Nazgûl

A Ringwraith is a fictional character created by J. R. R. Tolkien. They feature in his Middle-earth world.

The nine Ringwraiths, or Nazgûl in the language of Mordor, were once mortal kings of men, some of them dark Númenoreans, who were given rings of power by Sauron, with the promise of almost unlimited power when wearing the rings. However, the rings corrupted them, and their mortal forms faded until they became wraiths, neither living nor dead, completely under Sauron's command.

Only a few of the ringwraiths are named or identified individually in Tolkien's work. Their leader was known as the Witch-King of Angmar, and his second in command was named Khamûl. Two others are named in The Silmarillion, Fuinor and Herumor, who were both dark Númenoreans.

The ringwraiths carried out Sauron's most important errands throughout Middle-earth, such as the stewardship of Dol Goldur and the conquest and command of Minas Ithil, which was renamed to Minas Morgul after it fell. In 3018 of the third age, all the ringwraiths were given the task of retrieving the One Ring, and they travelled from Mordor in the guise of the Dark Riders to the Shire. Wherever they went the Riders asked for Baggins and offering gold as a reward to any who would betray him. At Bree in the Prancing Pony inn the Riders attacked the hobbit's rooms, but the Ranger Strider (who is actually Aragorn) tricked the Riders. At Weathertop, the Witch-King injured Frodo the Ringbearer with a Morgul blade. The pursuit only ended at the Fords of Rivendell, where their mounts were lost in the flood created by Elrond. They were remounted on flying beasts in Mordor, and the Witch-King along with the rest of the ringwraiths led the forces of Minas Morgul to attack the Southern Kingdom in the battle of Pelennor Fields, where he slew King Théoden of Rohan, before he was himself hurt by Merry, using a blade from Arnor, then slain by Lady Éowyn. So the prophecy that the Witch-King would not die by the Hands of a Man was realized. Khamûl assumed command of the ringwraiths, but all of them were destroyed when the One Ring was destroyed in the Crack of Doom.