Rings of Power season 3 adds Orc defector Marnûkh, McKay says
Co-showrunner Patrick McKay says the new Orc tells the Elves that Sauron is trying to forge the One Ring. Season 3 arrives November 11 on Prime Video.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will introduce a new Orc named Marnûkh in season 3, co-showrunner Patrick McKay said. The character presents himself as a defector from Sauron's army, according to comments reported by Polygon.
McKay said Marnûkh reveals to the Elves that Sauron is trying to make the One Ring. Episode director Sanaa Hamri said audiences will be torn about the character.
The third season debuts on Prime Video on November 11. McKay has described it as a soft reboot that includes a five-year time skip; he made that remark in an interview with IGN, which gave no month for the conversation.
Season 2 briefly showed an Orc with a family, and introduced Adar, the corrupted Elf who led the Orcs; Adar died in that season.
Tolkien scholars have long discussed how Orcs fit into Middle-earth. The background material notes that Tolkien described The Lord of the Rings as a fundamentally religious and Catholic work and struggled with the moral implications of Orcs being able to speak, while the game Shadow of Mordor gave Orcs distinct personalities alongside a player who slaughters and mind-controls them.
Quick answers
When does The Rings of Power season 3 premiere?
Season 3 debuts on Prime Video on November 11.
Who is Marnûkh in The Rings of Power?
Marnûkh is a new Orc in season 3 who claims to be a defector from Sauron's army and tells the Elves that Sauron is trying to make the One Ring.