LotR: The Nazgûl, Sauron’s Most Dramatic Henchmen Explained
Hide your hobbits because today we’re talking about the Ringwraiths, the Nine Mortal Men seduced by a Ring of Power by Sauron.
Welcome in, noble adventurers! In the fantasy world of Middle-Earth, there’s no small amount of things that want to kill you. From spiders the size of tour buses to hordes of deadly orc warriors, it certainly isn’t a place to wander alone. However, of all the threats in Middle-Earth, none are as deadly, relentless, and inescapable as the Nazgûl.
Known by many names, such as The Nine, Ringwraiths, and Black Riders, the Nazgûl are Sauron’s deadliest servants. They are led by the Witch-king of Angmar, a deadly warrior and sorcerer from a fallen land. Even the mightiest warriors of light fear their approach, and to face them is to face death itself.
What are the Nazgûl?
Before they became the hooded horrors that hounded hopeless hobbits on a harrowing hunt, the Nazgûl were mortal men. They were kings and nobles of powerful lands, seduced by Sauron‘s offer of power when he made the infamous Rings of Power. Unlike the other races who took up rings, the men did not have exceptionally long lives. They craved whatever power they could get in their short span. Unfortunately, this lust for power robbed them of their individuality, their freedom, and, at last, their very souls.
The Nazgûl came from all over Middle-earth. Some were from the Eastern Kingdoms of Harad and Khand, while others were Numenorians who had turned on their home. These “Black Numenoreans” betrayed their homeland for the promise of power. The Nazgûl first appeared in their current form in The Second Age, before the War of the Last Alliance. They were dispersed temporarily when Sauron was defeated by Isildur, and finally discorporated when Frodo destroyed the One Ring.
Names of the Nine
Technically, only two Nazgûl have canonical names:
- The Witch-King of Angmar – The greatest of the Nine, lord of the Nazgûl, and according to Gandalf, Sauron’s deadliest servant. He slew King Theoden at the Battle of Pelennor Fields and likely would have secured a victory for Sauron had it not been for the brave stand of Eowyn and Merry.
- Khamûl, the Easterling – The “face” of the Nazgûl, and the one usually sent to treat with mortals. When the Nazgûl were hunting for the ring in the Shire, it was Khamûl who spoke to the border guards. In the films, Khamûl speaks the iconic line, “Shire, Baggins.”
Ringwraiths of the Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game
- The Dark Marshal – One of the Numenorean Nazgûl and the deadliest swordsmen in Sauron’s army. He inspires those around him to greater acts of savagery. According to his lore, he was even a match for Aragorn.
- The Knight of Umbar – The final of the Numenoreans. The Knight was from a forgotten southern kingdom and likely brought the Umbar Corsairs to Sauron’s side.
- The Betrayer – A Nazgûl wearing a Haradrim turban, this warrior yielded Harad to Sauron in the early days. Because of this, even his own men revile him. His willingness to turn on his own means that even Sauron trusts him little, so he is the lowest of the Nazgûl.
- The Shadow Lord – The least corporeal of the Nazgûl, the Shadow Lord was once the ruler of an insignificant kingdom. The power promised by Sauron’s ring was too great to resist, and so the Shadow Lord quickly agreed to serve. He is as insignificant in undeath as he was in life.
- The Undying – The Undying was a powerful sorcerer in life and was able to resist the corruption of the ring far longer than his fellow Nazgûl. However, he still succumbed in the end and now stands as the mightiest of their mages. He can even drain the magical essence of those around him.
- The Dwimmerlaik – Though little is known about this Nazgûl, he is particularly hated in Rohan, where legends say he unleashed great havoc. He is able to instill insatiable greed in his enemies.
- The Tainted – Where the Tainted walks, the land rebels. He is so anathema to life that plants rot, animals sicken and die, and warriors lose all heart for battle.
Shadow of War Nazgûl
- Suladân – A Numenorean King who successfully sieged and conquered a fort from Sauron. Sauron offered him a ring as a surrender, and Suladân appointed him his chief advisor. However, the ring corrupted him and turned him into a wraith. Soon, he and his kingdom fell to Sauron’s control.
- Helm Hammerhand – A powerful lord of Rohan. When he refused to allow his daughter to marry a warlord named Siric, the warlord stole her and mortally wounded Helm. Celebrimbor appeared and offered him a ring to take his revenge. Revitalized and empowered, he took the ring and besieged Siric’s fortress. However, when his daughter threw herself in front of Siric and was killed in his stead, Helm went mad. He slew everyone else in the room, even his own men, and became a wraith.
- Isildur – The Numenorean prince who cut the One Ring from Sauron’s finger in the Battle of the Last Alliance. When he took the Ring and was slain as a result, Sauron’s forces recovered his body. The lingering spirit of Sauron revived him and placed one of the nine rings on his finger. When Talion frees him from Sauron’s control, he chooses to kill him rather than allow him to remain a slave.
- Talion – A Ranger of Gondor and the protagonist of the game. By defeating the Nazgûl, Talion sets himself on a path to become one. When Celebrimbor separates his spirit from Talion, Talion uses Isildur’s ring to maintain his life. Though he resisted control for many years, it is implied that he eventually fell under Sauron’s control.
- The Sisters – A pair of princesses from a different land. They traveled to Mordor at the behest of their father to retrieve a ring of power. However, Sauron gave them each a ring of their own, and they usurped their father. When Celebrimbor and Sauron become locked in a spiritual battle, they attempt to take control of Mordor in the interim.
The Nazgûl in RPGS and Magic: the Gathering
The Nazgûl appear a few times in the MTG set Tales of Middle-earth. In addition to nine unique Nazgûl cards, there were three versions of the Witch-king, a Nazgûl weapon, and the Morgul Blade representing Shadowspear. They introduced the “Wraith” creature type.
In the Lord of the Rings RPG, the Nazgûl are all given new names:
- The Witch-king is identified as Prince Er-Mûrazôr
- Khamûl is renamed Komûl I, the Black Easterling
- The other seven are called Dwar of Waw, Ji Indûr Dawndeath, Akhôrahil the Blind Sorcerer, Hoarmûrath of Dir, Adûnaphel the Quiet, Ren the Unclean, and Ûvatha the Horseman. Notably, Akhôrahil and Adûnaphel were Numenorean, with the latter being the only woman.
