The Evidence ‘The Rings of Power’ Has Built Around Theo and the Witch-king of Angmar

The idea that Theo could become the Witch-king of Angmar has hung over ‘The Rings of Power’ for some time, and the third season has given it far more weight. Theo, the son of Bronwyn, is now a Nazgnagôl in Sauron’s service, a proto-wraith with a very human identity. The question of Theo and the Witch-king now sits at the center of fan discussion.

The series has not confirmed that this fate awaits him, and Tolkien never revealed who the Witch-king was before he became a Ringwraith. That gap gives the writers room to invent, and the clues gathered around Theo are worth weighing carefully.

What the Witch-king Theory Rests On

The Witch-king is best known from ‘The Lord of the Rings’ as the leader of the Nazgûl, the nine mortal men Sauron bound to him with rings. He ruled in the north in Angmar, was a powerful sorcerer, and died at the hands of Éowyn in ‘The Return of the King’.

Tolkien said very little about who the Nazgûl were in life. He stipulated that three were Númenóreans, and only one Ringwraith was ever named, Khamûl the Easterling. The show has already introduced Khamûl, played by Zubin Varla.

Theo has been a candidate from the start. He lived in a former southern stronghold of men loyal to Morgoth, bears the mark of Sauron, and was drawn to the hilt of the Dark Lord’s sword in the first season. That hilt was the key to unleashing Mount Doom.

Theo’s Father and the Noble House of Mordor

During a necromantic ritual, Sauron lets Theo speak to his dead father, who is named as Fäldred, son of Hammethreg. Both names are original to the show and do not come from Tolkien’s writing. Theo never knew his father.

Sauron claims Fäldred came from a noble house of old, the sworn stewards of Mordor, and that Bronwyn killed him when she learned what he was. Sauron is a master manipulator and a liar, so none of this can be taken at face value.

There is some supporting context on the maternal side as well. Bronwyn was born in Hordern, a village whose people were known for strong loyalty to Morgoth, which suggests Theo’s ties to the shadow run deep on both sides of his family.

Theo as a Nazgnagôl in Sauron’s Service

Sauron told Theo he was born to have power over them all, and that he had it in him to be a conqueror, a sorcerer and a king. Those words closely match how the Witch-king is described, as a conqueror who is feared as a sorcerer and claims kingship when he founds Angmar.

The ring comes with a cost. In the fourth episode of the season, Theo kills the elf Arondir, which makes the death all the more heartbreaking. Arondir had been something of an adoptive father to Theo, and the act marks how far the young man has fallen.

Showrunner Patrick McKay explained the thinking behind these characters in an interview, and Inverse reported that the team wanted the Nazgnagôl to keep their human form for now. McKay suggested their appearance might become more otherworldly in the future, but he teased “not yet.”

Remaining Númenórean Rings and Open Questions

The Nazgnagôl are proto-Ringwraiths, so not every one of them is guaranteed to become a Nazgûl. If Theo is not on the road to becoming the Witch-king, there could still be hope for him to turn away from the dark path.

There are still three Númenóreans who will become ring-servants, and until their identities and powers are known they cannot be ruled out. Sauron’s case still holds three unused rings, and Theo may be the last Nazgnagôl created this season, with Númenor expected to dominate the next.

The actor himself has weighed in. In an exclusive interview, Nerdist reported that Tyroe Muhafidin said the theory “has been discussed” with the showrunners, though they keep their plans from him. If Theo is meant to lead the Nazgûl from Angmar one day, does his killing of Arondir feel like the point of no return for you, or do you still believe the show has a path back for him?