Who is Adar in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power? Character explored

There is no great story without a great villain. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, features the quest of Elves, Dwarves, and Men to prevent the dominance of Sauron during the Second Age.

While Sauron is the leading foe in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Joseph Mawle's Adar is also a formidable villain in the fantasy drama. If you've been wondering why the Orcs refer to Adar as 'father' and how he's related to them, this is the place to get your answers!

The series is filled with mysterious characters and Adar is one of them. While he served as the leading antagonist in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 1, he wasn't quite portrayed as a bad guy for his kind.

He was a victim of the Dark Lord and was transformed into an Orc which completely changed him. The journey of becoming an Orc from an Elf filled Adar with rage, bitterness, and hatred toward Sauron. Although, as seen in the Prime Video series, Adar's priority is ensuring shelter for the Orcs.

Who is Adar in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?

Adar was an elf who was turned into an Orc (Image Source: Prime Video)

He's one of the most conflicted characters in the series, having once been among the beautiful and immortal Elves.

While Adar was born an Elf, he was forcefully transformed into an Orc after being tortured by the Morgoth. After the dark magic worked on Adar, he became one of the first Orcs, known for their evil nature. He was also manipulated to plot against elves, dwarves, humans, and hobbits.

In the TV series, Sauron uses Orcs to carry out his evil acts against good, but Adar does not want the Orcs to follow the path outlined by Sauron.

Adar opens up about his intentions to the Orcs in the sixth episode of season one in which he tells his group that they'll soon be freed from the clutches of Sauron.

Why do the Orcs call Adar 'Father' in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?

The Dark Lord tortured Adar and made his army their pawns (Image Source: Prime Video)

Being called father among the Orcs holds significant power, as Adar isn't just their leader but also plays a paternal role for his soldiers. The former Elf transformed into an Orc has endured the Dark Lord's torture and doesn't want the same to happen to his group.

In the series, the Orcs refer to Adar as their father because of his caring nature as a leader, whose main goal is to protect the Orcs and build homes for them. Adar is determined to face off against Sauron in the next chapter of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

Adar is one of the oldest Elves turned into Orc in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

As previously mentioned, Mawle's Adar is one of the oldest Elves who became an evil yet caring father figure for the Orcs in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, set in the year 1500 of the Second Age.

Considering events like Morgoth's defeat and Valian years, Adar could be around 7000 years old in the Prime Video series. Adar is a new character introduced to fans in the TV series within the constraints of characters from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit to which Amazon has the rights.