The Lord of the Rings: 5 Things That Still Make No Sense About the Other 19 Rings of Power

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While the One Ring is the most famous from The Lord of the Rings, there were actually nineteen Rings of Power created, as seen in J.R.R. Tolkien’s books, Peter Jackson’s films, and the The Rings of Power series. Of these, three were given to the elves, seven to the dwarves, and nine to men. The rings given to men were especially dangerous, eventually turning their wearers into the terrifying Nazgûl, also known as Ringwraiths.

As a huge Tolkien fan, I’ve always been fascinated by the Rings of Power! We all know about the One Ring, but the other nineteen are so interesting, even if they’re not as famous. Like, the seven rings given to the dwarf lords didn’t turn them evil like they did with men, but they did make them super focused on getting and hoarding wealth. And the three elven rings – Narya, Nenya, and Vilya – were meant to protect. But honestly, even knowing all that, there are still five things about those nineteen rings that just don’t quite add up to me!

The Rings Extend The Bearer’s Natural Life

The One Ring and the other nineteen rings all prolong life. We see this with Gollum, who lived with the One Ring for 500 years and was drastically changed, becoming almost unrecognizable from his original hobbit self. Bilbo Baggins also experienced this effect, describing a feeling of being stretched and worn thin. It’s noteworthy that this life-extending quality wasn’t the original purpose of the rings, which makes it a bit puzzling.

Sauron originally planned to give all the Rings of Power to the elves, hoping to control them. It’s strange, though, because elves are already immortal, so the rings wouldn’t extend their lives. However, the elves did create three rings – Narya, Nenya, and Vilya – and these helped protect their lands, giving the rings a purpose after all.

The Rings Of Power Series Changed The Timeline For The Elven Rings

It’s common for movie and TV adaptations of popular books to spark debate, and that’s especially true when adapting a classic like Tolkien’s work. The Rings of Power has faced criticism from fans, particularly regarding changes made to the established timeline of how the elves forged their three rings.

The show altered the timeline of the Rings of Power’s creation. In the books, the elven rings were made after the other sixteen, but the show presented them as being made first. This change upset many fans, as it also shifted the reasons why the rings were created in the first place, and most believe it wasn’t a helpful adjustment to the story.

The Location And Fate Of The Nazgûl Rings Remain Unclear

The nine rings given to humans, who were easily swayed by evil, transformed them into the Nazgûl – servants completely controlled by Sauron. What happened to those rings after Sauron’s defeat isn’t explicitly stated in the books or movies, leaving it open to interpretation. Most fans believe the rings were destroyed along with Sauron and the Nazgûl.

The text doesn’t directly say this, and it might be because it’s not very important. Once the One Ring and Sauron were gone, these other rings would have lost their power anyway. However, there’s still some confusion about what happened to them. The books disagree on whether the Ringwraiths kept wearing their rings, or if Sauron reclaimed them.

The Elves Didn’t Anticipate The Trap Sauron Had Laid

Although Sauron failed to fully corrupt the elves with the Rings of Power, their three rings were still subtly influenced by the One Ring. The elves likely thought their own craftsmanship would protect them from Sauron’s power, but they were mistaken.

The rings, though crafted by the elves, were still connected to Sauron and his One Ring because he had originally taught them the forging techniques. It’s strange the elves didn’t foresee the risks of using those methods—and that might explain why the show The Rings of Power altered the timeline of when the elven rings were created.

Sauron Believed The Rings Of Power Could Corrupt Elves

As we discussed, Sauron originally planned to use his Rings of Power to corrupt the elves. When that didn’t work, he shifted his strategy and distributed the rings among dwarves and men instead. It’s strange he thought the elves would be easily swayed, considering they’re famously resistant to corruption in The Lord of the Rings.

This is certainly a result of Sauron’s arrogance. He probably thought he could corrupt even those who seemed beyond corruption, despite knowing the elves were resistant to such influence.

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2026-05-10 16:13