In J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, who is the Lord of the Nazgûl?

In J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, the Lord of the Nazgûl is the Witch-king of Angmar.

The Witch-king is the chief of the nine Ringwraiths, or Nazgûl, servants of Sauron. Tolkien does not reveal his personal name. His title connects him with the northern kingdom of Angmar, which he ruled during the Third Age. From there, he fought the Dúnedain kingdoms and destroyed Arnor’s successor realm of Arthedain.

In The Lord of the Rings, the Witch-king commands Sauron’s forces and leads the assault on Minas Tirith. He is defeated on the Pelennor Fields by Éowyn and Merry, whose actions fulfill the prophecy that he would not be killed by a man. This wording is sometimes misunderstood: Éowyn is a woman, while Merry is a male hobbit, but neither is a conventional human man.

The Witch-king is distinct from Khamûl, the only other Nazgûl Tolkien identifies by name.