We’re finally going to see Sauron forge the One Ring. Rings of Power season 3 premieres on Wednesday, November 11 on Prime Video with its first four episodes, bringing a five-year time jump, a Middle-earth almost entirely under the Dark Lord’s control and a few new faces Tolkien fans know very well. Here’s when it drops, how many episodes it has and everything you need to know before watching.
What Time Does Rings of Power Season 3 Release?
Prime Video releases the episodes at the same time in more than 240 countries, at midnight Pacific Time. That means it’s available on Wednesday, November 11, at these times:
- US Pacific (PT): 12:00 a.m.
- US Eastern (ET): 3:00 a.m.
- UK (GMT): 8:00 a.m.
- Central Europe (CET): 9:00 a.m.
How Many Episodes Are There and When Do They Come Out?
The third season has 8 episodes, just like the first two, but this time Prime Video is spreading them over only three weeks, so the finale arrives sooner than many expected:
| Episodes | Release date |
|---|---|
| 1, 2, 3 and 4 | Wednesday, November 11 |
| 5 and 6 | Wednesday, November 18 |
| 7 and 8 (season finale) | Wednesday, November 25 |
With these eight episodes, the series reaches a total of 24 episodes across its three seasons. And according to several reports, Amazon has planned five seasons in total, so if that plan holds, there are still two more to come.
If you want to see what other shows are coming up, check out the TV series calendar with this week’s new episodes, where I keep track of upcoming dates.
Where to Watch The Rings of Power
The series is exclusive to Prime Video, so you’ll need a Prime Video or Amazon Prime subscription to watch it. The first two seasons are also available there in full, in case you want to catch up before starting season 3.
The Official Trailer
Prime Video released the trailer on October 21, and it’s probably the darkest the series has ever had. It shows Sauron in his armor, the bearers of the nine rings becoming his servants and, for the first time, the forging of the One Ring:
What I like most about this trailer is that it finally feels like the lead-up to The Lord of the Rings. Seeing the future Nazgûl and Gandalf stepping into his role as the wizard of legend is exactly what many fans have been asking for since season 1.
What Is Rings of Power Season 3 About?
The story jumps five years past the end of season 2. Sauron now rules much of Middle-earth, and only a few pockets of resistance remain: Lindon, Rivendell and Khazad-dûm. From there, the season focuses on the war between the Elves and Sauron, and on the most important moment of this era: the creation of the One Ring.
Celeborn, Galadriel’s husband, also returns after being held prisoner by orcs, and a flashback will show how the two first met. The Harfoots, however, the hobbit ancestors who traveled with the Stranger in earlier seasons, don’t appear this time.
Rings of Power Season 3 Cast and New Characters
The usual leads are back: Morfydd Clark as Galadriel, Charlie Vickers as Sauron, Robert Aramayo as Elrond, Daniel Weyman as Gandalf, Charles Edwards as Celebrimbor, Owain Arthur as Durin IV and Sophia Nomvete as Disa, among others. These are the standout additions:
- Jamie Campbell Bower as Celeborn
- Eddie Marsan as Thrain
- Zubin Varla as Khamûl, who in the books becomes one of the Nazgûl
- Andrew Richardson as Anárion, Isildur’s brother
- Simon Pegg as the voice of the Balrog
Behind the Scenes
J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay remain showrunners, and this season’s directors include Charlotte Brändström, Stefan Schwartz and Sanaa Hamri. Unlike season 1, which was shot in New Zealand, filming took place from May to October 2025 in the UK, with scenes at Shepperton Studios, in Dorset and in Switzerland’s Lauterbrunnen Valley.
So tell me, did season 2 win you over, or are you hoping season 3 finally does Tolkien justice? Let me know in the comments, and follow me as josegeek on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and X for more TV news.
Source: Prime Video on YouTube.
