The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Warning : Spoilers for Rings of Power time of year 2 ahead !
The Lord of the Rings : The Rings of Powerintroduces Suaron ’s Annatar- here ’s how the disguise come to be , what Sauron used it for , and why he stops shape - shifting in belated long time . One of the most illustrious fancied villains of all time he may be , but Sauron ’s physical appearance has always remained somewhat ambiguous . J.R.R. Tolkien describes Sauron in only the vague possible terminus , and the popularized image of a towering warrior in black armour or aflaming eye atop Barad - dûrcome mostly from Peter Jackson’sThe Lord of the Ringsmovie trilogy .
Tolkien begin a little more descriptive about Sauron ’s show inMiddle - earth ’s Second Age , which provides the stage setting for Amazon’sThe Rings of PowerTV series . In canon , Sauron is licking his lesion surveil Morgoth ’s licking . Upon finally reappearing , he takes the camouflage of " Annatar , " which Tolkien labels a " fair form " without everreallyoffering firm inside information . AsAnnatar plays a major theatrical role inThe Rings of Powerseason 2 , here ’s everything Middle - world mythology reveals about Sauron ’s favorite face .
The Dark Lord assumes many forms throughout the Lord of the Rings creation , but his line and historic period can be traced back to one period in Eä ’s history .
Sauron’s Shape-shifting Powers Explained
Sauron’s Status As A Maia Gives Him The Ability To Change His Shape
Though best lie with for his oeuvre in the field of warmongering , Sauron began as one of the Maiar- primordial , angel - adjacent , immortal spirit create as servants to the God of Tolkien ’s world , Eru Ilúvatar . Sauron would be corrupt by Melkor ( later known as Morgoth ) , who was a higher - place smell move around malign through rapacity , green-eyed monster , and anger . All Maiar possess the ability to assume whatever forcible cast they want , and many apply this gift to jumble unseen among Elves and other Children of Ilúvatar . Sauron had other ideas , andexploited his figure - shifting to create a one - mankind Halloween political party of guises .
DuringJ.R.R. Tolkien ’s First Age , Sauron would change embodiment as a means of inspiring reverence within his enemies . As the Second Age begin , he perhaps realized the opposite would prove more in force , and returned to center - earth as " Annatar . " describe by Tolkien as a " fair manakin , " the generator never offers a vindicated account of Annatar ’s handsome visage , but taking into consideration the kingdoms who accepted him as a appreciate friend , many have logically assume Sauron ’s Annatar descriptor was consanguineous to an Elf or Númenórean .
The " Annatar " name was part of Sauron ’s deception too . The parole intend " Lord of Gifts " in the Quenya language of Elves - an allusion to how he promised knowledge , aureole , wealth and power to all those who heeded his great Wisdom of Solomon .
Custom Image by Yailin Chacon
How Annatar Deceived Middle-earth’s Elves
Annatar Took Advantage Of The Elves Desires
Sauron ’s first guild of business as " Annatar " was deceiving the Elves , and duly made for Eregion , where the race ’s best smiths welcome him . It ’s significant to note that not all Elves trust Annatar . The likes ofElrond , Gil - galad and Galadrielall deduced the newcomer ’s promises were too skillful to be reliable , and Annatar would n’t embark near Lindon or Lothlórien as a consequence . Furthermore , none of the Elves - not even the leery ones - realized the two-faced Annatar was really Sauron in camouflage .
Sauron ’s purpose in Eregion was creating the Rings of Power . As a Maia , Sauron had serve under Aulë , widely considered the god of blacksmiths and worship by midget . Consequently , Sauron knew as much about craftsmanship as he did dark conjuration , and he put both to oeuvre while in Eregion . The Elves were bang-up to craft Rings of Power , and Sauron willingly offer his godly expertness on the matter . As recounted inThe Fellowship of the Ring , Sauron betrayed his fresh Quaker by waver a method of corrupting those who wore the Rings into their forging .
As recount in The Fellowship of the Ring , Sauron betrayed his novel friends by weaving a method acting of corrupting those who tire the Rings into their forging .
