Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Rings of Power season 1.The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has set up the appearance of the first Nazgûl in season 2. The Rings of Power season 1 ending sees the formation of the first three Rings of Power — and where the Rings of Power are, the Ringwraiths are close behind. As The Stranger and Nori begin their travels to Rhûn and the Rings are forged, The Rings of Power needs to begin introducing the men that will wear them.
The Nazgûl, or Ringwraiths, are the nine ring-servants who were born when the One Ring corrupted the human wearers of the Rings of Power. The Nazgûl had already lost their mortal form by the time the events of Lord of the Rings came to pass, but The Rings of Power is perfectly primed to introduce the men they once were in the Rings of Power season 2 story. Only two Nazgûl were named in Tolkien's texts — the Witch-king of Angmar and Khamûl the Easterling. Khamûl would be a prime candidate for the first Nazgûl to appear in The Rings of Power season 2, as the king currently holds dominion in the land of Rhûn, putting him right in the path of Nori and The Stranger.
The Rings Of Power Needs To Start Setting Up Nazgûl
While The Rings of Power is about the origins of the 19 rings, the rings themselves are only half the story. Now that the production of the rings has begun, the story should focus on the men that will bear them. To explore these characters in-depth, the nine mortal men will have to be introduced soon. The Rings of Power season 2 has a unique opportunity to explore some of the antagonists of The Lord of the Rings before their downfall, and to delay their introduction any longer would diminish the impact their presence could have on Rings of Power. Both The Stranger's travels and Sauron's disappearance set up their stories to collide with those of the future Nazgûl, so The Rings of Power season 2 cannot ignore their presence while doing the history of Middle-earth justice. With the story of the three Elven rings and the Seven rings of the Dwarf-lords already in motion, it is time for the story of the nine mortal men to begin.
Will Khamûl The Easterling Be An Ally Or An Enemy For The Stranger
While the Nazgûl were the puppets of Sauron in Lord of the Rings, this wasn't always the case. Before the One Ring led to their demise, they were great leaders of men, meaning Khamûl could serve as an ally to The Stranger, a potential Wizard of the Istari, as he uncovers who he is. While Khamûl has yet to be corrupted, the Easterlings did align with Morgoth in the First Age — however, the people of the Southlands have proven that this doesn't exclude one from becoming a hero. With this in mind, Khamûl the Easterling could just as easily serve as friend or foe to The Stranger and Nori as they head to the lands of Rhûn.
Khamûl the Easterling's past — and that of all the Nazgûl — is largely unexplored in the original Tolkien texts, which leaves Rings of Power with plenty of room to explore these dreaded creatures. The corrupting force of the Rings of Power was largely discussed in the original Lord of the Rings trilogy, but the Rings of Power season 2 setup firmly establishes the chance to truly portray it. By showing that even the dreaded Nazgûl were human once upon a time — and possibly good men, at that — The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power can show the true extent of Sauron's corrupting force.