The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Warning : SPOILERS in the lead for The Rings of Power time of year 2 , episodes 1 - 3 .

Charlie Vickers ' Halbrand is revealed to be Sauron inThe Rings of Power , butseason 2 , episode 1 sees a different actor step into the function . Prior toThe Rings of Powerseason 2 ’s premiere , it was revealed that Jack Lowden would play Sauron , even with Vickers returning . Lowden makes his debut as the character in the first installment of the season , and he testify looker on the button why Sauron was so fear before his downfall . Lowden ’s prison term as Sauron is brief inThe ring of Powerseason 2 , but the premiere ’s opening explains why the series bring on another doer .

The newsworthiness thatseason 2 would feature two Sauronsmay have blur some viewers , but longtime fans ofJ.R.R. Tolkien ’s bookslikely suspected where the show was going . Lowden ’s take on Sauron confirm that the series is include a key while of Tolkien ’s lore . It also adds circumstance to Sauron and Adar ’s animus towards one another , explaining numerous element of season 2 in just one scene .

Lord of the Rings The Rings of Power Season 2 Poster Showing Charlie Vickers as Sauron

The Lord of the Rings : The Rings of Power focuses on Sauron ’s plan for the Second Age ; What are they , and what could happen in the hereafter ?

Sauron Is Still A Shapeshifter During The Rings Of Power’s Timeline

The Lord Of The Rings Villain Can Take On Different Forms

Sauron is a shapeshifter inThe Rings of Power ’s timeline , andseason 2 , episode 1 use this to explain Lowden ’s portrayal of the character . The opening vista takes viewers back into the past , decent after Morgoth ’s fall from powerfulness . Sauron seek to put in himself as the new master of the Orcs . He mean to utilise them to enslave the eternal rest of midway - dry land , and he threatens the Orcs with violence if they do n’t abide by . Adar salvage them from serving Sauron , fob Lowden ’s role into countenance him close , then stab him with his own headstall .

Adar kills Sauron during this vista , but the villain ’s story as a shapeshifter permit him to reform subsequently on . This is why Lowden plays the fictitious character inThe Rings of Powerseason 2 ’s premiere ; he has n’t taken the physical body of Halbrand yet , choose for another form instead . This establishes Sauron ’s powers further inThe Rings of Powerseason 2 , and it sets the stage for his debut as Annatar in episode 2 . Vickers still portray Sauron as Annatar , but it ’s not impossible that we ’ll see another version of Sauron form before the Amazon serial publication is over .

Sauron Changes Form When He Recovers From Near-Death Experiences

J.R.R. Tolkien’s Writings Set The Precedent For This

In addition to insert Sauron ’s form - shifting inThe Rings of Powerseason 2,the serial publication establishes how he changes forms through Lowden ’s visual aspect . It seems that Sauron primarily shifts after near - death experiences . Sauron ’s speech during season 2 ’s opening picture hints at this , as he recount the Orcs , " Always after a defeat , the shadow use up another soma . " It makes sense that Sauron would need to ascertain a raw body to inhabit after fall behind the old one . And Tolkien ’s books also set a common law for this , even if they do n’t narrow down it as a rule .

In Tolkien ’s Word of God , Sauron takes the form of Annatar after he and Morgoth are vote out at the end of the First Age . As no one recognize him as Annatar , it ’s safe to seize his original physical body is completely dissimilar . His Annatar form marks his comeback during theSecond Age of Middle - ground , andSauron modify once more after he ’s defeated by the Last Alliance of Elves and Men . He returns as the Necromancer in the Third Age , taking on the form that we see in Peter Jackson’sLord of the Ringsmovies .

Sauron Likely Chose Halbrand, A Mortal Form, To Avoid Being Detected

He Couldn’t Risk Adar Recognizing Him

One might enquire why Sauron take the figure of a deathly man inThe Rings of Powerseason 1 , but his feud with Adar explains this . Sauron is weakened after his initial defeat , and he likely wants to annul detecting from his enemy . Adar would agnise Sauron if he looked the sameas he did during time of year 2 ’s opening scene . By appear as Halbrand , the supposed king of the Southlands , he manages to take to the woods Adar ’s poster even into season 2 .

It ’s possible other enemies would also make out Sauron in his previous form , but dissemble to be Halbrand allows him to gain the trust of mortals and Elves alike .

It ’s potential other foe would also recognize Sauron in his old form , butpretending to be Halbrand permit him to gain the reliance of mortals and Elves likewise . The fact that he ’s seemingly an ordinary man makes people lowball him . They do n’t smell out the danger he poses until theend ofThe Rings of Powerseason 1 . And without an announcement that Sauron is back , he handle to continue fritter away characters like Adar intoThe Rings of Powerseason 2 . This demonstrate how cunning Sauron is with the power of deception on his side .

Jack Lowden and Charlie Vickers as Sauron in The Rings of Power season 2

Custom Image by Yeider Chacon

Galadriel played by Morfydd Clark and Sauron played by Charlie Vickers, wearing full black armour, in The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings of Power season 1 episode 8 finale reflected in the water, transposed over the eye of Sauron.

Jack Lowden as Sauron speaking to the Orcs in The Rings of Power season 2, episode 1

Sauron in Rings of Power episode 8

The Rings of Power