The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power Season 2 Reveals Sauron's True Form

This post contains spoilers for the first episode of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" season 2.

"The Rings of Power" may not have been the show fans of "The Lord of the Rings" thought they wanted, but it is a staggering work of fantasy fiction that captures the spirit of Tolkien and his world-building. Looking back at season 1, one of the boldest choices was making Sauron one of the main characters in the form of the human Halbrand. It's as subversive as it is entertaining, one that is all about trickery, with Sauron fooling Galadriel while also hitting at one of Tolkien's most fascinating ideas — a repentant Sauron. Can we trust him when he says he genuinely regrets his decisions? Can Sauron ever think of doing something good?

That is the question at the heart of the season 2 premiere of "Rings of Power," which takes us all the way back to the Dawn of the Second Age to show a different Sauron, one at the height of his powers, just after the defeat of Morgoth. In the episode, this earlier version of Sauron, played by "Slow Horses" actor Jack Lowden, gives a speech to a legion of orcs in a mountain cave, trying to convince them to follow him, despite very concerned looks from Adar. 

But it doesn't matter if you are a former Maia and a renowned disciple of Aulë: You can still lose the popular vote. No sooner does Sauron make his passionate speech than the legion of orcs shanks him like he's a narc in a prison drama. But that's not all, because we know Sauron can't die that easily. Rather, the coup by Adar and the orcs reveals something not even the Peter Jackson movies have shown before — Sauron's true form. No, it is not the fiery eye, nor even a shadow, but a symbiote that seems like it's straight out of the pages of a Marvel comic.

That's right, Sauron, future Lord of the Rings, turns into a sentient pile of goo after being betrayed by his armies, wandering Middle-earth for who knows how long, slithering and absorbing vermin to survive. That is, until he takes the form of Charlie Vickers' Halbrand.

This reveal raises several questions, starting with how exactly that symbiote version of the character turned into Halbrand. Right before the black goo turns into Charlie Vickers, we see only a woman driving a wagon and Sauron attacking her. Given we don't see another human in the wagon, the most logical conclusion is that Sauron can just assimilate the race of whatever creature he absorbs, then mold it at will, like he's creating a character in "Baldur's Gate III."

If this is true, then it makes for an interesting twist on the canon. In the books, Sauron is a shapeshifter and assumes many forms including a wolf, a serpent, and a vampire, in addition to a man and an elf. That power is one shared with many other Maiar, primordial spirits created to help shape the world. There are many Maiar in the Tolkien mythos, and among them are the spirits who would be incarnated into the Five Wizards, or Istari (which includes Gandalf, who seems likely to be The Stranger in "Rings of Power"), as well as Maiar who would go to Middle-earth and take the form of Balrog after being corrupted by Sauron's mentor, Morgoth, in the First Age. 

Before he was corrupted and turned to evil, Sauron was known as Mairon, a Maiar who loved planning and crafting. Given the nebulous and otherworldly nature of the Maiar, as well as their shapeshifting powers, it would make sense that Sauron would be gender fluid when assuming a new form, choosing every aspect of his physical appearance. Say what you will about the Lord of Mordor, but at least he is progressive.

We know how Sauron became a human, but how does he become an elf in front of Celebrimbor later in the show? If he needed to assimilate a human to become a human, when does he have time to kill and absorb an elf? 

His reasoning is simple — and smart, of course. Even if the ruler of Eregion doesn't know that Halbrand is actually Sauron like Galadriel does, he still knows that Halbrand lied about who he is. So, to convince him that he is trustworthy, Sauron goes one step further and takes a fair and familiar form that tricks Celebrimbor into thinking Sauron is an emissary of the gods. But how did he do it? Did Sauron take a quick break, jump out a window, and stab/absorb someone in a back alley right outside of Celebrimbor's office? Or did he have that elf form in his back pocket for centuries?

In its first three episodes, "Rings of Power" emphasizes the hard work Sauron is doing in order to bring his vision of order to Middle-earth. In the form of Halbrand, he is captured and tortured by Adar's orcs — the same ones that killed him over a millennium ago — and he takes their abuse, for his plan is measured in millennia, not days. It puts things in perspective when you realize that his thousands of years of hard work will one day be completely undone because of a hobbit.