The Witch King....shall rise again!?!

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

Come on, isn't the idea of WK returning say in the Fourth Age intriguing?

Oh Lommy! Should I send a photo of Tolkien to you?!??

Hey, I've never thought of this before, but wasn't their death when Sauron fell a sort of release for them? They were not bound to the half-life they had nor to Sauron's servitude with almost no mind of their own. I never considered LotR from that perspective before. "The Salvation of Ringwraiths", now wouldn't that be anice title for the last book? I would be ready to grant the foolish lords who accepted the rings their rest and peace, but I don't know if this was what Tolkien thought.

I believe when the Rings were gone, they were at last free so they could do whatever they want, meaning, they had free will. However, I believe even their free will was to side with Sauron in the beginning (or at least most of them - though Gandalf implies some might have had good heart originally). Nevertheless, after such a long enslavement, I don't believe they were able to return to the "good side". And, and that's the main point, their life, or unlife, rather, was held only by the Rings, resp. the Ring. I believe that at the moment the One was destroyed and they killed, they died (as WCH with whom I crossed due to my WW issues rightly said).