Lord of the Rings' Second Age. Many casual Lord of the Rings fans, or people who have watched the movies but not read the books, may not be aware that the Ringwraiths were around in the Second Age. Fans wonder many things about these enigmatic characters, but the show may reveal something unique to this period of time.

While Payne and McKay took criticism for introducing Gandalf to proceedings what many believe was thousands of years too early, the show may be taking a faithful approach to the Nazgûl. Peter Jackson's Hobbit and Lord of the Rings movies situated Gandalf in the Third Age, where J.R.R. Tolkien's landmark 1955 novel stated he was prominent. Meanwhile, Rings of Power riffed off an obscure Tolkien note that suggested the possibility of Wizards in the Second Age. But when it comes to the Ringwraiths, the show may invent backstory for their canonical Second Age disappearance.

The Rings Of Power Can Finally Reveal Where The Nazgûl Are During Tolkien's Second Age

Nobody Knows Where The Ringwraiths Were During Their Development

One of the recurring debates of The Lord of the Rings fandom is what happened to the Ringwraiths in their first few years. The Ringwraiths are widely understood to have been the weapons of mass destruction of Lord of the Rings' Sauron during Frodo's Third Age adventures. But Sauron made and distributed the rings in the Second Age, as per 1977's The Silmarillion. Yet, Nazgûl were mysteriously absent from those tales. The Rings of Power may address this as it tackles the backstories of the Nazgûl and may even cover their whereabouts during the War of the Last Alliance.

Why The LOTR Show Must Explain The Ringwraiths' Absence During The War Of The Last Alliance

The Rings Of Power Will Likely Dive Into Some Of The Ringwraiths

It seems very likely that Amazon's Second Age Lord of the Rings show will depict both the Ringwraiths and the War of the Last Alliance, so it will probably address why the Ringwraiths didn't fight the war. The Rings of Power season 2 ending showed Sauron picking up the Rings of Men from Galadriel's vulnerable form, promising that he will hand them out moving forward. He must do so before he forges the One Ring, as per the books. In showing the Ringwraiths' development, it is likely that the show won't leave their stories hanging as it approaches the war.

While The Rings of Power season 3 will likely reveal the identities of at least some of the Nazgûl, the Fall of Númenor will probably play out across season 3 or 4, and the War of the Last Alliance will probably occur in season 5. The showrunners are trying to tell The Fellowship of the Ring's prologue story in five seasons. So, season 5 will end with Sauron's defeat in the War of the Last Alliance. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power may have to cook up a reason why the Nazgûl were mysteriously absent from these battles.