Sauron

**Sauron** (also known as the eponymous **Lord of the Rings**, originally called **Mairon**) is the series' main antagonist. He appears as the overarching antagonist of *The Hobbit* and the titular main antagonist of *The Lord of the Rings* series.

He was originally born as **Mairon**, a fallen Maia corrupted by Morgoth, once known as the fallen Vala Melkor. Sauron planned to dominate all of Middle-Earth through the One Ring and control the other Rings of Power.

## Biography

### Origins

Sauron was originally a Maia (angelic spirit) called **Mairon** who fell under the influence of the first Dark Lord, the fallen Vala Melkor who was cruelly nicknamed Morgoth. Sauron was stronger than many of the other Maiar, including Olorin (Gandalf) and Curumo, or Saruman, who was akin to Sauron in that they were originally associated with the Vala Aulë.

### First Age

In the First Age, Sauron served as a lieutenant of Morgoth, conquering the fortress of Minas Tirith and turning it into a stronghold of Werewolves, Tol-in-Guarhoth. Sauron himself was known as a sorcerer, hunter and could shapeshift into a werewolf and vampire bat himself. He was banished by Lúthien to Taur-nu-Fuin, which became a dark forest land, and eventually escaped the catacylsm of Beleriand.

Sauron repented his evil deeds in fear of the wrath of the Valar. He was then ordered to return to Valinor and receive the judgement of the Valar. Sauron was not willing to suffer such humiliation and so he fled and hid himself in the far east of Middle-earth.

### The Second Age

By the S.A. 500, Sauron decided that the Valar had forgotten about Middle-earth and he once again turned to evil continued his master's work; many Men in East and South, already corrupted by Morgoth, turned to evil following him. In SA 882, Gil-galad sensed a shadow rising and warned the King of Numenor accordingly. In the year 1000 of the Second Age, Sauron settled in Mordor and began construction on his dark tower, Barad-dûr.

In SA 1075 he appeared in his fair, humanoid form as Annatar, Lord of Gifts, and came into contact of the High Elves. Galadriel, Cirdan, Elrond and Gil Galad didn't trust him, although they didn't know who he truly was. Thirsty for knowledge, Celebrimbor put his faith in Annatar, admitting him into his craftsmen guild in his realm of Eregion.

#### Forging of the Great Rings

Annatar made the smiths of Eregion forge Rings of Power in SA 1500. He personally helped forge 15 or 16 of them, of which nine were given to kings of Men (Numenorean Lords settled in Middle Earth, as well as lords of Harad, Forod and Rhun) and seven given to the Dwarf Lords.

Celebrimbor made three Rings for the Elves in secret so the Elves' rings would not be affected, and in SA 1600 Sauron secretly made the One Ring, infused with his own blood, in the fires of Mount Doom.

Through it, he achieved control over the owners of the Nine, who became the Ringwraiths, and began driving the Elves Back. He was unable to enter the nearby Dwarvish realm of Moria, but he did capture two of the Dwarven Rings, probably from the Dwarf Lords in the Mountains of the East. The Dark Days of Sauron's dominion began.

#### War of Sauron and the Elves

Sauron sacked Eregion and captured Celebrimbor, who would not surrender the location of the Elven Rings. Sauron put him to death and desecrated his body. Gil-galad declared war on the Dark Lord, and Elrond his warlord established a forward outpost in Rivendell, into which refugees of Eregion came. Help soon arrived from Numenor to drive Sauron back, and his army was defeated near the Sarn Ford and withdrew to Tharbad where he was reinforced. But the Númenórean admiral Ciryatur had sent a fleet up the river Gwathló and Sauron's army was attacked in the rear and utterly defeated. The Dark Lord fled back to Mordor, but maintained control over Anorien, Harad and much of Rhun.

#### In Numenor

Eventually, Sauron's forces were routed by a huge assault of Numenorean ships under Ar Pharazon, the greatest but most vain king. Sauron, still in his fair guise, surrendered and was taken prisoner to the island, where he began poisoning the mind of the king with promises of power and immortality.

Eventually, he became free and took the position of advisor, making the King hunt those faithful to the Elves, forsaking the rituals of Numenor and even initiate human sacrifice in honor of Morgoth. Finally, Ar-Pharazon was compelled to assault Valinor by force with his ships, being led by Sauron to believe such a deed would grant him immortality.

