Their leader, the Witch-king of Angmar, was Sauron’s second in command. These men became ringwraiths, known as the Nazgûl servants to Sauron, they possessed incredible power but were completely under his control. The rings caused them to have visions of Sauron, and eventually, they fell before him. Nine of these rings were given to the race of Men the men who received these rings became effectively immortal, though their endless life eventually became unbearable.

The 19 rings, also known as the Lesser Rings, were the rings given by Sauron to the races of Middle Earth in the hopes that the temptation of the rings would overtake and bend them to Sauron’s will. The following is a breakdown of The Rings of Power, from the rings given to the races of Men and Dwarves, to the rings kept hidden by the Elves, and finally the One Ring, made by and for Sauron himself. The history of the Rings of Power is long and complicated and the part they play in the fate of Middle Earth is, quite literally, central to the story of The Lord of the Rings. RELATED: 'Lord of the Rings': The Biggest Differences Between the Books and Movies These three rings were kept by the Elves, hidden from Sauron, and were created not for war, but for healing and protection.

While 16 of the 19 rings forged were given to the Dwarves and Men (seven to the Dwarves and nine to the Men), three of the rings were forged by the Elves, without Sauron’s touch. Disguising himself so that the Elves would not recognize him for who he truly was, Sauron persuaded the Elven-smiths, led by Celebrimbor, to forge the rings under his guidance. With Amazon's announcement of their new show, The Rings of Power, it feels apt to go back and look at the history and meanings behind each of these incredible rings.ĭestructive, corruptive, and irresistible to the minds of most mortals, the rings were given to the races of Middle Earth by Sauron in the hopes that their leaders would fall to the temptation of the rings and become easier to control.

The One Ring, which Sauron intended to keep for himself, was linked to all the others and, if it were to be destroyed, the powers of the other rings would fade as well.

It’s difficult to talk about The Lord of the Rings without talking about, well, the rings crafted by the unsuspecting Elves of Middle Earth under the careful eye of Sauron, who went on to create the One Ring by himself, the Rings of Power were meant to seduce the rulers of the world to evil so that Sauron may control them.

The lord of the rings ring bearer