Did The Rings of Power just reveal Halbrand is Sauron?

The final episode before the season finale of The Rings of Power sets the stage for the answer to the biggest question: who is Sauron?

+++ Spoiler warning: If you haven’t seen episode 7 yet, you might want to do so beforehand so as not to take away the excitement. +++

How much speculation was made after the first trailers and even more so after the first episodes of “Rings of Power”, which character in the series Sauron could be (be it the pale hooded figure, the meteorite man, or the “Father ‘ the Orc Adar) and when the Dark Lord would finally appear on Dark Throne. The production also kept secret who was cast for Sauron to this day.

Who is Sauron in The Rings of Power?

The first season of “The Rings of Power” is nearing its finale, and the showrunners of the Amazon series have pulled off a real coup: Sauron has probably been seen for various episodes, but has not yet been revealed. Ahead of the final episodes, another preview video was released announcing that evil is about to be revealed – and showing various characters eligible for the role of Sauron:

A character becomes more and more likely. If that’s the case, showrunners Patrick McKay and JD Payne succeed in season one in expanding the Tolkienian world with a coherent, epic, tragic story that touches on central characters and gives them more depth – without sacrificing the Tolkien legacy contradict. For Sauron was visible all along, in plain sight. He travels at Galadriel’s side, saves her life, is only persuaded by her to return to Middle-earth. And will now taken by Galadriel to where the rings of power are forged. What? Who? Exactly, we’re talking about Halbrand. We commit ourselves: H=S.

Watch The Rings of Power finale preview on Amazon

H=S – Halbrand is Sauron? Episode 7 sets the course

Don’t you believe it? Then follow these instructions:

• Watching the aftermath with the assumption that Halbrand will turn out to be Sauron is a special treat. It can’t be a coincidence that Halbrand’s statements fit the theory perfectly – and aren’t even lies, but surprisingly honest and apt, e.g. to Galadriel: “I’m not the hero you’re looking for.” – but the one you’re looking for are looking for
• episode 7 seemed at first to add little to the question of Sauron, but ended with a crucial twist: Galadriel sets off with the injured half-Rim to take him to the Elves. So there where the rings of power are forged. He comes as a friend, is an excellent smith, and it is only a short step to working with the Elvish smiths. That makes all other Sauron candidates pale and much more coherent than letting the Tolkien character “Annatar” suddenly appear in the second season. The name Annatar, Lord of Gifts could be given to Halbrand as an epithet – and the story would be in keeping with the Tolkien heritage.
• Episode 6 also contained a strong clue: Halbrand recognizes Adar – as the one who killed him. Adar, in turn, does not recognize him, as Sauron appears in a new form. The suspicion that Halbrand lost a wife or a child to Adar says nothing.
• Adar’s account of Sauron being dead, having killed him, fits the backstory of Halbrand telling Galadriel he was when they first met driven from his homeland by orcs. His physical form was then killed, his spirit then eventually taking the form of Halbrand. Therefore, Adar does not recognize him, since he probably looked completely different the last time they met.
• When asked by Bronwyn: “Are you the king who was promised to us?” Halbrand answers only very vaguely with “Yes” – an almost tragic touch in his eyes.
• In episode 5 he apologizes to Galadriel for her brother’s death – which he actually has on his conscience as Sauron.
• Here are some semi-random quotes from the fifth episode: “You don’t know what I’ve done. You don’t know how I survived.” – “What do you know about the darkness?”
• But his statements also fit in the earlier episodes: his name depends on “who you ask”. On his first encounter with Galadriel: “Looks can be deceiving.”
• Halbrand doesn’t have a Tolkien template, yet (unlike the other reinvented characters Nori, Arondir, Adar, etc.) he is related to the major historical figures (Galadriel, Elendil, the Numenorian Royalty) – the screenwriters have to do with him so definitely something important ahead.
• The first season is almost over, and it seems increasingly unlikely that Sauron hasn’t been introduced yet and simply appearing as a new character (e.g. suddenly a character named Annatar visits the Elvish Forges) or appearing under Mount Doom.
• Halbrand’s background is both specific and obscure: a king of the “Southlands” (i.e., Mordor) who fought for evil.
• He directs Galadriel’s gaze first to the Southlands: in episode two he reveals that he was expelled from there by the orcs.
• The first thing Halbrand is interested in on Numenor is is forging. He later crafts a sword blade that even the guild masters are impressed with.
• When attacked by the Numenoreans, Halbrand fights ruthlessly and brutally. He has no problem hurting those around him, just like sacrificing the other fellow passengers on the raft to the sea monster to escape himself.
• While Tolkien does not have a semi-border, it does fit into Tolkien’s explanation that Sauron appeared in various guises in the Second Age.
• The Elven king Gil-galad prophesied in the first episode: Galadriel might have just with her continued quest keep evil alivethat she wanted to defeat. And that’s exactly how it is now.
• Hints are even hidden in the soundtrack: Halbrand’s Theme exists from the same tone sequence as the “Sauron’s Theme” – only played backwards. no shit And that’s what people on Reddit found out about a month ago. For a classically trained composer like Bear McCreary, such a process is no coincidence.
• Showrunner JD Payne told Gamesradar, “We can reveal if Sauron appears, it could be in a way that audiences aren’t expecting.”
• The very first line of The Rings of Power reads, “Nothing is evil from the beginning.” What is put into Galadriel’s mouth here is Tolkien’s pen in The Lord of the Rings. Elrond speaks explicitly of Sauron there: “For nothing is evil from the beginning. Even Sauron wasn’t.“ (Vol. 1, p. 405)

All of this will become clear in the finale or even in the second season – whether Halbrand “only” turns out to be the upcoming Nazgul, or whether he keeps his promise as the king of the dead in the Lord of the Rings – or whether he himself is the ruler of the orcs takes over, maybe even wants to get Galadriel on his side… That would be a bang, but according to the latest developments, it probably won’t wait for us until the second season. The great events of Tolkien’s template are yet to come:

“Lord of the Rings” or “Star Wars”? Where did the movie quote come from?

did you like this article? Discuss with us about current cinema releases, your favorite series and films that you are longingly waiting for – on Instagram and Facebook. You can also follow us on Flipboard and Google News.