Sauron is the main villain in The Lord of the Rings, but he is not the only powerful enemy the heroes must face. The Ringwraiths, also called the Nazgûl, are among his most dangerous servants. They first appear when they travel to the Shire, searching for the One Ring.
Their arrival is terrifying, and even Aragorn (played by Viggo Mortensen), who is strong and skilled, avoids fighting them directly. This shows how deadly these creatures are.
However, the movies do not reveal much about the Nazgûl. Even with J.R.R. Tolkien’s detailed writings about Middle-earth, there is little information about their past. During the Third Age, they were nearly impossible to kill, but they were not always this way.
The Nazgûl were once human before they fell under Sauron’s power. They became the shadowy beings fans know during the Second Age, but their exact actions during that time remain unclear.
The Creation of the Nazgûl in the Second Age
The Nazgûl were once human kings, warriors, and leaders. Sauron gave them the Nine Rings of Power, which made them stronger and extended their lives. However, these rings also placed them under his control. At first, they remained powerful men, ruling their people.
Over time, the magic of the rings changed them. They became invisible and gained the ability to see into the Unseen World, a hidden reality beyond normal sight.
Their transformation into Ringwraiths was slow, but once it was complete, they lost their human identities. According to Tolkien’s timeline, Sauron finished forging the Nine Rings in the year S.A. 1697. However, the Nazgûl did not appear until S.A. 2251. This means it took over 500 years for them to fully change into their shadowy forms.
The Second Age continued for another 1,200 years after the Nazgûl first appeared. During this time, they became Sauron’s greatest servants.
However, despite their power, they are not mentioned during the major battles of that era. One of the biggest mysteries is their absence during the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, the war where Isildur defeated Sauron. It would have made sense for them to fight alongside their master, yet they were not there.
There are a few possible reasons for this. Sauron may not have trusted them yet, or they could have been handling other battles elsewhere. If they had fought in that war, they might have turned the tide in Sauron’s favor. Instead, his defeat caused them to disappear for a time. However, as The Lord of the Rings shows, they were not truly destroyed.
The Nazgûl’s Missing History in the Second Age
One of the biggest mysteries about the Nazgûl is their human past. They were once powerful men, but Tolkien never gave them individual histories. It is believed that three of them came from Númenor, the great kingdom of men. However, there are no further details about their lives before becoming wraiths.
Out of the nine Nazgûl, only two have names given by Tolkien: the Witch-king of Angmar and Khamûl. The Witch-king was the most powerful of the nine and led them in battle. However, there is no information about who he was before becoming a Nazgûl. The only known detail is that he was probably a sorcerer. His title, “Witch-king of Angmar,” comes from the kingdom he ruled during the Third Age in service to Sauron.
He became famous for his battles against the last King of Gondor. He was also involved in a prophecy by Glorfindel, who declared that “no man” would be able to kill him. This prophecy was later fulfilled when Éowyn (played by Miranda Otto) defeated him. However, his past before becoming a wraith remains unknown.
The second named Nazgûl, Khamûl, was the Witch-king’s second-in-command. He is also called “the Shadow of the East.” According to Unfinished Tales, this suggests that he came from the eastern lands, possibly as an Easterling warrior. However, there are no details about his life before he became a wraith.
Since Tolkien left so much about the Nazgûl’s past unclear, there is room for new stories to show their origins.
How The Rings of Power Can Expand the Nazgûl’s Story
Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series has the opportunity to introduce the Nazgûl in new ways. The show already shows the Elves and Dwarves receiving their Rings of Power. This means that the Men will likely receive their Nine Rings soon.
Fans have speculated that some of the show’s characters could become the future Nazgûl. Some theories suggest that Theo (played by Tyroe Muhafidin) or Kemen (played by Leon Wadham) could be among them. This is possible within the context of the show. If the series chooses to show this, it could finally give fans a deeper look into how the Nazgûl fell under Sauron’s control.
Since Tolkien did not provide much backstory for the Nazgûl, the series has creative freedom. It can show their transformation in a way that fits within Middle-earth’s history while staying true to the source material. While this will not come directly from Tolkien’s writings, it can still provide an interesting expansion of the lore.
The Enduring Legacy of the Nazgûl
Even though the Nazgûl’s history remains mostly unknown, they continue to be some of the most feared villains in The Lord of the Rings. Their transformation from human rulers to Sauron’s loyal servants is one of the darkest parts of Middle-earth’s history.
Their absence in major battles of the Second Age raises many questions. If they had fought alongside Sauron during the Last Alliance, history might have turned out differently. However, they eventually return, proving that they are nearly impossible to destroy.
With The Rings of Power exploring Middle-earth’s past, fans may finally get a clearer picture of how these once-great men fell into darkness. Their origins remain a mystery, but their presence in Tolkien’s world ensures that they will always be remembered as some of the most terrifying figures in Middle-earth’s history.
Also Read: Samwise Gamgee’s Unbreakable Will: How a Simple Hobbit Resisted the One Ring’s Dark Power
