The Rings of Power Season 3 starts Wednesday, November 11, 2026, on Prime Video with four episodes at once. Two more follow on November 18, and the two-episode finale arrives November 25, so all eight episodes are out in just over two weeks. The season jumps five years past the fall of Eregion into the War of the Elves and Sauron, and Prime Video’s trailer promises something no adaptation has shown before: Sauron forging the One Ring.
Updated November 4, 2026 · Dates and story details from Prime Video’s announcement and official trailers. Spoilers for Seasons 1 and 2 below; nothing from Season 3 beyond the trailers.
Rings of Power Season 3 at a glance
| Premiere | Wednesday, November 11, 2026 (episodes 1-4) |
| Episodes | 8, released in three drops |
| Finale | Wednesday, November 25, 2026 (episodes 7-8) |
| Where to watch | Prime Video only (not Netflix) |
| Release time | Not announced yet. Season 2 went live at 12 a.m. PT / 3 a.m. ET. |
| Story | Five years after the fall of Eregion, during the War of the Elves and Sauron |
| Biggest new names | Jamie Campbell Bower (Celeborn), Eddie Marsan (Thráin), Simon Pegg (voice of the Balrog) |
Rings of Power Season 3 release schedule
Prime Video is releasing Season 3 in three batches instead of one episode a week:
| Date | Episodes |
|---|---|
| Wednesday, November 11, 2026 | Episodes 1-4 (premiere) |
| Wednesday, November 18, 2026 | Episodes 5-6 |
| Wednesday, November 25, 2026 | Episodes 7-8 (finale) |
Prime Video hasn’t announced a release time or the episode titles yet. Season 2’s episodes went live at 12 a.m. Pacific (3 a.m. Eastern), so expect something close to that; we’ll update this page when the time is confirmed. One outlet lists the finale as November 26, but the schedule reported by TV Insider, Nerdist and Looper says November 25.
How to watch Rings of Power Season 3
The Rings of Power streams only on Prime Video, in more than 240 countries and territories. It’s included with an Amazon Prime membership or a standalone Prime Video subscription, with ads by default. Watching without ads costs extra through Amazon’s ad-free add-on; check Amazon’s Prime page for current US prices. Season 3 is not on Netflix, HBO Max or any other service.
Where Season 3 picks up
Season 3 opens five years after Sauron destroyed Eregion, with Middle-earth at war. Prime Video’s own trailer description lays out the big beats: Sauron takes his armored form and enslaves the ring-bearers who become the Nazgûl, Gandalf grows into the wizard book readers know, Galadriel becomes the Lady of Lothlórien, and the One Ring is forged on screen for the first time. The Comic-Con teaser showed Sauron’s forces holding most of Middle-earth, with Khazad-dûm, Lindon and Rivendell still holding out.
The big change from the books: in Tolkien’s timeline (Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings), Sauron forges the One Ring around Second Age year 1600, about a century before the war. The War of the Elves and Sauron runs from 1693 to 1701, and Eregion falls in 1697. The show flips that order, so the Ring is forged after Eregion’s fall. If you’ve read the appendices, that’s the biggest difference to expect.
Rings of Power Season 3 cast: who’s back and who’s new
These returning actors are confirmed by Prime Video’s Comic-Con panel, the Season 3 teaser and trailer coverage:
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Charlie Vickers | Sauron |
| Morfydd Clark | Galadriel |
| Robert Aramayo | Elrond |
| Daniel Weyman | Gandalf (the Stranger) |
| Owain Arthur | Durin IV |
| Sophia Nomvete | Disa |
| Benjamin Walker | Gil-galad |
| Ismael Cruz Córdova | Arondir |
| Cynthia Addai-Robinson | Míriel |
| Lloyd Owen | Elendil |
| Ben Daniels | Círdan |
| Ciarán Hinds | The Dark Wizard |
New for Season 3, all announced at San Diego Comic-Con on July 24, 2026:
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Jamie Campbell Bower | Celeborn, Galadriel’s long-lost husband |
| Eddie Marsan | Thráin, older brother of King Durin IV |
| Andrew Richardson | Anárion, Elendil’s younger son and Isildur’s brother |
| Adam Young | Marnûkh, a mysterious Orc |
| Zubin Varla | Khamûl the Easterling |
| Simon Pegg | Voice of the Balrog, the first time the Balrog speaks in a Tolkien adaptation |
Not confirmed for Season 3 yet: Maxim Baldry (Isildur), Markella Kavenagh (Nori) and Trystan Gravelle (Pharazôn). We’ll add them here if Prime Video confirms them.
