The Lord of the Rings books by J.R.R. Tolkien and the films focused on a single ring in the entire trilogy. The Dark Lord Sauron made a master ring, the:
“One to Rule Them All.”
This ring gave him the power to rule over all the other magical rings including those of the Elves, men of Middle Earth, and Dwarves. However, people not aware of the Tolkien lore might not know of the other rings - seven for the dwarves, three for the elves, and nine for men.
This was the true number of rings till now. However, in the finale of The Rings of Powers Season 1, the formation of the Three Elven Rings was shown.
Subsequently, in the second season, the master smith Celebrimbor of the Elves of Eregion created more rings under the scrutinous eyes of Sauron, in the disguise of Halbrand and Annatar, the:
“Lord of Gifts.”
With all these rings, it might get confusing for the audience, especially for those who have not religiously followed the books or the films. So, here is a detailed guide to all the rings in LOTR: The Rings of Power and to whom they belong.
The Three Elven Rings
The Elven Rings, Narya, Vilya, and Nenya were created by Celebrimbor, and these rings were thought to be free of the influence of Sauron. They were still linked to him because of Halbrand's intelligence of magic, using which the rings were made.
The Elves were given these rings to save the dying tree of Lindon and preserve the elven life existing in Middle Earth.
While all three rings have healing properties, each of the rings is linked to other powers.
1) Narya
Narya is worn by Gandalf and Círdan, the Lord of Mithlond. It is also known as the Ring of Fire.
The Narya ring, with its Ruby center, can unite the masses against despair and tyranny, giving the ring-bearer extra strength and stamina. Because of its bright red stone, the ring is often associated with passion and fire.
As per Tolkein’s The Silmarillion, Narya was given to Círdan, one of the eldest and most respectable elves, by Elven High King Gil-Galad. Later, Círdan gives Narya to Gandalf, who wears it in the LOTR trilogy.
Círdan tells Gandalf,
“Take this ring, master, [...] for your labors will be heavy; but it will support you in the weariness that you have taken upon yourself. For this is the Ring of Fire, and with it you may rekindle hearts in a world that grows chill.”
In the second season, Elrond gives Círdan the responsibility to destroy the ring, to ensure whatever influence Sauron might have on the elves ends. However, on his journey to the destruction, Círdan gets tempted by the power of the ring and thinks it can be used for good.
He returns to Lindon and enters the Council of Elves wearing the ring. He then hands over the other two rings to Gil-Galad.
2) Nenya
Nenya is worn briefly by Elrond and Adar. It is also known as the Ring of Adamant and Ring of Water.
Nenya holds the power to hide and protect from evil forces. Galadriel is given this ring by Celebrimbor and she uses this to conceal Lothlórien, her home, from threats.
In the fourth episode of the second season, Galadriel starts experiencing visions of the future, including Celebrimbor’s death because of Sauron. Since Nenya also has the power to heal, Galadriel heals one Elf with it when he is shot with an Orcs’ stray arrow.
In the finale of season 2, Adar wears the ring briefly. It erases his Orc-like features and makes him look like an Elf, as he was. Moreover, the ring also clears his mind, making him understand that Elves and Orcs can live peacefully if Sauron can be brought down.
However, he unfortunately does not live that long to see that happen. Later, in an attempt to get away from Sauron, Galadriel sacrifices herself with the ring. However, with the help of Elrond and Gil-galad, she is healed and Elrond returns the ring to her.
3) Vilya
Vilya is worn by Elrond and The High King Gil-Galad. It is also known as the Blue Ring, Ring of Sapphire, and Ring of Air.
The most powerful of the Elven rings, Celebrimbor gives Vilya to Gil-galad. The detailed power of the ring has not been revealed in the lore. However, it has the general powers of healing and preserving, and also the powers of water and wind.
Before the events of The Hobbit occur, Elrond gets access to Vilya and keeps it safe and secure in Rivendell, his home.
In Rings of Power, Gil-galad is the last one to bear the ring given by Círdan. The power of all three rings together rejuvenates the Tree of Lindon, giving the Elves of the Middle Earth hope.
During the fourth episode of this season, Gil-galad has visions of destruction and death, which could very much be possible in the future if they do not do anything about Sauron. He keeps having these visions and imagines Sauron’s rise to power.
Since Vilya is known for its healing powers, Gil-galad tries to heal Galadriel but the dark magic seems to be too powerful for one ring. However, when both Nenya and Vilya come to play, Galadriel is healed.
The Seven Rings for Dwarves
The Seven Rings for Dwarves are worn by the Seven Dwarf Lords, namely, Firebeards, Ironfists, Broadbeams, Durin's Folk, Stiffbeards, Stonefoots, and Blacklocks.
The seven rings are forged for the Dwarves in exchange for the mithril that is mined from the depths of Khazad-dûm. These seven rings are however unknowingly corrupted by Sauron, which eventually brings their destruction.
The most powerful among these rings, the Ring of Thrór, is worn by King Durin III. Despite it guiding him to major mithril deposits below Khazad-dûm, it also corrupted his mind.
He becomes power-hungry and greedy in a way that Durin IV(his son) has never seen him. This prompts Durin IV to question Celebrimbor regarding the side effects of the rings.
The Nine Rings for Mankind
According to The Silmarillion, Celebrimbor wanted to stop the construction of rings after the first nine. He knew humans were too corrupt to be trusted with such power. However, the Celebrimbor seen in The Rings of Power is supported by Sauron.
Sauron then crafts all the nine rings himself, using his knowledge. Despite little being known about the identity of the wielders of the rings, the Nazgûl is formed by the nine doomed men under Sauron’s command.
In The Rings of Power, Celebrimbor tries to give the rings to Galadriel to get rid of them. However, Sauron successfully takes those rings back from her.
The third season of the show may show the men who will be receiving the rings. Since there is not much information regarding the names of the mortal men who bear the rings, the series might take some liberty in portraying them and developing their backstories.
The One Ring
The One Ring is worn by Sauron—then Isildur, Bilbo Baggins, Sméagol/Gollum, and Frodo Baggins. It is also known as The One Ring to Rule Them All, Isildur's Bane, Ruling Ring, and My Precious.
Sauron himself forges the most powerful ring, The One Ring to Rule Them All in the Tolkien novels. Created in the fires of Mount Doom, The One Ring gives Sauron power over all the 19 other rings, helping him to complete his evil mission to conquer Middle-earth.
However, Sauron is defeated for a brief period in the War of the Last Alliance when his fingers are cut off by Isildur.
However, instead of throwing the ring into Mount Doom’s fires, Isildur gives in to its power and loses the ring. Eventually, the ring gets into the hands of Smeagol/Gollum and ultimately ends up with Bilbo and Frodo Baggins.
In the series, however, the creation of The One Ring remains a mystery.
The Rings Of Power Season 1 and 2 can be streamed on Prime Video.
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