Why Sauron Can Change Form on The Rings of Power

As a devoted scholar of Middle-earth lore, I must say that this latest twist in “The Rings of Power” is nothing short of captivating! It’s always fascinating to see how creators adapt and expand upon J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterpiece, while still staying true to its essence.

This post contains spoilers for The Rings of Power through Season 2, Episode 3.

In the fresh installment of “The Rings of Power“, it kicks off subtly introducing Sauron, though his identity might not be immediately recognizable. The initial scene is a flashback to the Second Age’s commencement, where Sauron endeavors to claim authority following the vanquishing of his former master, the dark overlord Morgoth, by celestial beings known as the Valar, elves, and men. However, this isn’t the same Sauron we encountered earlier in the series. Instead, a new actor portrays him, hinting that Sauron may undergo multiple transformations throughout the show.

In Season 1, the role of the dark lord was taken up by Charlie Vickers. However, in this particular scene from Season 2, Jack Lowden steps into the part. Known for his roles in “Slow Horses,” “Dunkirk,” and an interesting tidbit – being married to Oscar-nominated actress Saoirse Ronan.

I’m not Sauron myself, but I can tell you that he doesn’t maintain this form for long in our story. After Adar, played by Sam Hazeldine (replacing Joseph Mawle from Season 1), and his orcs kill this version of Sauron, he transforms into a pile of black goo, much like the Spider-Man villain Venom. He then moves on to consuming insects, progresses to snacking on humans, and eventually assumes the form of Halbrand (also known as Vickers). Later in the season, Sauron changes his appearance once more, though not as dramatically, when he adopts a flat-ironed blonde wig to disguise himself as a god-like being named Annatar.

As a dedicated film enthusiast, I find myself pondering over these recent transformations. Let me share with you the fascinating details about Sauron, his roots in J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic The Lord of the Rings series, and the various shapes he assumed throughout the tales.

Why can Sauron change forms?

According to Tolkien’s mythology, Sauron is a spiritual being akin to an angel, known as a Maia. Over time, he falls into darkness and corruption. One of Sauron’s significant abilities is the power to transform himself into various forms.

Originally, Sauron was a servant to the malevolent ruler Morgoth. Following Morgoth’s downfall, Sauron endeavored to seize Morgoth’s throne. In the Amazon Prime series, The Rings of Power, Jack Lowden portrays this version of Sauron.

Adar, as you may know, is a unique character from the fictional universe of “The Rings of Power”. There’s no documentation within J.R.R. Tolkien’s works that provides details about who Adar is or what actions he took. Unlike Sauron, who transformed after Morgoth’s defeat in Tolkien’s narrative, there’s no evidence (as far as we can tell) that Sauron was slain and then reborn by a rival.

However, in the series, after Sauron is killed by Adar, he releases a beam of light before transforming into a pool of black goo. Later, by ingesting the flesh of various entities, he assumes a humanoid shape, adopts the identity of Halbrand, and falsely presents himself as the long-lost monarch of the Southern Realms.

Why does Sauron take on a new body?

In theory, Sauron might assume the appearance of actor Jack Lowden once more. However, it seems he chooses not to do so. This is because many, such as Adar and Galadriel, would be cautious of Sauron in this guise. By adopting a fresh disguise, Sauron deceives his adversaries.

1. Disguising himself as Halbrand, Sauron managed to slip into the Southlands and approach Adar without being discovered. During Season 1, Adar was unaware that Halbrand and Sauron were one and the same, believing he had killed Sauron. As the story unfolds in Season 2, when Adar captures “Halbrand,” he remains convinced that the man before him is the ruler of the Southlands, oblivious to the fact that he has captured the dark lord in disguise.

It’s uncertain what appearance Sauron had while fighting alongside Morgoth. If by chance he resembled Jack Lowden, the elves like Galadriel might identify him when they crossed paths: After all, Sauron was responsible for the death of her brother, Finrod, and Galadriel has been pursuing him ever since.