The Season 3 trailer
Prime Video released the official Season 3 trailer on October 21, 2026, three months after the Comic-Con teaser.
Season 2 recap in 5 points
- Eregion falls. Sauron kills Celebrimbor and takes the Nine rings meant for Men, while the Seven start corrupting the Dwarves.
- Galadriel survives. Sauron stabs her with his crown, but she keeps Nenya. Elrond and Gil-galad heal her and lead the survivors to a hidden valley, the start of Rivendell.
- The Balrog wakes. King Durin III, maddened by his ring, digs too deep in Khazad-dûm and dies facing it. Durin IV takes the throne, and Adar is murdered by his own Orcs.
- Númenor turns. Ar-Pharazôn seizes power and arrests the Faithful. Míriel survives her trial and gives Elendil the sword Narsil.
- The Stranger is Gandalf. He finds his staff in Rhûn. The Dark Wizard calls himself one of the Maiar; many fans think he’s a Blue Wizard, but the show hasn’t said so.
Short on time? Rewatch the Season 2 finale, “Shadow and Flame,” before November 11. For the whole saga in order, use our Lord of the Rings watch order.
Rings of Power Season 3 FAQ
Is Rings of Power Season 3 on Netflix?
No. The Rings of Power is a Prime Video original and streams only on Prime Video.
Who plays Celeborn in Season 3?
Jamie Campbell Bower. Celeborn is Galadriel’s long-lost husband, and he joins as a series regular.
Does Sauron forge the One Ring in Season 3?
Yes, according to Prime Video’s official trailer description, which says the season shows the forging of the One Ring for the first time on screen.
What time does Rings of Power Season 3 come out?
Prime Video hasn’t said yet. Season 2 went live at 12 a.m. PT (3 a.m. ET); we’ll update this answer when the Season 3 time is announced.
More Lord of the Rings on NerdSnack
- Lord of the Rings watch order: every movie and show
- The 15 strongest Lord of the Rings characters, ranked (where Sauron, Galadriel and Gandalf land)
- MTG The Hobbit chase cards: the most expensive cards
- Sauron Unleashed: Iron Studios’ giant Sauron statue
- The Lord of the Rings: Circle of Conflict board game
- The best Lord of the Rings LEGO sets, ranked
Sources: Prime Video (Season 3 official trailer and Comic-Con teaser on YouTube; release date announcement as reported by TheOneRing.net, May 11, 2026), TV Insider, TheWrap, Nerdist and Looper (schedule and cast), TVLine (Simon Pegg as the Balrog), Den of Geek, TVLine and TV Insider (Season 2 finale), and Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings.
Snack break: hungry after all that reading? TokyoTreat ships a box of Japanese candy, chips and drinks to your door every month. See this month’s box →
Add NerdSnack as a preferred source on Google
The Weekly Pull
The biggest card price moves, every Friday.
The week’s biggest card and collectible price moves, plus the movie, anime and game releases worth knowing about. Sign up and get our free Black Friday 2026 price-to-beat cheat sheet. Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
Related Posts:
Talk to us
Got a question, a tip or a request? Email us.
A real person reads every message at hello@nerdsnack.com, and we usually reply within 1–2 business days.
Prefer a form? Use our contact page.
Everything we recommend, curated in one place — from anime merch to gaming gear and snacks.
