Published Oct 28, 2026, 6:25 AM EDT

Francesco is an editor with a background in academic research, journalism, and content strategy, specializing in entertainment news and curation. He works across all of Polygon's verticals, specializing in tabletop games, with a focus on D&D and Magic.

Season 3 will head in a new direction

Arondir in a forest up close mid-shooting an arrow with Isildur in the background Image: Prime Video

If you have not caught up yet with the 16 episodes of the first two seasons of Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, don't sweat it. According to co-showrunner Patrick McKay, you may not need to, as season 3 of the show will be the start of "a whole new story."

Talking to IGN in a lengthy interview from the set of The Rings of Power season 3, McKay commented on the five-year time skip occurring after season 2. The showrunner said that such a big jump in the timeline can help entice new viewers. The IGN piece states that, according to McKay, this is an opportunity to do a soft reboot and send the series in a new direction. "We really love the idea of throwing the viewer in a way that is a completely fresh start," McKay said. "J.D. Payne, my co-showrunner and I, we're huge admirers of shows that have done this kind of [time jump] before, like Battlestar Galactica and Halt and Catch Fire. That can be really fun for a viewer."

The Rings of Power will turn the page with season 3 and head in a new direction

The Rings of Power. Image: Amazon Studios

McKay believes that season 3 can be a great jumping point for new fans of The Rings of Power. At the end of season 2, Sauron dropped his disguise and revealed himself as the new Dark Lord of Middle-earth, sending forth his armies and pushing the elves into retreat. Before that, however, he had to deal with insubordination within the ranks by killing Adar, one of the first elves whom Sauron corrupted and transformed into Orcs. Adar wasn't too happy with his people's role as servants and soldiers of the Dark Lord, and he even made a brief peace offering to Galadriel before Sauron had him killed.

Adar is an original character, created for the show and does not appear in any of Tolkien's writings. The Rings of Power takes a lot of liberties with the source material, presenting itself not as an adaptation of Tolkien's works. The Second Age of Middle-earth, during which the show is set, was not described in much detail by the British author. "There's lots of room for original characters in this era of the mythology," McKay told IGN.

Fans can expect season 3 of The Rings of Power to be bigger and more ambitious than the previous ones. The battle for Middle-earth will rage stronger than ever as the Numenoreans and the dwarves (hopefully) join the surviving elves against Sauron. "I think our goal for season 3 is really to blow the doors off the hinges," McKay said. "We're really proud of seasons one and two, but for us, now, in some ways, we're starting a whole new story. This is turning the page on the show." According to the showrunner, everything will hinge around the One Ring, the ultimate weapon that Sauron still has to forge.

The first four episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3 will premiere on Nov. 11 on Prime Video. Episodes 5 and 6 will become available on Nov. 18, while the final two episodes will be released on Nov. 25.