Thesixteen Rings of Power subsequently held by gnome and Menwere directly influence by Annatar . The Elves ' three Rings were crafted by Celebrimbor personally , but still using Sauron ’s sinister method . Annatar then skulked back to Mordor and made his Ruling Ring , and only when Galadriel , Gil - galad and Círdan slipped on their three Rings did the Elves at last realize how badly they ’d messed up .
Did Sauron Use His Annatar Form On Númenor?
Sauron Might Have Taken A Different Form
Over a thousand years after assay to enslave center - earth using the Rings of Power and failing , Sauron once again stood on the brink of frustration when an army of Númenóreans lead by Ar - Pharazôn sailed to midway - land , greatly aggrieved that the Dark Lord had declare himself the earth ’s undisputed swayer . sense impending defeat , Sauron mortify himself before thetyrannical King of Númenorand was taken prisoner .
There ’s a swarm of ambiguity over which physical bod Sauron take on during his sentence on the island realm . Tolkien ’s publish heavily suggeststhe baddie once again transform into a " bonny " physical body , but never explicitly states whether Sauron recycled Annataror picked something more befitting for his deadly hosts , and convincing arguments can be made both ways . Whatever he might ’ve attend like , Sauron did n’t mystify with the " Annatar " moniker , since the multitude of Númenor already knew his honest identity .
Sauron rise from a prisoner to Ar - Pharazôn ’s most value advisor , at last convincing the King to embark on a foolhardy violation on Valinor .
As he did with the Elves , Sauron charmed and manipulated those around him in Númenor . Instead of forebode talent and lore , however , he stoked theNúmenóreans ' exist anger toward the Valar , pushing them toward worshiping Morgoth or else . Sauron rose from a prisoner to Ar - Pharazôn ’s most value adviser , ultimately convert the King to enter on a foolhardy rape on Valinor .
Why Annatar Isn’t In The Lord Of The Rings
Numenor’s Downfall Ended Sauron’s Ability To Change Shape
The Lord of the Ringsfans get word Annatar ’s exploits for the first time may find themselves inquire why Sauron did n’t slip on this disguise to infiltrate the Shire or trick Frodo into handing over the One Ring . The solution is uncomplicated enough : Sauron lost his ability to mold - shift after the Second Age . The incident on Númenor invoked Eru Ilúvatar ’s worshipful wrath , and Arda ’s usually - distanced deity step in now by pass over the island from his map and reshaping the realm to push Valinor out of ambit . As part of Sauron ’s personal punishment , Eru steal away the Maia ’s ability to take a middling form .
After the fall of Númenor , therefore , Sauron can only take his non-white and dreadful form - the one Peter Jackson portray as a tower foe clad in black armor . This shape’struedesign will stay forever ambiguous , but Tolkien does twice make consultation to black hands .
How The Rings Of Power Season 2 Adapts Annatar
Prime Video Put A Twist On Annatar’s Deception
J.R.R. Tolkien does n’t indite about Annatar ’s legerdemain in outstanding item . The specific of how Sauron gained the Elves ' trust and how he convince them to honor his malign design are deliberately left to the reader ’s imagination . Most imagined Annatar showing up in Eregion , and Celebrimbor just volitionally trusted him , butRings of Powerseason 2 put a bit of a twist on this . SinceCelebrimbor already met Halbrand , and Annatar look basically the same , it was confuse how the elf could mayhap have been befool . However , the answer work to Sauron ’s own notorious ability for manipulation .
Celebrimbor already know that he was n’t supposed to do by with Halband inRings of Powerseason 2 , but he never got the news that the man was really Sauron . The Dark Lord need vantage of this and demonstrated his shapeshifting ability by transforming from Halbrand into Annatar right before Celebrimbor . He misled the elf into believing that he was an envoy sent by the Valar — an honor that made Celebrimbor find oh so peculiar . This was spectacularly clever since , as a Maia , Sauron was only one-half lying .
This was spectacularly ingenious since , as a Maia , Sauron was only half lying .
The Prime Video serial incur plenty of room to color between Tolkien ’s lines , explore on the nose what Annatar look like and how he was able-bodied to sweet-talk Eregion ’s Elves into such a massive act of self - destruction . Rings of Powerseason 2 has bring off to smartly tie Annatar in , rationalize Celebrimbor ’s foolishness , and surprise even the most knowledgable Tolkien enthusiasts — not an sluttish feat .
