The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has a brand new character — invented just for the Amazon show — who is something of a surprise: an “orc with an arc.”

J.R.R. Tolkien's works depicted the orcs as monsters, singular in their desire to destroy the world of men in Middle-earth. The Rings of Power, however, which is set thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit during the Second Age, features an orc called Marnûkh, who joins forces with Galadriel in the fight against Sauron.

The showrunners describe Marnûkh, played by Adam Young, as an “orc with an arc” who essentially defects to the Elves.

Speaking in the latest issue of Empire magazine (via Fellowship of Fans), co-showrunner J.D. Payne said: “We love the idea of exploring what orcs were before they became soulless, mindless slaves to Sauron’s will. So out of that was born this idea of an orc who would risk everything to defect, go to the Elves and say: ‘We have a common enemy.’”

While Marnûkh has turned traitor, he is “not a nice game,” is “morally challenged,” but “he has free will.”

Marnûkh also delivers a short rhyming-verse at one point during Season 3. “We wanted to make room to get to know that character,” co-showrunner Patrick McKay added. “What does he talk about? What food does he like to eat? What is it like to be an orc? We think it’s really important to find room amid all the epicness for stuff that’s really small and human (as it were). Maybe he’s making up a little rhyme! We found that to be one of the things that draws you in — but maybe he’s fooling you. Part of the tension there is: can they trust the orc?”

Nerdist also spoke with the showrunners about Marnûkh. Payne said viewers will think “he’s sort of sweet and funny, and there’s something sensitive to him.’ And even dare I say, poetic and soulful about him. But then, also, he’s constantly sort of undercutting things, and there’s part of him that’s gross and frightening. And so he constantly keeps everyone guessing.”

Marnûkh is just the latest in a long line of significant departures from Tolkien's canon in The Rings of Power — Season 3 also features a speaking Balrog who battles Sauron and an early version of the Ringwraiths called the Nazgnagôl. Do not, however, expect to see the Harfoots in Season 3, they're taking a "backseat" this time around.

The focus this time around appears to be Sauron’s bid to forge the One Ring, the introduction of Galadriel's husband, Celeborn, and Gandalf becoming full-on Gandalf.

Here’s the official blurb:

In Season 3, Middle-earth is at war. Five years have passed since the fall of Eregion. Sauron’s armies have marched across the whole of the world, conquering all in their path. Only a few isolated pockets stand between the Dark Lord and total victory — Khazad-dûm, where the Dwarves are now sealed deep within their mountain halls, and the elven realms of Lindon and Rivendell, which are protected by their Three Rings. But deep in the land of Mordor, in his newly completed tower of Barad-dûr, the Dark Lord toils day and night, obsessed with harnessing a power that will bring the last of his enemies to their knees: One Ring to rule them all... Now, all the free peoples of Middle-earth — Dwarves, Elves, Men, and Wizards alike — must find a way to come together, in a race against time to prevent Sauron from achieving his goal of utter domination of all life…

The first four episodes of Season 3 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will premiere on November 11, 2026. Episodes five and six will be available to stream on November 18, and the final two episodes of the season will be released on November 25.

Image credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime. Copyright: Amazon MGM Studios.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].