What are the Rings of Power and what do they do?

If you remember Cate Blanchett’s iconic introduction to The Fellowship of the Ring, Rings of Power were divided up between the three main societies of Middle-earth. Three to the Elves, seven to the Dwarves, and nine to mortal men.

They were crafted by the Elven smiths of Eregion, led by Celebrimbor, all at the urging and encouragement of Annatar, one of Sauron’s many devious disguises.

While the Rings of Power given over to the Dwarves and to men will certainly be explored in season 2 of the hit show, it’s the three rings of the Elves that we have concrete knowledge about - their names, their powers, and so on.

Those rings are Nenya, Narya and Vilya. But what are they and what do they do?

Nenya

Other times known as the Ring of Water or the Ring of Adamant, Nenya is the ring worn by Lady Galadriel. Forged by Celebrimbor at the end of season 1, and free from Sauron’s influence, Nenya is maybe the purest source of power in all of Middle-earth.

Crafted from mithril and inlaid with a diamond-like stone, Nenya is so radiant that non-ring-bearers actually can’t perceive it in Tolkien’s original work. Samwise Gamgee describes the sight as "a star through her fingers", whereas Frodo can perceive Nenya clearly, on account of being a ring bearer himself.

Its power allows the wearer to preserve and protect their people, and conceal them from evil. Much later in her life, when Galadriel takes up residence in the forests of Lothlórien, that concealment will be vital to maintaining the safety of her people as Sauron’s power grows and grows.

Unlike the two other Elvish Rings of Power, Nenya is only ever wielded by Galadriel.

Narya

The Red Ring, or the Ring of Fire, is a striking opposite to Galadriel’s Nenya. A gold-like metal, inlaid with a bright ruby, Narya granted the wearer the ability to resist tyranny and despair, the ability to inspire hope in others, and the ability to resist the weariness of time.

Much like Nenya, we saw Narya being crafted at the end of season 1 of The Rings of Power, but we haven’t actually met their ring-bearer yet.

Ben Daniels (The Crown, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) will be joining the cast for season 2 as Círdan the Shipwright, Lord of the Grey Havens - a wise and clairvoyant Elf, and one of the oldest in all of Middle-earth.

Much later in the story, Círdan will surrender Narya to Gandalf, when the Elf recognises the worth of everyone’s favourite wizard.

Vilya

The strongest and most powerful of the three Elven rings, Vilya is also known as the Ring of Air, the Blue Ring, even the Dominant Ring. Crafted with Nenya and Narya, Vilya is gold-coloured and inlaid with a sapphire.

There’s actually little known about the powers Vilya prescribes to its bearer, although we can speculate. Healing and preservation are a major part of the other two Elven rings, so it’s safe to assume they are a key part of Vilya’s power.

First being worn by the High King Gil-galad, Vilya will pass to Elrond, and the latters gift of foresight as demonstrated in both Tolkien’s original work and the Peter Jackson film series suggests another power to the ring.

All three of the Elvish rings had some detrimental effects on their wearers, although not nearly as devastating as the ones inflicted on both the Dwarves and the men.

The rings were crafted, in essence, to try and halt the passage of time for the Elves and their fading light in Middle-earth - leading to a sense of procrastination and an overall slowdown in their action.

When compared to the Seven and the Nine, though, this seems like a fair trade-off.

Little is known about the specifics of the other 16 Rings of Power.

The seven given to the Dwarves allowed them to gain more and more wealth, but in doing so, fuelled their greed and their anger to no end.

The Nine granted mortal men power and extended life, but over time corrupted and enslaved them into the creatures we know as the Nazgûl - or Ringwraiths, if you prefer. Bent to Sauron’s will and fading to a permanent state of invisibility over time.

The Rings of Power season 2 launches on Prime Video on 29th August – you can sign up now for a free 30-day Prime Video trial.

If you’re looking for something else to watch in the meantime, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide, or visit our dedicated Fantasy hub. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.