Instead, it resulted in the Valar calling upon Eru to bend the world into a sphere, which resulted in a cataclysm that drowned Ar-Pharazon's forces and the island itself. Sauron's spirit survived, but his fair physical form was ruined and he reappeared in Middle Earth as a misshapen, burnt figure, usually covered by his armor. He reclaimed his Ring and the Dark Days continued.

#### Last Alliance of Men and Elves

Several of the Faithful, led by Elendil, evaded Sauron's grasp and managed to sail to Middle Earth ahead of the cataclysm, bearing with them the Palantiri. They established the realms of Arnor in the North, and Gondor in the South, right beside Sauron's realm of Mordor. They allied themselves with Gil-galad and Oropher and set out to war against the armies of Mordor. The Elven Kings Oropher and Amorth are slain in this war, succeeded by Thranduil and Galadriel.

In the Battle of Dagorlad, they faced Sauron himself. His touch torched Gil-galad and brought an end to the line of the High Kings of the Noldor, and he slew Elendil with his mace, and broke his sword Narsil. He would have killed Elendil's son Isildur with his hot touch, but Isildur used the shards of Narsil to cut the Ring off his hand, which caused Sauron's already ruined form to disintegrate. Sauron's Ring is claimed by Isildur, who refuses to destroy it at Mount Doom, and when he's killed by renegade Orcs, the Ring is lost to the depths of the Anduin.

### Third Age

In the Third Age that ensued, Sauron's spirit remained incorporeal, but his much of his forces (Orcs, Trolls and Wargs) remained at large, and his nine Ringwraiths soon reappeared. They set some of the people of Harad and Rhun against the Free People of Middle Earth, conquered the Gondorian city of Minas Ithil near Mordor, and their leader the Witch King established the Kingdom of Angmar which harassed and ultimately destroyed the realm of Arnor. The defeat of Angmar ushered in the Watchful Peace, but Maiar in the form of old Wizards were sent to Middle Earth to guard against Sauron's possible return, and with them Galadriel established the White Council to guard against the possible return of Sauron.

The evil of Angmar causes the Ring to be found by Stoor Riverfolk, and Gollum takes it into the Misty Mountains, which later become infested with Orcs and Goblins from Angmar, who overrun Moria, as well. The Dwarves who fled Moria into the Grey Mountains and Erebor are later driven out by dragons, resulting in the loss of four more Rings, and the sack of Erebor by the dragon Smaug. The Dwarves try to reclaim Moria in vain.

#### Reappearance as The Necromancer

In TA 2940, Sauron secretly reappeared. He allied himself with Smaug and with the chiefs of the Gundabad Orcs of the Misty Mountains, Azog and his son Bolg. Azog payed homage to Sauron and gave him Thror's Ring, the last of the Seven, which he captured from Thráin II at the Battle of Moria a hundred years prior.

Sauron released the Ringwraiths from their entombment in the High Fells of Rhudaur. With Azog as his champion, he wanted to re-establish the realm of Angmar, with which he could attack the Elven realms of Greenwood, Lorien, Rivendell and Lindon, and holds the Dwarves of the Iron Hills at bay. This, he reasoned, would leave the Mannish realms of Gondor and Rohan isolated when he himself returned to Mordor.

To do so, he settled in the ruined, abandoned fortress of Dol Guldur and summoned Moria Orcs and Wargs to its cesspitts. He intended to begin his plan by taking Erebor, expanding Angmar's domain further east and cornering the people of Rhovanion. This would also give him access to the riches of Erebor and allow him to unleash Smaug on the nearby realms. Azog, he reasoned, would be his champion, but the Orc for his part simply wanted vengeance upon Thorin Oakenshield who humiliated him in the Battle of Moria and had since gone to the Blue Mountains. The Necromancer promised him Thorin's head.

##### *The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey*

Sauron's presence cast a shadow over the world, particularly around Greenwood where Dol Guldur was positioned. The forest grew sick and dark, and the woodsmen who lived there began calling it Mirkwood, and identified Sauron as The Necromancer, a human sorcerer.

Sauron bred giant Spiders of the spawn of Ungoliant (through Shelob) in the ruins of Dol Guldur, and they were spotted in Rhosgobel in the South of Mirkwood, the home of Radagast the Brown, one of the Five Wizards.

Finding this act suspicious, the Brown wizard goes to investigate Dol Guldur before he is attacked by the resurrected Witch-king. Radagast averted the attack and seized the specter's dagger, the Morgul Blade. Radagast later sees the Necromancer from the shadows, but immediately leaves, barely escaping with his life from the Bats which reside in the fort, and set out to find Gandalf.

