Sauron

Lore & Background

Sauron began as a Maia serving Aulë before turning to Melkor. In the First Age, he commanded Angband and conquered Tol Sirion until defeated by Huan the Wolfhound, fleeing as a werewolf then a vampire bat. By the Second Age, he assumed the fair guise of "Annatar" to trick Elven-smiths into forging Rings of Power while secretly creating the One Ring in Mount Doom. When discovered, Sauron killed Celebrimbor and enslaved nine Men as Nazgûl. He later corrupted Númenor, leading Ar-Pharazôn to attack Aman; Eru destroyed Númenor, burning Sauron's fair form forever. In the War of the Last Alliance, he besieged Barad-dûr for seven years, killing Elendil and Gil-galad before Isildur cut the Ring from his hand with Narsil's shard.

In Their Own Story

In the Third Age, Sauron spent a thousand years as a shapeless evil before embodying as the Necromancer in Dol Guldur. After being driven out in 2941, he returned to Mordor, rebuilt Barad-dûr, and tortured Gollum to learn of Bilbo Baggins. When Gandalf identified the Ring in 3018, Sauron sent the Nazgûl to find "Baggins." He expected an enemy to use the Ring to overthrow him, so he prepared war on Gondor. After Aragorn revealed himself via the palantír of Orthanc, Sauron attacked Minas Tirith prematurely but failed at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. While Frodo and Samwise Gamgee reached Mount Doom through Cirith Ungol, Sauron remained unaware until Frodo claimed the Ring under its influence. Only then did he realize they intended destruction; Gollum seized the Ring and fell into the Cracks of Doom, ending Sauron's reign.

Reader's Guide

Sauron appears most often as "the Eye," a disembodied symbol on Orc helmets and shields because he forbade his name from being spoken. Tolkien never described his physical appearance in detail, though notes exist of him having daunting eyes or appearing as a man greater than Númenóreans before losing that form. His power is tied to the One Ring; without it, he is a spirit, but with it, he can dominate wills and command legions. His strategy relies on deception until open force is necessary, contrasting Morgoth's desire to unmake creation. Sauron's defeat came not from martial might but from his inability to imagine the salvation of Middle-earth would come from "the smallest and most insignificant of creatures," leading him to misjudge the threat posed by Frodo Baggins.

Did You Know?

• Sauron was originally a servant of Aulë and perceived Eru directly, placing him "far higher" than the Maiar who later became Wizards.
• In the First Age, Sauron battled Huan the Wolfhound as a werewolf before fleeing in the form of a huge vampire bat.
• Sauron's hand was recorded by Isildur as being "black, and yet burned like fire."
• Commentators have compared Sauron to Balor of the Evil Eye in Irish mythology.
• Sauron spent a thousand years as a shapeless evil before reembodieding as the Necromancer at Dol Guldur.