Why Sauron Is Fighting The Balrog In The Rings Of Power Season 3's Teaser

Published Oct 21, 2026, 2:30 PM EDT Angel Shaw is a Lead Writer and Critic on ScreenRant's TV team, covering new-release and classic TV shows across all major streaming platforms. She has been a writer with ScreenRant since 2022 and specializes in Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and fantasy. Angel holds a bachelor's degree in language interpreting and is passionate about all things culture and communication—especially in how it relates to popular media throughout history (from Shakespeare to Friends to Game of Thrones). It looks like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is going to feature an epic Sauron vs. Balrog battle in season 3, and there's a lot to pick apart here. The big reveal comes from the latest trailer for the Prime Video fantasy series, which releases its third installment on November 11, 2026. The just-over-two-minute clip offers a look at a much darker, grittier Middle-earth, now fully at war with the Dark Lord Sauron. This naturally means plenty of Lord of the Rings-scale fantasy action, some of which is expected while others are a bit of a surprise. One of those surprises arrives at about the 50-second mark, as Charlie Vickers' Sauron utters "let the hunt begin" as the glowing shape of a Balrog appears. Next thing, the two are engaging in battle. It is, of course, only a brief moment. We won't know the full context or the outcome of this conflict until the official arrival of The Rings of Power season 3. However, there's some room to speculate here. Balrogs are among the more iconic beasts of The Lord of the Rings, so another one appearing on screen in The Rings of Power is a pretty big deal. However, there isn't much precedent for Sauron engaging in battle with one during the Second Age of Middle-earth. In fact, the only Balrog actually featured in Tolkien's central trilogy is Durin's Bane, who was sealed back up beneath Khazad-dûm in season 2. Once again, Rings of Power is taking some creative liberties, but it's certainly intriguing. What We Know About The Rings Of Power Season 3's Balrog & Why Sauron Would Need To Fight Him Several months ago, Prime Video announced that Simon Pegg had been cast to voice a Balrog who would (somehow) help Sauron forge his One Rings to Rule Them All. We can confidently assume that this is the beast in the trailer, rather than the Balrog we saw back in Rings of Power season 2. Additionally, if this Balrog helps Sauron forge his One Ring, it may live beneath Mount Doom, much like Durin's Bane hides out in Khazad-dûm. The fact that Pegg voices the Balrog suggests that it can talk, which is something rather new (though not technically incorrect). Another curious factor is that Sauron and the Balrog would fight one another if it comes to pass that the beast helps the Dark Lord forge his Ring. What seems likely here is that Sauron and the Balrog aren't easy, fast friends. Rings of Power's villain will have to either earn his help or force it out of him. This makes some sense, considering the history Sauron and any Balrog would share. Both beings were once Maiar, just as Gandalf and Rings of Power's Dark Wizard were. Sauron, known as Mairon at the time, betrayed his angel-like kin to follow the evil demigod Morgoth as his lieutenant. Other Maiar joined Morgoth as well, but whether by choice or force, they were ultimately transformed into Balrogs and served as this original Dark Lord's most devastatingly powerful forces. With Morgoth gone, Sauron would surely have to display significant power to bring a Balrog under heel. Sauron's Balrog Companion Opens The Door For An Intriguing Story Credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video Rings of Power really is heading into unexplored territory here, but there is still a foundation laid by Tolkien that the show appears to be leaning on. The legendary fantasy author originally envisioned hundreds of Balrogs at Morgoth's disposal, but this was later revised to a small handful. By the Third Age (when The Lord of the Rings takes place), Durin's Bane is the only one confirmed to be alive. The others died during the First Age, but the exact number is uncertain, and only one was definitively named. This was the Lord of the Balrogs, Gothmog. Rearrange the movies into the correct US release order. Gothmog dies during the First Age, so we can once again rule this creature out as Sauron's Balrog in Rings of Power season 3. Regardless, it's pretty clear that, whatever Pegg's character's identity, he and Sauron have a history. They were immortal angelic beings together, but Tolkien gave us almost nothing in the way of what this would have looked like. With Gandalf and the Dark Wizard locked in their feud, and Sauron and his Balrog elsewhere, there's an opportunity here for Rings of Power to give us some Valinor flashbacks. It would be pretty thrilling to see what the relationships between all these Maiar might have been like before Morgoth split their loyalties. Of course, anything that comes of this potential plotline couldn't quite be considered canon, but that hasn't stopped Rings of Power before. There are plenty of fun mysteries to ponder here, and at the very least, we should get some entertainment from seeing Sauron duke it out with a Balrog on screen. It should be quite a moment. Release Date September 1, 2022 Network Amazon Prime Video Showrunner John D. Payne, Patrick McKay, Louise Hooper, Charlotte Brändström, Wayne Yip Directors J.A. Bayona, Sanaa Hamri Writers Patrick McKay, John D. Payne, J.R.R. Tolkien, Justin Doble, Jason Cahill, Gennifer Hutchison, Stephany Folsom, Nicholas Adams Franchise(s) The Lord of the Rings