Why does Annatar look so much like Halbrand?

In J.R.R. Tolkien’s works, Sauron takes on a particularly appealing guise when he encounters the elven-smith Celebrimbor. He disguises himself as Annatar, a title that means “lord of gifts” in one of Tolkien’s invented languages.

In this adaptation of Tolkien’s work, Celebrimbor encounters Sauron under the guise of Halbrand, a character specifically created for the show. The elves in this version are gradually losing their eternal lifespan. To combat this, Halbrand assists Celebrimbor in finding a way to transform the precious metal mithril into jewelry that can sustain the elves. Originally, Celebrimbor intended to craft a crown from this metal.

At the close of Season 1, Sauron unveils his true self to Galadriel. Given this revelation, Galadriel had the chance to disclose Halbrand’s real identity to Celebrimbor immediately. However, she opted to keep Sauron’s deception a secret, reasoning that the elves would benefit more from the potent mithril jewelry if it was distributed among multiple individuals rather than concentrated in one elf’s possession. As a result, Galadriel suggested to Celebrimbor that they forge three rings instead of one, thus dispersing the mithril’s power among three elves.

Galadriel cautions Celebrimbor against collaborating with Halbrand once more without providing explicit reasons. However, this does not stop Sauron from attempting to persuade Celebrimbor to grant him access to his workshop for a second occasion, disregarding the ambiguous advice given by Galadriel.

In Episode 2, Sauron disguises himself as Halbrand initially, but later unveils his true identity as Annatar, a messenger from the gods, to Celebrimbor. He claims he has been subtly aiding Celebrimbor in gaining divine insight all along, and only now reveals his identity because of their growing bond. To emphasize this revelation, Sauron changes his appearance into an elf that closely resembles Halbrand but with long blonde hair and pointed ears. It seems Sauron believes that elves with elegant hairstyles are more attractive compared to humans like Aragorn might find them.

Celebrimbor might have been swayed by this argument, perhaps due to his ambition to be known as the most renowned blacksmith in all of Middle-earth’s history. Coincidentally, the emissary sent by Gil-galad, the elf king, to alert Celebrimbor about Halbrand’s true self was tragically slain during the journey to Celebrimbor’s forge.

Why is Sauron just a big, burning eye in The Lord of the Rings movies?

Peter Jackson’s films depart slightly from the source material regarding Sauron’s resurrection. In the books, when Sauron is vanquished, he discards his bodily form and persists as a spirit. However, by the events unfolding in The Lord of the Rings, it’s depicted that he manages to reconstruct a physical body again. The book, The Hobbit, hints at Sauron assuming the guise of “the Necromancer” and imprisoning Gandalf. Furthermore, in The Fellowship of the Ring, Gollum observes Sauron as a shadowy figure with a missing finger while being tormented in Mordor.

Until he acquires the ring, his body is frail and susceptible, making him more of a subtle influence in the books rather than a powerful physical entity. Instead, his minions often carry out his malevolent deeds for him. The flaming eye, as depicted in the text, serves less as a tangible embodiment of Sauron and more as a tool or symbol.

In Jackson’s films, instead of a mere vague presence for the villain, something more intimidating was required. So, Jackson opted for a striking visual and often portrayed Sauron as a burning eye perched atop the ominous tower, Barad-dûr. This eye turns towards Frodo each time he dons the One Ring.

In the Lord of the Rings movies, Sauron manifests twice: firstly, during a flashback depicting the fight between Sauron and the Elves-and-Men alliance at the end of the Second Age, which could be the climax of the upcoming Rings of Power TV show. Secondly, when Aragorn peers into a mystical artifact called a palantir, he encounters Sauron in his dark armor. Peter Jackson portrayed a somewhat humanoid version of Sauron as the Necromancer in the Hobbit movies.

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2024-08-29 17:08