Sauron to Forge the One Ring in Season 3 of Amazon’s The Rings of Power

Amazon Prime Video’s fantasy series The Rings of Power will return for its third season on 11 November 2026. Co‑showrunners Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne confirmed that the season will feature Sauron’s full emergence as the Dark Lord and the forging of the One Ring inside Mount Doom’s volcano, describing the arc as “darker, more dangerous – no‑one is safe.”

New exclusive images released by Empire Magazine show Sauron (Charlie Vickers) seated on a throne of black armor in Barad‑dûr, and a separate cover depicting Gandalf (Daniel Weyman) battling a giant Mûmak, an Oliphant‑type creature from Tolkien’s lore. Vickers said he cried on the first day of filming the two‑week sequence that creates the ring, calling it the most ambitious and technically challenging shot the production has attempted.

The show’s crew spent three days on set at Shepperton Studios touring recreated locations – Khazad‑dûm, Rivendell, Númenor and Mordor – to film the new material. Gandalf’s appearance will shift from the “Stranger” of the first two seasons to the classic wizard with beard, staff and gray hat, a change the actor described as “spine‑tingling.” The season is also set to introduce several new cast members and continues the series’ plan for five seasons.