The third episode of The Lord of the Rings, the rings of power:
The Rings of Power introduces Adar, who may be the season’s main antagonist.
If you are an avid fan of Middle-earth but are confused by this most recent development, don’t worry. Adar is not a character from J.R.R. Tolkien’s works; he was created specifically for the television series. He appears in one of The Rings of Power’s completely original storylines, which follows the Silvan elf Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova) as he investigates a growing evil in Middle-Southlands. earth’s
Arondir discovers that orcs have constructed tunnels throughout the Southlands in order to avoid human detection and sunlight. His companions believe they may be searching for something, possibly a weapon.
Could they be searching for the blade discovered by Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin)?
In addition to potentially searching for a weapon, Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) learns in the Nmenórean Hall of Law that the orcs’ tunneling appears to be part of a larger plan. It turns out that Sauron’s sigil is not an ordinary symbol, but rather a map of the Southlands. There, the orcs will create a realm “where evil will not only endure, but flourish.”
On the basis of the distinct mountain ranges surrounding the Southlands, their location in the southeastern region of Middle-earth, and the orcs’ destruction of the landscape, it would appear that we are witnessing the birth of Mordor. Who is supervising the Southlands’ transformation into Mordor? The new leader of the orcs is none other than Adar.
What is our knowledge of Adar?
An army of orcs carrying torches runs through a forest.
The orcs are fond of him. Matt Grace/Prime Video is credited.
Despite the fact that Adar is a new character and we only catch a blurry glimpse of him at the end of the third episode of the show, we still know a little bit about him. Priority comes first: Joseph Mawle, who you may recognize as Benjen Stark from Game of Thrones, portrays him.
In the casting call for The Rings of Power, Adar (then known as Oren) was described as a villain capable of evoking a profound sense of pathos and wounded/fallen nobility. A certain degree of physicality is required. Should appear middle-aged, but must also emanate an air of timelessness.
Adar is an elf
It appears that Adar is an elf based on his descriptions of timelessness and nobleness. In episode 3, when Arondir questions why the orcs refer to their leader using an Elvish term, it appears that his elfin nature is confirmed. According to the online dictionary for Tolkien’s languages, Parf Edhellen, “Adar” means “father” in Sindarin. Perhaps the orcs have come to regard Adar as a father figure in addition to a commander. This is especially intriguing given that in The Silmarillion, Morgoth (then known as Melkor) corrupts enslaved elves to create orcs. Some of Tolkien’s other works explore a different, non-elvish origin story for the orcs, but for the purposes of the show, Adar could be one of the first elvish orcs, or their father.
Let us now examine the “fallen” aspect of Adar. For a Tolkien adaptation, an evil elf in league with the forces of darkness would be uncharted territory. You can read about some of the elves’ more heinous deeds in The Silmarillion, such as Fanor’s kin-slaying and Maeglin’s betrayal of Gondolin to Morgoth. However, these particular wrongdoings were not acts of fealty to Morgoth, but rather evil means to justify selfish ends. If Adar is a fully transformed elf, this would be another instance of The Rings of Power forging its own path, although it could be drawing inspiration from the previously mentioned acts.
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Return of Sauron
Sauron will undoubtedly return in The Rings of Power; he is, after all, the reason the rings exist! However, we cannot predict his appearance. In this episode, one of Arondir’s elven companions mentions that Sauron is a shapeshifter and formerly went by many names. Adar might be a new alias.
Adar could be Sauron, but this is unlikely. For starters, we’re only three episodes into a show whose subtitle could be “Spot the Sauron.” I doubt that The Rings of Power would reveal its main antagonist so quickly. A major aspect of Sauron’s malice is his cunning and deception. In the Second Age of Middle-earth, he reappears as Lord of Gifts Annatar and gains the elves’ confidence. He accomplishes this not with an orcish army, but with a friendly appearance and offers of assistance. Adar, with his spiked armor and ominous aura, is the exact opposite of this.
Who else could Sauron possibly be? Fans speculated that shipwreck survivor Halbrand (Charlie Vickers) was the Dark Lord in disguise prior to the show’s premiere. However, after the revelation in episode 3 that Halbrand is a lost king of the Southlands, this theory becomes much less plausible. It does open a new door, however, as Halbrand would become King of Men if he reclaims his title. And do you know what happens to nine Kings of Men during the Second Age? Some extremely potent rings with extremely dire consequences, such as becoming a Nazgûl.
Even though Halbrand and Adar are likely out of the running to become Middle-next earth’s leading Dark Lord, the world is still full of possibilities. As we strive to identify evil before it’s too late, it may be useful to keep in mind some advice from The Fellowship of the Ring: A servant of evil, or perhaps evil itself, will likely appear good but feel bad.
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