Owain Arthur as Prince Durin IV. © Prime Video

Here are a few things that haven’t happened yet—but we can safely assume will happen—when it comes to The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Sauron will make the One Ring, nine men will be corrupted and turn into wraiths, elves including Galadriel will live on, and season three is coming.

While Amazon has yet to officially greenlight a third season of the show, the Hollywood Reporter says “the company is on the verge of renewing” it with news likely to come by the end of the month. Which is good considering season two, which just ended this week, left audiences with several cliffhangers that point toward the rest of the series—a series that, from day one, has been planned as five seasons. After a first season that was successful ratings-wise, but not as culturally impactful as may have been expected, that plan may have seemed overly optimistic. But, after a much better-regarded second season, it feels more likely.

We won’t get into everything that happened at the end of season two in this article but you can read about it in our recap. Basically though, many more links from Rings of Power to The Hobbit have been made, which has always been the goal: tell a story of Sauron, the Rings, and what that did to all the various peoples of Middle-earth leading into the books and movies we know and love already.

Showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay have been prepping season three for a while now as they await the official news. So, when that happens, things won’t have to start from scratch. But, considering it took about two years between seasons one and two, and that renewal came much earlier, we can likely expect to wait at least that long again.

As reported by THR, earlier this week in the UK, Prime Video held a big event for investors that had several Rings of Powers cast members in attendance. That’s significant because the streamer probably wouldn’t bring out actors to woo investors for a show it planned to axe. Plus, at the event, Prime executives said season two has generated 55 million views and, in the coming weeks and months, expects that number to triple and reach the 150 million views of season one. (Don’t ask what constitutes a view, though. Amazon doesn’t say.) Week to week this season, the show has also continually topped the Nielsen chart, making it one of the most popular shows on streaming.

All of which is to say, season three of The Lord of the Rings: The RIngs of Power isn’t official yet but, like Sauron and the One Ring, it’s inevitable.

When Season 2 of Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power began, there were moans and grumbles as it slowly stumbled towards the halfway point. Alas, the second half of this season has been a delight, with many who had once declared their waning interest now gripped for what looks set to be an unmissable finale.

The final two episodes felt like a return to form for a franchise famed for its fireworks, with action and explosive set-pieces in abundance. That being said, any finale always has its work cut out to satisfy the masses, with Rings of Power Season 2 certainly giving itself plenty to resolve. Nevertheless, that resolution will certainly be intriguing, and with that in mind, the question of what’s next persists. Is Rings of Power getting a third season? Here’s what we know.

Is ‘Rings of Power’ Getting a Season 3?

Image via Amazon Prime Video

Yes, Rings of Power is already renewed for its next season. In fact, the showrunners were preparing for Season 3 as far back as February of this year. When talking about the show’s production, Amazon MGM’s head of television, Vernon Sanders, said:

We continue to be amazed by the scope and scale of their vision and the enormous global success achieved by The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power in its record-breaking first season. We can’t wait for Prime Video customers to experience the epic adventure and high-stakes drama that J.D. and Patrick are continuing to build throughout season two and beyond. Naturally, the studio is thrilled to extend our overall deal with these brilliant creative minds as they continue to deliver on their passion for great storytelling.

What Happened in ‘Rings of Power’ Season 2?

Image via Amazon Prime Video

It’s fair to say that the ever-increasing momentum of Rings of Power’s second season reached its peak with Episode 7, as some declare it the best of the season so far. Far too often, Rings of Power Season 2 has felt comfortable diving into the many plot threads it endeavors to explore without a nod toward action or excitement. In Episode 7, “Doomed to Die,” that was all changed, as the show’s many plot threads were somewhat sacrificed for the most energetic and explosive episode yet.

Episode 6, “Where is He?”, left many teasing questions about the series’ main characters, with Episode 7 putting in the effort to throw these into a mixing pot of devilish action as war rages around Eregion, as Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) finishes creating the Nine Rings of Power for Men. In his disillusioned mind, for so long, peace had been settled across the land, but, a quick look into his own dirty reflection, and the cracks were clear to see. Finally, he is beginning to doubt Annatar (Charlie Vickers), with it feeling as if the walls could soon be closing in on the Dark Lord. Elsewhere, outside Eregion is under fire from Adar’s (Sam Hazeldine) menacing team of Orcs, with the chess-like tactics of warfare beginning to play their part. However, under Adar’s nose, Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) escapes with the help of Elrond (Robert Aramayo), as she sneaks from the Orcs trenches and meets up with Arondir (Ismael Cruz Cordova), as they march their way toward Eregion.

The episode continues with moments of tension, drama, and, crucially, levity, leading to an epic finale and the discovery of Annatar’s true identity by Celebrimbor. The illusion breaks, and the sound of war fills Celebrimbor’s ears, even realizing that the Mithril he thought he was using was, in fact, Sauron’s blood. Death, war, and destruction continue to consume Eregion, with Celebrimbor’s efforts to convince people of his illusion and of Annatar’s true identity going unyielded. However, Galadriel arrives just in time to see Celebrimbor freed, and, in return, she is given the Nine and urged to flee the city. Galadriel may have the Nine, but after one last push against the Elves, Adar is revealed in the final moments to have acquired Galadriel’s Ring of Power, Nenya, setting up a finale with enormous stakes on the line. The final episode of Rings of Power Season 2 answered several questions, such as who The Stranger is, and finally brought Sauron and Galadriel face to face.

Who is the Creative Team Behind ‘Rings of Power’ Season 3?

Image via New Line Cinema

Like in previous seasons, showrunners J .D. Payne and Patrick McKay are back at the helm. While the two have yet to share details on Season 3, they finally addressed a persistent fan theory about Saruman. McKay said:

“The Dark Wizard has an important role to play in the doings of Middle-earth, and in the development of our wizard, who’s now coming into his own. Tom Bombadil has told him, ‘You’re destined to face him. And then destined to face Sauron.’ So the Dark Wizard’s fate is not decided and his name is not out there yet, but it would almost defy the laws of gravity and physics for it to be Saruman.”