‘The Rings of Power’ Revealed Sauron, But His Endgame Is Still Unclear
TL;DR:
- The Rings of Power Episode 8 revealed the true identity of Sauron.
- Although we know which character is Sauron, his endgame remains unclear.
- The Rings of Power Season 2 will further elaborate on the villain’s motivations.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power finally revealed the identity of Sauron during its season 1 finale. As many fans expected, Halbrand (Charlie Vickers) isn’t the person he claimed to be. And Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) figures that out in episode 8, sending her former companion fleeing from Lindon — and into the heart of Mordor. But while the series confirmed that Halbrand is, indeed, its main villain, it hasn’t elaborated on his endgame. Fortunately, it sounds like we’ll learn more about his plans in season 2.
‘The Rings of Power’ confirmed fans’ suspicions about Sauron
That’s right, The Rings of Power finale confirmed fans’ suspicions that Halbrand is Sauron. And to be fair, the Amazon show alluded to its big reveal many times before it took place.
During Halbrand’s first interaction with Galadriel, he warns that “looks can be deceiving” — and he goes on to prove as much as season 1 unfolds. Halbrand continuously hints at his darker nature, something Galadriel overlooks for most of their journey together. However, as she pushes him to reclaim his place as king of the Southlands, his true nature comes out. By the time he accompanies Galadriel to Lindon and begins working with Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards), it’s obvious something is off.
Galadriel puts the pieces together during “Alloyed,” confirming her suspicions when she looks into the heir to the Southlands. She soon realizes there isn’t one, leading her to confront her friend and learn his true identity.
And Halbrand — or Sauron, if you prefer — gives a rousing speech, attempting to win Galadriel to his side. It’s hard to say how much of it he means, but he seems to have big plans for Middle-earth. Unfortunately, The Rings of Power Season 1 doesn’t dig too deeply into what they are.
Although Sauron’s identity was revealed, his endgame is unclear
The Rings of Power Episode 8 may have revealed Sauron’s true identity, but the villain’s endgame in the show remains unclear. Even in The Lord of the Rings movies, Sauron doesn’t seem to have any clear-cut plans beyond destroying Middle-earth. But The Rings of Power promises to bring more depth to the character, especially if his claims about “saving” the continent are genuine.
Unfortunately, it looks like fans will have to wait for The Rings of Power Season 2 to learn what Sauron is planning. We know he’ll come to reign over Mordor and create the One Ring. To what end, however, remains a mystery. The show needs to do more legwork when it comes to the character’s motivations.
Fortunately, it sounds like showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay are already on it.
‘The Rings of Power’ Season 2 will shed more light on the show’s villain
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, The Rings of Power showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay opened up about the big Sauron reveal. The pair confirmed that season 2 will dig deeper into Sauron as a character, as well as his reasons for doing the things he does.
“Season 1 opens with: Who is Galadriel? Where did she come from? What did she suffer? Why is she driven?” Payne explained. “We’re doing the same thing with Sauron in season 2. We’ll fill in all the missing pieces.”
McKay added, “So the first season is like Batman Begins, and the The Dark Knight is the next movie, with Sauron maneuvering out in the open.”
It’s a compelling concept, especially when one considers how little we know about Sauron’s personality. We’ll be eager to learn the nuances of J.R.R. Tolkien’s villain when the new episodes arrive. And in the meantime, viewers can enjoy his deceit all over again during season 1.
The Rings of Power Season 1 is now streaming on Prime Video.
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