Sauron's influence extended beyond the Misty Mountains, where Trolls came down from the Ettenmoors and raided a farm on the outskirts of Staddle. This, along with spies of Azog sent to locate Thorin, aroused the suspicion of Gandalf the Grey Wizard just as Radagast came to warn him and gave him the Morgul Blade as proof. At this point, the Orc Yazneg began hunting Thorin and Company (with whom Gandalf was in train) in the name of Azog, partially out of vengeance and partially because Sauron wanted to stop them from reclaiming Erebor or slaying the dragon.

When the company arrived in Rivendell, Gandalf took his case to the White Council. Saruman and Elrond were skeptical, saying that an isolated Orc attack and Troll infestation are "hardly a prelude to war", but Galadriel believed Gandalf - saying that "something moves in the shadows unseen" and that "every day it grows in strength" - and the reveal of the Morgul Blade started convincing Elrond as well.

Sauron's evil drew the Ring out of its hiding with Gollum under the Misty Mountains. It intentionally fell out of Gollum's pocket in order to be acquired by a Goblin imp who fell into his cavern, but Gollum killed the Goblin. Bilbo, a Hobbit and a member of Thorin's company, was captured by the Goblins and fell with the imp, ends up taking the Ring, which he manages to keep a secret of all but Gollum (whom he evades) and Gandalf.

#### *The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug*

Sauron tells Azog to stay in Dol Guldur and ready the army, and the Orc sends his son Bolg after the company in his own stead. Beorn helps keep them off of the company's back, telling Gandalf that Orcs infest the Anduin Vales and that Moria Orcs are gathering in Dol Guldur. As the company enter Mirkwood, Gandalf sees the sign of the Red Eye (being Sauron's banner) which compels him to go and investigate the High Fells which he finds open from the inside.

Gandalf sets for Dol Guldur, and asks Radagast to summon Galadriel. He discovered Thrain lost in Dol Guldur, as well as the hidden Orc armies in the cesspits, but is confronted by Azog and finally by Sauron himself. Gandalf is unable to save Thrain, but fends Sauron off before he is revealed in his true form and identity.

Sauron has informed Smaug of the company's approach, but when Bolg tracks the Dwarves to Laketown he sends messengers to inform Sauron that Thorin had already left for Erebor. In turn, Sauron unleashes his army which marches towards the mountain under Azog's leadership.

#### *The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies*

Sauron kept Gandalf imprisoned, hoping to draw the keepers of the other two Elven Rings to him. He retrieves the Morgul Blade from him, and his Orc Dungeon Keeper nearly harvests the Elven Ring of Fire from the wizard when Galadriel had come to rescue him. However, as she and an unconscious Gandalf leave, they were cornered by the Nazgul, but Elrond and Saruman were not far behind, and aided her as Radagast entered and was able to get Gandalf out.

After the Nine are defeated, Sauron appears himself, but is banished by Galadriel who appears in wrath and uses her phial. Her power is spent (and the High Elves begin their retreat from Middle Earth) but Sauron is banished into the East. Elrond suggests that he will likely return to Mordor, and tells Saruman to warn Gondor to reset their watch on the Dark Land. The Wizard reassures him and tells him to take Galadriel back to her country and leave Sauron to him.

Meanwhile, Sauron's army (reinforced by Bolg's army of Gundabad) arrives at the mountain but is held back by the armies of Dale and the Woodland Realm (which have gathered there to besiege Thorin in Erebor for the sake of earning remunerations from his hoard) and of the Iron Hills (sent to Thorin's aid). Azog risks the course of the battle to draw Thorin out, and is defeated by the dwarf (who is dealt a mortal wound) and Legolas slays Bolg, while the Gundabad Army is defeated by the Great Eagles and Beorn, summoned by Radagast.

In the ensuing years, Gandalf left to deal with Sauron (namely through joining in with the Dunedain led by Aragorn) and Saruman settled in Isengard, near Gondor, to keep an eye on Mordor. He retrieved a Palantir from Dol Guldur, but when he used it to track Sauron, he was ensnared by the Dark Lord who held the Palantir of Minas Ithil. Another user of the Palantiri to be driven mad by Sauron was Denethor, steward of Gondor. The reappearance of Sauron compelled the High Elves to begin leaving Middle Earth.

