Every Ring of Power in The Lord of the Rings & What They Do, Explained

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2, Episode 4, “Eldest.”

Can’t keep track of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power‘s titular fingerwear and their magical abilities? Here’s a handy round-up of every Ring of Power in The Rings of Power, and what they can – and in some cases, can’t – do!

The Three

The most powerful Rings of Power (save for the One Ring), the Three Rings belong to the Elves. Their names are Narya, Nenya, and Vilya – the Elvish words for Fire, Water, and Air, respectively. These elemental designations broadly correspond to each Ring’s unique properties; for example, Narya “kindles” hope and courage in those nearby. Aside from their specific powers, the Three keep the decay of time and “weariness” of the world at bay. Love the timeless beauty of Rivendell and Lothlórien? Thank the Three.

The Three also don’t make their wearers invisible, and aren’t as innately malevolent as the other rings. That’s because Sauron didn’t have a direct hand in making them; in both J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings canon and The Rings of Power, Celebrimbor forged the Three solo. Unfortunately, Celebrimbor used Sauron’s teachings when cranking out the Three, so they’re still tainted with the same binding spell the dark lord worked into the Seven and the Nine.

(A quick note about Galadriel using Nenya to heal one of her companion’s wounds in The Rings of Power Season 2, Episode 4, “Eldest.” Tolkien doesn’t mention first-aid among the Three’s capabilities, although their powers are vague enough that this arguably isn’t an outright contradiction of book lore.)

The Seven

The Seven Rings are Dwarf property – and don’t bank on them sharing. After all, the main side-effect of wearing one of the Seven is next-level greed! They also tend to make their owners a tad cranky. Those are the downsides of these Rings of Power; the upside is that they magnify whatever gold, silver, mithril, or jewels their wearers mine. Indeed, some of the biggest stockpiles of Dwarven treasure in Middle-earth’s history owe their existence to the Seven. But for all the unchecked materialism and mood swings, the Seven never fully corrupted their ringbearers (or turned them invisible). Dwarves are infamously strong-willed folk, and this prevented Sauron from fully exploiting the One Ring’s mastery of the Seven!

Related: The Rings of Power: What Is an Entwife (& Why Do They Matter)?

The Nine

Perhaps the most well-known Rings of Power outside the One Ring itself, the Nine are Sauron’s “gift” to Men. And as you’d expect, a present from the dark lord comes with some pretty unpleasant strings attached. Sure, the Nine give their wearers power, prestige, wealth, extra-sensory perception, and super-long lifespans. And being able to turn invisible is a nifty trick. But these Rings of Power also corrupted their owners and eventually made them Sauron’s unquestioning flunkies, the Nazgûl. The Nazgûl are now permanently invisible, as well, as prolonged exposure to the Nine left them forever trapped between the Seen and Unseen worlds. So, yeah: the Nine’s pros definitely don’t outweigh their cons.

The One

Admittedly, the One Ring is still a twinkle in Sauron’s infamous eye at this stage in The Rings of Power‘s run – but it’s coming. The Three and the Seven already exist, and work is about to kick off on the Nine. Once the Nine are done, expect Sauron to forge the One Ring, which is specifically engineered to give him access and control over the other ringbearer’s minds. That’s not all the One is capable of, either. It also makes its wearer superhumanly persuasive; they can easily dominate people or raise entire armies. The One also augments the innate talents and traits of whomever slips it on.

There are drawbacks to the One Ring, though. While it makes Men and Hobbits invisible and boosts their hearing, their eyesight takes a hit while they’re wearing it (whether Elves and Dwarves are likewise affected remains unclear). But this pales in comparison to the One Ring’s real shortcoming: it’s pure moral poison. Anyone who wears the One will eventually turn evil and want to conquer Middle-earth. They’ll also form an unhealthy – and near-unbreakable – bond with the Ring, which doubles as a kind of self-defence mechanism, keeping it from potential harm.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 is currently streaming on Prime Video, with new episodes dropping Thursdays.