7 Major Events That Happen Between The Rings Of Power Season 2 & Season 3

Published Nov 14, 2026, 8:31 PM EST

Angel Shaw is a Lead Writer and Critic on ScreenRant's TV team, covering new-release and classic TV shows across all major streaming platforms. She has been a writer with ScreenRant since 2022 and specializes in Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and fantasy. 

Angel holds a bachelor's degree in language interpreting and is passionate about all things culture and communication—especially in how it relates to popular media throughout history (from Shakespeare to Friends to Game of Thrones).

Warning! Spoilers for Rings of Power Season 3, episodes 1-4 ahead!Prime Video promised that The Rings of Power season 3 would be something like a reset for the series, and that has everything to do with the timeline's five-year jump. Up to this point in the Lord of the Rings prequel series, the timeline for the Second Age of Middle-earth has been condensed and somewhat ambiguous. To keep mortal characters around, a whole lot seemingly happens all around the same time. In one swoop, however, Rings of Power has carried the story forward and provided itself with some additional space.

Five years pass between the end of The Rings of Power season 2 and the start ofseason 3. During this time, all-out war breaks out between Sauron and the Elves. The villain no longer has to operate in the shadows and is instead the self-declared Dark Lord of Mordor. Of course, the Elves have had some developments too, as have those groups that haven't yet stepped forward as their allies. Of course, all in due time. First thing's first, that five-year jump:

Sauron Overruns Much Of Eriador

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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 ended with the destruction of Eregion, the fall of Adar, and Sauron's claiming of the Orc army. With this massive force at his back, the Dark Lord has been able to cause quite a lot of damage since then. His current goal is to dominate the Elves, which means gaining violent control over the region of Eriador. Over the last few years, he has done pretty well for himself.

Men and Dwarves have held off on joining the War of the Elves and Sauron at this point in the story, largely because their own homes have yet to be threatened. That time will come, however, especially once Sauron manages to take down the final few regions that are protected by the Elvish Rings. It's for this reason that the villain is so desperate to create his One Ring to Rule Them All.

Rivendell Is Developed

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Rivendell is a key location in the central Lord of the Rings trilogy, both for its breathtaking views and for serving as the launching point of the Fellowship of the Ring. Back in Rings of Power seasons 1 and 2, Rivendell didn't exist. As the first episode of Rings of Power season 3 picks up, however, Elrond's realm has begun to look considerably more familiar.

Just as in Tolkien's version of the story, the Elves discovered the valley that would become Rivendell after evacuating the crumbling Eregion. At the end of season 2, this was just a wild place of forests and waterfalls, but the Elves saw its potential as a stronghold and safe haven. During those five years, Elrond managed to establish this place that would become the center of so much over the next several centuries.

The Construction Of Barad-Dûr

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Rivendell isn't the only familiar Middle-earth location to have gone through some development since Rings of Power began. The Fellowship's journey began in Elrond's realm, but it ended in the dark country of Sauron—Mordor. We saw the iconic Mount Doom erupt back in season 1, when the Southlands became Mordor. Now, during those five years that Sauron had the service of the Orcs, he has begun to set up shop.

A key part of Mordor's development is the dark tower of Barad-dûr, Sauron's fortress. In Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies, this tower was topped with the flaming red eye of Sauron. This won't be a feature of Rings of Power, both because of this point in the timeline and because the eye itself was a creative addition to the films. Of course, that doesn't make Barad-dûr any less key a sight.

Eärien Joins The Faithful

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Throughout the first two seasons of The Lord of the Rings, Elendil's daughter, Eärien, was rather insufferable. Said and done, it was partly her fault that Pharazon seized power from Míriel. Throw Kemen into the mix, and the blind loyalty of these characters results in absolute devastation and the deaths of several innocents. It generally became rather hard to like Eärien.

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Thankfully, Eärien went through a change of heart during those first years off between Rings of Power seasons 2 and 3. While it seems at first that she is still on Pharazon's side, it's ultimately revealed that Eärien had become a member of the faithful working as a mole within the king's team.

Queen Míriel Is Broken Free From Prison

Part of Pharazon's hostile takeover of Númenor in Rings of Power season 2 initially involved putting Míriel through a trial by sea​​​​​​. The idea was that she would be devoured by the sea monster, thereby proving that the Valar didn't want Míriel to be queen and definitively squashing the Faithful's faith. It didn't work out, however. The sea monster spared Míriel, but that didn't stop Pharazon from taking the throne.

Rather than being killed outright, Míriel was thrown in prison in Rings of Power season 2, and that's where she was left as the episodes came to a close. As of the start of Rings of Power season 3, however, Míriel is free and in hiding as a leader of the Faithful. Though we don't get to see the big breakout on screen, the event sounds to be something rather spectacular, and it was all right under Pharazon's nose.

The Nazgnagôl Emerge

When Sauron left Eregion with the Nine Rings for Men, he was eager to find the lucky few who would take ownership of these small weapons. Men, Sauron knew, would be the most easily influenced, and he really had his sights on the men of Númenor. As of the start of Rings of Power season 3, that particular opportunity hasn't presented itself yet. However, Sauron still managed to get a few of his rings onto some fingers.

Three of the nine were fully in action as of the first episode of The Rings of Power season 3. These aren't yet called Nazgûl, Ringwraiths, since they haven't transformed into the monsterous wraiths yet. For now, they are called Nazgûl, meaning "Ring servant." It won't be for many years that these doomed men will lose their physical form and their own will entirely.

Sauron Makes Multiple Attempts To Create The One Ring

Sauron has had a pretty great five years, but there is one goal he has yet to achieve. We don't know exactly how many times he has tried to create his master weapon, the One Ring, but it's evident in Rings of Power season 3 that both he and the orcs are getting a bit worn out over the whole thing. Sauron doesn't yet know how to create something that can gain control over all the other rings, and it's all Celebrimbor's fault.

Sauron concludes that Celebrimbor kept some secrets, and he can't possibly create a Ring that will control all the others unless he discovers the truth. Over the five-year time jump, it seems Sauron was taking a trial-and-error approach. In Rings of Power season 3, however, he finally decides he must find answers before he can succeed.