## *The Lord of the Rings*

### *The Fellowship of the Ring*

Sauron reclaimed Mordor and began reconstructing Barad-dur, and the Nazgul returned to Minas Morgul. He captured Gollum (who left his cave to search the Ring) and learned that the Ring was found and taken by "Baggins" to the "Shire". He sent the Nine to find it, while launching an attack on the ruined city of Osgiliath as a distraction, conquering the city before Boromir son of Denethor retrieved it. He tasked Saruman with building a second Orc army, which he would unleash against Rohan.

Meanwhile, the Ringwraiths menace the Ring-bearer, Frodo Baggins, but Aragorn heir of Elendil gets him to safety in Rivendell, where its decided he will take the Ring to Mount Doom and destroy it.

### *The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers*

Sauron began calling upon the Haradrim and Easterlings who came to Mordor, and once such force was raided by rangers led by Faramir, Boromir's brother. Sauron, seeking the Ring, later launched another attack on Osgiliath while Saruman besieged Helm's Deep. When the Ring (carried by Frodo and Sam) was removed from the city, he withdrew his attack. He thinks the Ring is in Gondor.

The defeat at Helm's Deep informed Sauron of the resurgence of the heir of Elendil, and troubled him with the prospect of the Free People of Middle Earth uniting against him. He decided to accelerate his plan to raze the Gondorian capital of Minas Tirith. Meanwhile, he also launched assaults against Lorien, the Woodland Realm and Dale, which were repelled.

### *The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King*

Sauron is revealed to Pippin through the Palantir captured from the defeated Saruman, thinking he is the Hobbit who has the Ring. Pippin, however, has a glimpse into Sauron's mind, alerting the others of the Dark Lord's plan to destroy Minas Tirith. The Dark Lord's forces besiege the city, but are held back by its defenders, temporarily routed by the arrival of the Rohirrim and finally defeated by Aragorn who summons the Dead Men of Dunharrow. He is then confronted by Aragorn through Denethor's Palantir, shown the reforged Narsil. His evil adversly affects Elrond's daughter Arwen, whom he shows to Aragorn, her lover, as if she were dead.

Meanwhile, Frodo the Ringbearer is captured on the borders of his land in Cirith Ungol. While he is rescued by his friend Samwise, his Orc captor, Shagrat, escapes with Frodo's Mithril Vest which he brings to Barad Dur. Sauron has him killed, but assumes that Frodo is just a spy. He sends the Vest with his messenger, The Mouth of Sauron, to dismay Gandalf with the idea that Frodo had died. His Eye nearly spots Frodo as he and Sam pass near Barad Dur, but when Aragorn slays the Mouth, it draws Sauron's attention to him instead. He contacts Aragorn psychically, but is unable to sway his mind and a battle ensues at the Black Gate.

Only when Frodo claims the Ring in the Crack of Doom does Sauron sense the Ring's presence and perceives Gandalf's plan to destroy the Ring. He sends the Nazul to it, but it is destroyed when it falls into the lava with Gollum, and Sauron is finally defeated.

## Behind the scenes

* Benedict Cumberbath plays Sauron in *The Hobbit.*  In *The Lord of the Rings*, Salah Baker plays Sauron, whom Alan Howard voices.
* The characters who have direct contact with Sauron are Saruman, Pippin Took, Galadriel, Azog, Gandalf and Elrond.

### Similarities with non-Tolkien villains

* Sauron is similar to *Star Wars* villain Palpatine and Harry Potter villain Lord Voldemort
	+ All three had a hatred of a certain race
		- Sauron hated elves and humans,
		- Palpatine hated non-human races and
		- Lord Voldemort hated those who weren't Pure blood and muggles
	+ They also wish to rule over their respective kingdoms forever
		- Middle-earth for Sauron
		- Galaxy for Palpatine
		- wizarding world for Lord Voldemort.
	+ All wish to be immortal
	+ However, their deaths are both brought upon by the hero in the final installment.
		- Frodo and mostly Gollum destroys Sauron's One Ring, thus Sauron's soul in *The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King*.
		- While Vader kills Palpatine the first time, Rey is ultimately the one who destroys Palpatine once and for all in *The Rise of Skywalker*.
		- Harry kills Lord Voldemort in a duel in *The Deathly Hallows*.
	+ Finally, peace ensues after their defeat and they are never able to regain physical form again.
* Sauron served as inspiration for the *My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic* villain King Sombra.

1. ↑ The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 *The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring*
3. ↑ *The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers*
4. ↑ *The Lord of the Ring: The Return of the King*
5. ↑ It his heavily implied that Sauron sent them to feed on Mirkwood and Rhosgobel animals.