Who is Manukh in The Rings of Power season 3?

Warning: This article contains major spoilers for The Rings of Power season 3.

One of the things that The Rings of Power is going out of its way to do is to humanise the orcs from Tolkien’s writing. In Rings of Power season 3, a new orc is stepping into the story as Manukh, played by Adam Young, joins the cast.

Who is Manukh in Rings of Power season 3 and where will his story lead? Here’s everything we know so far.

Manukh is a new character in Rings of Power season 3. He is an orc who brings something peculiar to the usually villainous group. "He’s basically Sauron’s right-hand man," actor Adam Young recently told Radio Times. "He’s one of his foot soldiers, a general, and he has questionable motives right from the get-go, and you’re unsure of where it's leading."

Despite his high place in Sauron’s forces, Manukh proves to be an uneasy ally of Galadriel in Rings of Power season 3. How much of this is deception isn’t clear at the start of the season, however. It is Manukh who originally tells the elves of Sauron's plan to forge the One Ring, which would give him absolute dominion over Middle-earth, so clearly he doesn't have absolute loyalty to the Dark Lord.

What sets Manukh apart from most orcs isn’t just his relationship with Galadriel. He has a somewhat unusual hobby for a Tolkien orc - writing poetry. "It’s funny what people grab and hold onto," Young added about Manukh’s artistic side. "He definitely has a way with words, and he’s very witty, and he’s very brave to speak up to certain people of power."

One of the most dramatic moments in The Rings of Power season 2 was the death of Adar, who had been trying to lead his orc children in a rebellion against Sauron in an effort to convince the other races of Middle-earth that there was good in the usually violent group. However, Sauron squashed that rebellion, and Adar was executed by the very children he sought to save.

So is Manukh related to Adar? That isn’t quite clear yet. "People will have to wait and see, but yeah, Adar is mentioned," Adam Young told Radio Times. As to whether this new orc has a familial connection to Adar or has been more indirectly influenced by him, we’ll have to watch Rings of Power season 3 to find out.

Rings of Power season 3 is available to watch now on Prime Video.

Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.