Every Potential Nazgûl in The Rings of Power (So Far)

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2, Episode 8.

The Rings of Power Season 2 wraps up with Sauron ready to kick off his Ringwraith recruitment drive – so, who will he choose? There are plenty of potential candidates, so to narrow things down, we’ve rounded up the most likely potential Nazgûl in The Rings of Power (so far).

What criteria did we use? As you’d expect, we turned to J.R.R. Tolkien’s original Lord of the Rings canon for guidance. So, to make the cut for the following list, our prospective Nazgûl had to be from the race of Men, as well as influential figures within their community. Oh, and being from Númenor is a plus, as well (since Tolkien described three of the Nazgûl as hailing from the island kingdom).

Theo

Many Rings of Power fans have been touting Southlander Theo as a Nazgûl since Season 1. Some even believe Theo’s the Witch-King himself! This theory primarily stems from Theo’s unwitting connection to Sauron in The Rings of Power‘s first season, through a broken blade that once belonged to Morgoth. Theo’s mysterious parentage – we don’t know who his dad is – has also fuelled speculation he’s Ringwraith material (maybe his old man was a visiting Númenórean?). And as of Season 2, he’s well-respected among the surviving Southlanders. That said, Theo’s links to black magic seemingly ended when he surrendered the shattered hilt, and regardless of who his father is, our guy seems pretty committed to doing the right thing by his people. As such, he’s looking less and less likely as a future Nazgûl (but don’t rule it out entirely).

Kemen

Númenor’s new king, Ar-Pharazôn, gives off strong Nazgûl energy. He’s the head of a powerful nation and his ambition seemingly knows no bounds. Yet according to Tolkien, Pharazôn definitely isn’t one of the Ringwraiths; he meets a different fate, instead. So, unless The Rings of Power diverges from the books altogether, Pharazôn’s out of the running. His son Kemen is still a very strong candidate, however. Not only did Kemen’s late mother prophesize a dubious future for him, but he now oversees a colony-turned-fortress, Pelargir. Heck, he’s even Númenórean! Indeed, of all the characters on this list, Kemen is hands-down the most likely to receive one of Sauron’s nine rings.

Related: The Rings of Power’s Big Kiss Has Absolutely Bizarre Implications

Eärien

Eärien would be a controversial choice for one of Sauron’s nine most terrible servants. After all, Tolkien all but confirms that the Nazgûl were men in both the capital and lowercase ‘M’ meanings of the word. Even so, it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise if The Rings of Power used what little wiggle room there is in the canon – not all the Ringwraiths are described as “kings,” so there could technically be female warriors or sorcerers among their ranks – to give Eärien a slot in the Nazgûl’s line-up. Certainly, her senior position within Pharazôn’s Númenórean regime would put her on Sauron’s radar. At the same time, Eärien’s arc is skewing towards redemption by Season 2’s finale, so she’s probably a long shot.

Brânk

Brânk heads up the Guadrim: the Easterling riders who caused headaches for the Stranger, Nori, and Poppy in Rhûn throughout The Rings of Power Season 2. So, he’s a leader in the region, and clearly not above getting his hands dirty to achieve his goals. What more could Sauron look for in a Nazgûl? Oh, and Tolkien even mentions a Ringwraith from the east of Middle-earth who is second only to the Witch-King. Admittedly, that character has a different name, Khamûl, but it’s possible Amazon MGM Studios can’t use it for legal reasons (the studio only holds the rights to material from The Lord of the Rings and its Appendices). Either way, there’s nothing stopping The Rings of Power from making Brânk one of the Nazgûl – whether we’re talking lore or law!

Related: The Rings of Power: Does Sauron Kill [SPOILER] in the Books?

Belzagar

Ar-Pharazôn’s right-hand man, Belzagar is Númenórean lord who wields considerable authority. He’s also, to put it bluntly, a bit of a jerk. So, much like Kemen, Belzagar ticks pretty much all the boxes on our Nazgûl checklist. The only thing working against him is that Belzagar’s still a fairly minor character at this point in The Rings of Power‘s planned five-season run. As such, he’ll need to raise his profile in Season 3 if he wants to get his mitts on a Ring of Power.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 is currently streaming on Prime Video.