Sauron Duels The Balrog In Action-Packed Rings Of Power Season 3 New Look

Published Oct 21, 2026, 12:31 PM EDT

Matthew Rudoy is one of ScreenRant's Movie & TV News Editors. He covers the latest in movie & TV news, with a focus on major franchises like Star Wars, The Boys, and Game of Thrones, and also writes some features and reviews. He wrote lists for ScreenRant from 2017-2022, became a news writer in 2023, a senior staff writer in 2024, and an editor in 2025. 

War consumes Middle-earth in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3.

Prime Video's fantasy series picks up five years after the fall of Eregion during The Rings of Power season 2's ending. In the time since then, Sauron (Charlie Vickers) and his armies have dominated much of Middle-earth, and now he is in Mordor, fixated on forging the One Ring to rule them all. The Dwarves have sealed themselves within the halls of Khazad-dûm, the elves are protected by their Three Rings in the realms of Lindon and Rivendell, and both races must unite with Men and Wizards in order to stop Sauron.

Now, Prime Video has released a new Rings of Power season 3 trailer, which shows Sauron saying, "Let the hunt begin," before confronting the Balrog in Khazad-dûm as the creature's flaming sword clashes against his own blade. The Ringwraiths are seen riding their fell beasts, the flying creatures whose screeches sound the same as they do in The Lord of the Rings movies, and the trailer ends with the One Ring on Sauron's finger as lava erupts around him inside Mount Doom. Watch the trailer below:

Other key moments in the trailer include the opening shot of Sauron's newly built tower Barad-dûr in Mordor, the Ringwraiths knocking Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) off her horse and dueling her, Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker) stating that "the enemy has twice our number," the Dark Wizard (Ciarán Hinds) telling Gandalf (Daniel Weyman) to "kneel to him," Gandalf using his staff to fight a Ringwraith, Galadriel and Celeborn (Jamie Campbell Bower) kissing passionately, and several massive battle sequences.

The first four episodes will debut on November 11, followed by episodes 5 and 6 on November 18, and episodes 7 and 8 on November 25. While the other seasons also had eight total episodes, this is a more condensed release schedule, as season 1 had a two-episode premiere, season 2 had a three-episode premiere, and the remaining installments came out on a weekly basis.

Rearrange the movies into the correct US release order.

From Sauron confronting the Balrog in Khazad-dûm to the One Ring finally being forged, many of the previously separate storylines are now converging, and the setup is paying off in The Rings of Power season 3. The series has been criticized at times for its pacing, but this season is set to deliver on much of the buildup from the prior seasons, with the trailer teasing more action and large battles than ever before.

In addition to Khazad-dûm, Lindon, Rivendell, and Mordor, the island kingdom of Númenor and the eastern lands of Rhûn are key locations in this season. With Pharazôn (Trystan Gravelle) in charge and the various political factions at each other's throats, Númenor is on the cusp of civil war, while Gandalf must use his magic to stop the emerging darkness in Rhûn.

Along with the aforementioned The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power characters, other important returning individuals, some of whom are seen in the new trailer, include Elrond (Robert Aramayo), Isildur (Maxim Baldry), Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova), Durin IV (Owain Arthur), Disa (Sophia Nomvete), Elendil (Lloyd Owen), and Míriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson). This is the first season where Galadriel's husband, Celeborn, appears, and Simon Pegg is voicing the Balrog this season.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3 four-episode premiere is on November 11 on Prime Video.