Amazon’s The Rings of Power will introduce earlier versions of the Ringwraiths in its forthcoming third season, calling them the Nazgnagôl, or “Ring-servants”. The change expands on Tolkien’s Nazgûl by depicting the nine ring-bearing human rulers before they become the wraiths familiar from The Lord of the Rings, further linking the prequel series to later events in Middle-earth.

Showrunner J.D. Payne said the name was derived from the Black Speech, with “nagôl” interpreted as “servant”. The season will feature Khamûl, one of only two Nazgûl named by Tolkien, played by British actor Zubin Varla; the show presents him as a warlord drawn to Sauron’s promise of restored status. The series is expected to run for five seasons, despite reports of its roughly $1 billion cost.