The biggest twist in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power lived up to its promise by completely flipping the story of the series on its head. It was revealed that Sauron tricked everyone by pretending to be Halbrand.
In J.R.R. Tolkien's Second Age, Sauron is one of the most despised villains. But in The Rings of Power Season 1, he's more of a mysterious presence that people whisper about in fear.
The Lord of the Rings prequel took us to many different parts of Middle-earth - from the Dwarf mines of Khazad-dûm to a group of nomadic Harfoots. Each storyline was well distinguished from the other. But season 2 is expected to change that. As the various characters and plots connect, all roads will lead to Sauron and his plan to control all life.
What was Sauron's plan in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?
Strong villains are extremely important when mounting a massive story. The Dark Lord Sauron from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, for example, is good at coming up with plans. When he stops being Halbrand and becomes "Annatar," the Lord of Gifts, he begins to work with Celebrimbor on making more rings. This ultimately leads to the creation of the One Ring, which means trouble for Middle-earth.
Sauron spent most of Season 1 disguised as Halbrand, a human who was maybe the heir to the Southlands throne. He teams up with Galadriel and they go on a bunch of quests together. They end up in Eregion, where Celebrimbor's workshop is, and Halbrand offers to help him with a project.
He suggests using mithril, a rare ore from Khazad-dûm, to make two rings that will bring back the light of the Eldar. This is super important for the Elves as without the light, they'll have to go back to their home in Valinor, leaving Middle-earth to deal with Sauron's darkness alone.
Making the rings is the Elves' last hope, and it might be their best shot at restoring the essence of Valinor. But since Sauron came up with the idea, they could also be used to control the Elves.
When did Sauron's plan begin in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?
The Rings of Power series hinted at Sauron's plan from the very beginning. In episode 1 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Galadriel finds a chamber in Forodwaith where Orcs are subjected to dark magic experiments. Later, Adar revealed that Sauron was behind these experiments, aiming to gain "power over flesh."
Celebrimbor, under some kind of trance, repeats this phrase, suggesting that creating the Rings of Power was a continuation of Sauron's initial experiments. Adar also claims that Sauron failed to perfect the formula and that he killed him to stop more Orcs from being used as test subjects.
Dying wasn't part of Sauron's plan. Sauron didn't die like a normal person. He got stronger and took on a new body. We don't know how long it took him to recover or how long he pretended to be Halbrand, but during that time, he must have realized he needed help to make his "power over flesh" idea work. He needed the expert craftsmanship of the Elves of Eregion.
Everything Sauron may have done to orchestrate his plan for domination
Sauron is finally out in the open. But the revelation in season 1 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power was actually pretty close to what J.R.R. Tolkien wrote in his books: in the world of Middle-earth, Sauron pretended to be a nice guy to trick the elves into making the first three rings of power and learn their secrets at the same time.
Decoding each act Sauron has done to orchestrate his plan in the first season of the show:
1) Meeting Galadriel was one of Sauron’s plan
Halbrand and Galadriel meet in the Sundering Seas in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which seems like a coincidence. But it's possible Halbrand planned it. A massive sea monster attacks their raft, and they barely managed to escape alive.
Galadriel notices a locket Halbrand wears and wonders if Halbrand is the King of the Southlands, hiding his true identity due to guilt, humility, or kindness. Halbrand tells Galadriel that he had to flee his homeland because of an orc attack.
Galadriel asks Halbrand straight out if he is the King of the Southlands, and then offers to help him get it back. Right then, Halbrand knows she was already convinced he was the king. But he acts like he doesn't need her help and like he isn't interested in her offer. Meanwhile, inside, he had been plotting to use her to get what he really wanted - things that were far from good.
Galadriel wasn't just a means to an end for Sauron in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Although he spent most of The Rings of Power's first season gaining her trust, their final scene together in the season finale shows Sauron had developed a certain fondness for her. He hopes they can rule Middle-earth together.
2) Halbrad’s visit to Numenor in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Halbrand makes his way into Numenor in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and starts playing both Pharazon and Galadriel. The Queen Regent isn't listening to Galadriel, so Halbrand steps in with some advice. He tells Galadriel to figure out what her opponent is most afraid of. He suggests she meet with Tar-Palantir, knowing it was the Queen Regent's weakness. Galadriel takes his advice and offers to help the Queen overcome her fears.
This leads the Queen to agree to send her ships to the Southlands, and she even joins Galadriel on the trip. Halbrand had won Galadriel's trust. He fights alongside Galadriel in war, proving his loyalty, but what he doesn't reveal is that he has a personal vendetta against Adar.
3) The creation of Mordor was one of Sauron’s plans
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power leaves some things open to interpretation, like who came up with the idea to turn Middle-earth's Southlands into a desolate, fiery wasteland. Was it Adar, who wanted a home for the Orcs, or Sauron, who needed a new base after Morgoth's defeat? Looking at the clues, it seems like creating Mordor was part of Sauron's plan in season 1.
A deep mystery surrounded the heart of Mount Doom, and Sauron was determined to tap into its power to create the One Ring. He knew that only there could he forge a master ring, one that would surpass all others. His goal was to conquer the elves and become the supreme ruler of Middle Earth. Plus, Mordor was a strategically secure location, perfect for his plan.
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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is coming back to Prime Video on August 29th for its second season. This time it's expected to focus more on Sauron, the central villain. In Season 2, Sauron is likely to change from being a human warrior named Halbrand to an Elf called Annatar, who's known as the Lord of Gifts.
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