LOTR
What happened to the Nazgul in The Lord of the Rings?
With less than a month to go until the release of The Rings of Power, we take a look back at what happened to the Ringwraiths at the end of the novels.
Nine men who were kings ended up corrupted by the power of the One Ring. Sauron achieved his purpose and created the Nazgul, wraiths that follow the orders of the dark lord and detect the presence of the One Ring every time someone uses it. In The Rings of Power series we may well see the beginning of the process, but how does their story end in The Lord of the Rings?
We know the beginning: in the Second Age, Sauron manipulated the Rings of Power to control them through the One Ring. When he disappeared, the wraiths faded with him, but despite the defeat on the battlefield, Sauron continued to live in a silent (but active) slumber. Only the destruction of the Ring could kill him for good. Many years later, in the Third Age, the dark lord resurfaced and the Nazgul returned to Middle-earth.
The end of the Nazgul
The Fellowship of the Ring, with Frodo Baggins at its head, had to escape from the Nazgul on several occasions. In the meantime, the Fellowship's journey continued towards Mordor. The goal? To destroy the One Ring in the very place where it was forged. The Witch-King of Angmar, also known as the Lord of the Nazgul, met an unexpected death.
In Pelennor fields, in the city of Gondor, a great battle was being fought in which he took part, spreading terror. It is true that the prophecy said that he could not be defeated by a man. And so it was Éowyn, the niece of the king of Rohan, who managed to take him by surprise.
The fall of the Witch-king was the beginning of the end. Frodo did not fail like Isildur and after a very hard journey he reached the top of Mount Doom, the raging volcano of Mordor. Shaken by the influence of the One Ring, the hobbit was about to succumb, but Gollum, who still had a role in this story, tried to snatch it from him. After the struggle, Smeagol ended up in the mouth of the volcano with the ring in his hands.
With the One Ring destroyed, the bond that kept Sauron and his minions alive was broken. The Nazgul were forever diluted along with their master.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premieres on September 2 on Prime Video.