The Lord of the Rings is full of mysterious prophecies, but one of the most intriguing is that made by the Witch-king of Angmar in relation to Saruman. The Witch-king, one of Sauron’s most powerful followers, is known for being an automaton, decayed by his Ring of Power and a slave to Sauron. However, in an Unfinished Tales chapter, it is revealed that the Witch-king foresaw Wormtongue’s betrayal of Saruman.
The Witch-king’s prophecy occurred around the time of the events of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers movie and is described in the chapter “The Hunt for the Ring” of Unfinished Tales, published posthumously in 1980. The chapter describes what happened behind-the-scenes as Gandalf rode from Edoras, with the Witch-king and Wormtongue in attendance, searching for the Ring.
According to the prophecy, the Witch-king perceived Wormtongue as evil and that he would harm Saruman. Therefore, he released Wormtongue instead of killing him, suggesting that the Witch-king’s knowledge in this instance was more insightful than simply recognizing Wormtongue’s treachery. This complex interplay of culpability creates the rich grayscale morality of Lord of the Rings, keeping readers and viewers invested in the fates of its characters.
The Lord of the Rings is a franchise that includes movies and a TV show released by Amazon, titled The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s book series that began in 1954 with The Fellowship of the Ring. The franchise has seen mainstream popularity with Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.