Summary

• The Ringwraiths were once mortal kings corrupted by Sauron's Rings of Power, becoming fearsome specters in The Lord of the Rings.
• The identities of most Ringwraiths are lost to time, with only the Witch-King of Angmar and Khamûl the Easterling named in lore.
• The Ringwraiths existed in the unseen realm, making them invisible specters mostly formless until they donned cloaks for shape.

The Ringwraiths were among the most frightening creatures of The Lord of the Rings, but who were they really, and where did they come from? Also called the Nazgûl, these nine monsters pursued Frodo and the One Ring in The Lord of the Rings while riding terrifying horses and screeching into the night. Their leader, the Witch-King of Angmar, injured Frodo with a Morgul blade, a wound that never fully healed. The Ringwraiths were clearly something to be feared, but there was far more to their stories than chasing down a Hobbit.

Aragorn gave Frodo and the other Hobbits a brief background on the Ringwraiths in The Lord of the Rings movies, explaining that they had once been kings of men, corrupted by nine of Sauron's Rings of Power. Of course, Tolkien's books had a little more to say on the matter, though the author left a great deal about Nazgûl a mystery. Prime Video's The Rings of Power is sure to provide its own version of who these monsters were before their downfall. However, as far as canon, there are some primary known facts regarding the Ringwraith's origin and story.

The Ringwraiths Were Once Mortal Kings Of Men (Though Their Names Are Forgotten)

The True Identities Of The Ringwraiths Are Unknown

During the Second Age of Middle-earth, Sauron took nine of the Rings of Power he had tricked Celebrimbor into making and gave them to nine kings of Men. The identities of these leaders have been lost to time, though it is believed that one was an Easterling and three were from Númenór, the island kingdom flooded by a great wave (also somewhat Sauron's fault). After receiving their rings, these Men quickly gained great power and wealth, but the influence of Sauron's One Ring slowly began to take its toll.

Once these kings officially became the Ringwraiths, only two of them were named. The Witch-King of Angmar, believed to have been a Númenórean, was the leader and one of Sauron's most powerful servants. The second named Ringwraith was Khamûl the Easterling, who became Lord of the Nazgûl after the Witch-King's downfall at the Battle of Pelennor Fields.

The Ringwraiths Lost Their Physical Bodies When They Succumbed To Their Rings Of Power

They Exist In The Unseen Realm

When the Kings of Men succumbed to their Rings of Power, they faded from the physical world. They instead existed in a sort of separate plane, the Wraith-world or the unseen, that was only visible to a Ring-bearer. Once the Ringwraiths had completely lost their humanity, they were little more than specters. They were invisible and mostly formless, though they could wear cloaks that would give them shape and make them visible to those in the world of the living.

While being essentially ghosts made the Ringwraiths more frightening, it was really to their disadvantage. Not having physical bodies created quite a problem for them in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring when they were washed away by the river while pursuing Frodo near Rivendell. With their horses drowned and their cloaks washed away, the wraiths became one with the water, and it took them quite a while for them to emerge from the river. This is one of the reasons why it is believed the Ringwraiths fear water.

In The Early Third Age, The Ringwraiths Founded The Witch-Realm Of Angmar

The Witch-King Was The Ruler Of Angmar

The Witch-King of Angmar was so named because he was the dark ruler of a kingdom of that name, established in the Third Age. When Sauron's strength grew, the Ringwraiths regained their unseen forms, and the Witch-King quickly established his stronghold. His purpose in founding Angmar, North of the Misty Mountains, was to give Sauron's forces easy access to the kingdoms of Arnor, the northern sister kingdom to Gondor. This was the home of the Dúnedain of the North, the natural enemies to the Nazgûl.

The Ringwraiths' strength in Angmar allowed them to destroy Arnor's three successor kingdoms, Arthedain, Cardolan, and Rhudaur.

Angmar began to populate with Orcs and other dark creatures, and evil Men migrated there over the years as well. This provided the Witch-King an army to command, which laid siege on notable locations in Lord of the Rings like Rivendell and Weathertop. The latter fell to the Witch-King's strength, and King Arveleg I of the Dúnedain was killed there. Centuries later, at the Battle of Fornost, the forces of Gondor, Arthedain, and Lindon came together to successfully bring down the Witch-realm of Angmar, though the Witch-king maintained his title.

The Ringwraiths Were Responsible For Breaking Gondor's Royal Line

The Witch-King Challenged Gondor's Last King

During the events of The Lord of the Rings, the line of kings had been broken in Gondor, with the Stewards instead leading the city. Gandalf noted that this had happened centuries before, and Tolkien's notes in the Appendices of The Return of the King further detailed how this happened. It all came down to the Witch-King of Angmar and the last king of Gondor before it ed to the Stewards, King Eärnur.

Eärnur was convinced by his Steward not to go at first, but years later, when the Ringwraith leader again challenged Gondor's king, he gave in

The Witch-King and Eärnur became fierce enemies leading up to the downfall of Angmar, and Sauron's lieutenant took advantage of this. He challenged the King to single combat. Eärnur was convinced by his Steward not to go at first, but years later, when the Ringwraith leader again challenged Gondor's king, he gave in. Eärnur left his crown on his father's grave and headed out to face his enemy. However, he never returned. His crown remained where it was left until Aragorn, King Elessar, was crowned by Gondor's last Steward, Faramir, at the end of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

The Doom Of The Ringwraiths Explained

The Ringwraiths Met Their Downfall In The Lord Of The Rings

From the time they fell to their Rings of Power in the Second Age to their pursuit of Frodo in the Third Age, the Ringwraiths fought countless battles for the Dark Lord Sauron. They destroyed kingdoms in Arnor and halted the line of Kings in Gondor. They claimed Minas Ithil for their master, renaming it Minas Morgul, allowing Sauron to develop even further strength. They were believed to be invulnerable, especially the Witch-King, about whom Glorfindel famously said, "Far off yet is his doom, and not by the hand of man will he fall."

Of course, Glorfindel was correct. The Witch-King wasn't defeated by a man since it was the Hobbit Merry and the woman Éowyn who finally killed him. By chance, Merry had possession of a Barrow-blade, which had the magical ability to sever the unseen sinews that connected the Witch-King's will to his spectral body. This gave Éowyn the rare opportunity to stab the villain and end him once and for all.

The remaining Ringwraiths met their doom when Sauron's One Ring was destroyed, When Frodo claimed Sauron's weapon for himself, the Ringwraiths immediately identified his location, and rode their fell beasts to Mount Doom. However, the eruption resulting from the Ring's destruction caught them in the air, and all eight were killed. Of course, even without this, the Ringwraiths likely would have faded since their master and his One Ring were vanquished. Their power came from Sauron's "gifts." Without them, The Lord of the Rings' Nazgûl were nothing.