Rings of Power co-showrunner Patrick McKay has confirmed that Season 3 of Amazon's fantasy series will finally depict Sauron forging the One Ring, in a sequence he described as the most ambitious and technically challenging the show has attempted. Speaking to Empire, McKay said the moment marks a tonal shift for the series, with Sauron abandoning his disguises to appear in his true form, and warned that the upcoming season will be considerably darker as earlier storylines converge.

The Ring-forging sequence reportedly took two weeks to film, and actor Charlie Vickers said he cried on his first day on set playing Sauron undisguised, calling it "an amazing privilege and honour". McKay praised Vickers' performance as "absolutely staggering". Season 3, which jumps forward several years to the height of the War of the Elves and Sauron, is due to premiere in November, while Amazon has already begun work on Season 4, with filming expected to start in early 2027 as the streamer looks to shorten the gap between seasons.