The Rings of Power Season 3 Cast Guide: Celeborn, Khamûl and the Balrog

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 3 has six confirmed new cast additions, led by Jamie Campbell Bower as Celeborn and Simon Pegg as the voice of the Balrog. Prime Video also names Zubin Varla as Khamûl, Eddie Marsan as Thrain, Andrew Richardson as Anárion and Adam Young as Marnûkh. Charlie Vickers, Morfydd Clark, Robert Aramayo and Daniel Weyman are among the returning actors.

The third season begins November 11, 2026 on Prime Video. The casting below comes from Prime Video’s updated official Season 3 announcement, not from leaks, fan theories or a claim to have screened the unreleased season.

The six new Season 3 cast members

These are official role announcements. A role description is not a guarantee of an individual character’s fate, screen time or the scene in which they first appear.

Jamie Campbell Bower is Celeborn, Galadriel’s husband

Bower, known to Stranger Things viewers as Vecna, joins as Celeborn, a major figure in Tolkien’s wider Middle-earth stories who has been absent from the series’ on-screen ensemble. Prime Video explicitly calls him Galadriel’s long-lost husband.

That makes this casting more specific than the vague “new Elf” announcement it could have been. It gives viewers a confirmed identity for the newcomer, but does not establish the full explanation for Celeborn’s absence or how his reunion with Galadriel unfolds. Those are story questions for the episodes, not settled production facts.

For the perspective on Galadriel and other adaptation choices in the first 16 episodes, see our spoiler-heavy Rings of Power Seasons 1–2 review.

Simon Pegg voices the Balrog

Prime Video bills Simon Pegg as the voice of the Balrog, rather than as a new human or Elven character. The official casting does not, by itself, provide dialogue, a specific episode appearance or an explanation of how much the creature will speak. Avoid treating a voice credit as proof of a particular line in the trailer.

The creature connects naturally to the Dwarven storyline in Khazad-dûm, but Prime Video’s confirmed credit is narrower than any speculation about its final role in Season 3.

Zubin Varla plays Khamûl of Rhûn

Varla is confirmed as Khamûl, the Easterling of Rhûn. Rhûn is also where the show’s Gandalf storyline has developed, making Khamûl a useful name to know ahead of the premiere.

Tolkien readers may recognize Khamûl from the legendarium’s Ringwraith material. That book association is not confirmation of the exact way the television series will depict his transformation or timeline. Prime Video has confirmed the actor, the character and the connection to Rhûn—not every future plot beat.

Thrain, Anárion and Marnûkh expand three storylines

Eddie Marsan as Thrain adds a member of Durin IV’s family to the Dwarven storyline. Prime Video’s description specifically calls him Durin IV’s older brother; that is the relationship to use when describing this version of the character, rather than substituting a different character relationship from other Tolkien adaptations.

Andrew Richardson as Anárion adds another of Elendil’s sons, and a brother to Isildur, to the Númenórean side of the ensemble. The role is confirmed, but his political choices and arc are not established by the casting list.

Adam Young as Marnûkh brings an Orc described by the distributor as mysterious. The official hint is deliberately limited. It does not confirm a secret identity, hidden allegiance or transformation.

Which actors are returning in Season 3?

Prime Video’s October 21 list names the following returning performers:

This is a list of confirmed returnees, not a ranking of their importance and not a claim that every character appears in all eight episodes. The roster spans the show’s separate Elven, Dwarven, human and wizard storylines without requiring viewers to confuse those arcs.

How the new characters fit the confirmed Season 3 setup

Amazon’s official synopsis advances the story five years after the fall of Eregion. Sauron’s armies are spreading, while Khazad-dûm, Lindon and Rivendell remain among the places holding out. Sauron is working toward the One Ring in Barad-dûr, and the peoples of Middle-earth face the challenge of cooperating against him.

That background explains why the confirmed names matter: Celeborn changes the known Elven cast, Thrain expands Durin’s family, Anárion expands Elendil’s, and Khamûl supplies a named figure from Rhûn. The casting is concrete; predicting who betrays whom or survives the war would be speculation.

If you want to separate the television setup from Tolkien’s account of Sauron’s creation, read The One Ring Explained. It covers the Ring’s function and the crucial difference between confirmed series material and book lore.

When does Season 3 premiere, and how many episodes are there?

The first four episodes arrive on November 11, followed by episodes 5–6 on November 18 and 7–8 on November 25, 2026. Prime Video says the premiere batch is coming to more than 240 countries and territories; that does not automatically prove identical local listings, language options or an exact universal unlock hour.

Our separate Season 3 episode-release schedule maintains the three-date breakdown and explains what remains unconfirmed about release times. The first two seasons are already available on Prime Video.

Frequently asked questions

Who is playing Celeborn in The Rings of Power Season 3?

Jamie Campbell Bower. Prime Video identifies Celeborn as Galadriel’s long-lost husband. It has not confirmed every detail of his eventual on-screen story in the cast announcement.

Is Simon Pegg playing the Balrog?

He is voicing the Balrog. This is an official voice casting, not confirmation of a particular dialogue scene.

Who is Khamûl in Season 3?

Zubin Varla plays Khamûl, an Easterling of Rhûn. Familiarity with the character in Tolkien’s books should not be mistaken for proof of the show’s future plot.

When can viewers see the new cast?

Season 3 starts on November 11, 2026, with four episodes on Prime Video. Which newcomer appears in which episode remains to be seen.