The Lord Of The Rings: 10 Things You Didn't Know About The Nazgûl

Of all the servants of Sauron, no others inspired such fear and dread as the Ringwraiths. They were his most loyal and trusted servants, and played a key part in the War of the Ring. Their origins are shrouded in mystery, but it is said they were once great kings of men, turned to darkness by the corrupting power of the Ring.

Tolkien's approach to constructing antagonists was unique. We never meet the main villain of his story (except briefly in the Peter Jackson prologue), Sauron's presence is only felt through the action of his servants. The Nazgûl are the most significant extension of his will, and the only true physical embodiment of him in the story. Even the utterance of their names inspires fear, and their presence is enough to send men into a terrified madness. And yet, despite a few brief lines from the Witch-king, the nine Ringwraiths never speak.

It's a bold move when your top tier bad guys are required to carry a story, by only opening their mouths to utter inaudible, high-pitched shrieks. But it is for this reason they serve as some of greatest antagonists ever written. Their terror is drawn from their mystery.

Peter Jackson handled these villains masterfully, but he never revealed several important aspects about the Nazgûl. Luckily we've compiled all the information required to make you an expert on Middle-earth's most feared beings.

Very little is known about the origins of the Nazgûl. Tolkien gave us the name of the Witch-king, and Khamûl, his second in command. He wrote that Khamûl had once been a king of Rhûn and an Easterling. But the only other information he gave us, was that three others had been great lords of Númenor - the island home of Elendil and Isildur.

During the Second Age of Middle-earth, King Ar-Pharazôn of Númenor led a huge army to defeat and capture Sauron. This worked to the Dark Lord's advantage, however. He corrupted the King and many of his followers, encouraging them to conduct human sacrifices and assault the Undying Lands of the Valar. This led to the destruction of Númenor, and the near extinction of its people. Only Elendil and his followers survived because they had resisted Sauron's allure...

While these events were unfolding, Sauron gifted three Rings to several powerful lords of Númenor who would eventually make up the Nine. Tolkien never specified if King Ar-Pharazon was one such lord, but given he was the mightiest of all the Kings of Númenor, it's very possible...

It's likely we'll see some version of this story in the new Amazon show, as these events fall within the timeline it covers.