army of Ringwraiths surround him, he reminds them to stay loyal and steadfast, “We have work to do.”
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Elven stronghold, High King Ereinion Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker) and the other council of Elves, which include Elrond (Robert Aramayo), fear entering the high octane battle between the factions of men. “The enemy has twice our number,” Ereinion says as the camera flashes to a formidable assembly of orcs and other dark creatures that are no doubt thirsty for blood.
Gandalf, still grappling with his identity as a wizard, offers some words of encouragement to someone offscreen saying, “Together, I know we can turn the tide.” Gandalf has been largely outside of the main conflict of the entanglement with Sauron, but he does have a continuous run in with a Dark Wizard (Ciarán Hinds) who tries to influence him to join forces with him.
The trailer then bounces from different locations around Middle-earth, showcasing not only just how fractured the elves, the dwarfs and men really are but also just how far Sauron and his army are willing to go to quell rebellion and any chance of hope. “How are we supposed to fight the Dark Lord on our own?” says a worried Dwarf council member to Prince Durin (Owain Arthur). Without missing a beat, Durin assures him that they won’t be on their own. However, it’s been a little while since we’ve seen Durin and Elrond team up, perhaps there’s a new development on the way.
Also, the ousted Númenórean sea captain Elendil (Lloyd Owen) looks ready to make a grand entrance into battle against Sauron’s forces as the trailer reveals him walking with a rather sizable army.
Going back to Galadriel, the trailer reveals that there are tensions bubbling under the surface for Galadriel and her Elf Price Celeborn (Jamie Campbell Bower). For unknown reasons, the two were separated while she’s been off being semi-seduced and manipulated by Sauron, before seeing through his deceptions, but the fact that Celeborn doesn’t know about any of it, might be weighing heavily on her subconscious. “Is there something you fear to tell me?” Celeborn says to Galadriel with big puppy dog eyes. Galadriel looks sincere for a moment, but then Celeborn fades away and Sauron appears, only for it to be quickly revealed that she’s having a nightmare.
Again, another smash cut around Middle-earth reveals new flying and burrowing creatures, a shot of the Balrog (voiced by Simon Pegg) and more people armed with swords fighting for their lives.
“We have no choice but to act,” says Elrond.
Then the camera shows us Sauron sitting on the iconic throne, smirking as the magma is all around him and big, bold red lettering goes across the screen to say: “Rule them all.”
Galadriel gets an ominous last word in a voice over, “We are, all of us, on the path to ruin now.”
Sauron stares out at the ring he has finally foraged, shaking with excitement or something else more sinister, as the ring’s scripture blazes to life on the ban.
Season 3 of Lord of the Rings: The Rings Of Power premieres November 11.
Joining the cast this season are Eddie Marsan as Thrain, Andrew Richardson as Anarion a king of Gondor, Zubin Varla as a Ringwraith named Khamûl the Easterling, and an original character named Marnûkh played by Adam Young.