Who is Sauron?
Sauron is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth legendarium. He is one of the main antagonists of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, where he is portrayed as the lord of an army of evil orcs and Trolls. He also appears in The Hobbit, where he is defeated by Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf. In Tolkien’s writings, Sauron is often referred to as “the Dark Lord”.
Sauron was originally an Angelic spirit named Mairon who sided with Morgoth (=Satan) during the rebellion of the Angels. After Morgoth’s defeat and expulsion from Heaven, Sauron became his chief lieutenant.
For several centuries, he assisted Morgoth in gaining control over Middle-earth and corrupting its peoples.
After Morgoth’s final defeat in the War of Wrath, Sauron fled and eventually took refuge on the island of Númenor.
Sauron later returned to Middle-earth and established himself as the lord of Mordor, the greatest stronghold of evil in the world.
From there, he launched repeated attacks against Gondor, seeking to enslave its people and regain control over all of Middle-earth. In time, Sauron came to be feared throughout the world as “the Dark Lord”.
The Lord of the Rings tells the story of Sauron’s final attempt to conquer Middle-earth and how he was ultimately defeated by a small group of heroes led by Frodo Baggins, a Hobbit from the Shire.
While Frodo was successful in destroying the Ring caused, Sauron’s fall and his stepping on Morgoth’s path down into the Void resulted in the start of the Fourth Age and the Dominion of Men.
Is Sauron in The Rings of Power?
Around the time The Rings of Power takes place, more than 3,000 years before the events of The Lord of the Rings, Sauron is in hiding after the defeat of his evil master, Morgoth.
He eventually disguises himself and goes by the name Annatar in order to trick the elven smiths into showing him how to channel power into the rings they forge, the knowledge he later uses to create the titular rings of power—including the one precious ring that helps him nearly take over all of Middle-earth.
Is Anson Boon playing Sauron?
No. Fans have spent months speculating when and how he might appear in the show.
They’ve combed the various trailers and publicity shots. Some theorize that fans have already seen his image—or at least his Annatar guise.
But executive producer Lindsey Weber told TIME that the prevailing fan theories may be wrong.
Why are fans speculating that Anson Boon is Sauron?
Because the fans put together trailers and clips and create theories.
This is what Weber said to Times Magazine. “We are enjoying all the speculation online and can tell you Bridie Sisson is an incredible actor,” Weber said.
“We also thought fans might like to know that her character is travelling from far to the east—from the lands of Rhûn…” Tolkien buffs will already know that Rhûn was home to a people called the Easterlings in the Second and Third Ages.
Rhûn also happens to be Sauron’s stomping grounds. The dark lord consolidates power in the East, and soldiers from Rhûn fight alongside orcs and other men in his armies against the men of the West.
Is the enigmatic person “the stranger” Sauron?
No. Officially, Amazon is calling this enigmatic person ‘The Stranger,’ but who is this individual in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?
The chief suspect as to The Stranger’s identity is the iconic Lord of the Rings wizard Gandalf. In J R R Tolkien’s lore, Gandalf was one of the Maiar of Valinor, angelic beings who took human form and were originally named Olórin.
Olórin came to Middle-earth in the Third Age, landing in the Havens of Mithlond as he was sent by the deity known as the Creator (Eru) to aid those in the land against the threat of Sauron, taking the form of an old man as a sign of humility and to be more trusted by the peoples there.
