Warning: This article contains spoilers for the Rings of Power season 1 finale.
the events depicted in Rings of Power take place thousands of years before those explored in both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
Throughout the show’s entire first season, fans were often left wondering at the whereabouts of the Dark Lord Morogth’s servant and eventual successor, Sauron. In the season one finale, however, fans were shocked to learn that Vickers’ character Halbrand was secretly Sauron in disguise the whole time. Honoring Tolkien’s original depiction of Sauron as a skilled deceiver, Halbrand was able to hide his identity until Morfydd Clark’s Galadriel discovered he could not possibly be the true King of the Southlands.
Following on from the shocking season finale, Screen Rant caught up with Vickers to talk about his role in the series and what it was like trying to keep Sauron's secret identity under wraps until the big reveal. Describing his role as “a real challenge as an actor”, Vickers suggested that he was “wholeheartedly played Halbrand in the same way that Sauron is wholeheartedly playing Halbrand”. Check out his full comments below:
It was tricky because I didn't want to play into the suspicions too much [in] the beginning because I didn't know if they were true. So it was a real challenge as an actor, actually. And I look back on it and think, "Wow, that was an anxious time for me," because I felt like I was walking this tightrope. Like, was I? Wasn't I? And I think it was kept from me by people because they had the best intentions really. And when I did learn, to be honest, it didn't change my approach too much on the day, it just changed the fact that I was able to dive headfirst into even more of the lore, and more of the books.
And right now I'm on the letters of Tolkien and Morgoth's ring and The Silmarillion. So, I was able to really pinpoint Tolkien's thoughts on Sauron. And then I would hope that the subconscious work that I did just informed my decisions on the day. I wholeheartedly played Halbrand in the same way that Sauron is wholeheartedly playing Halbrand, in order to convince someone like Galadriel, who is not easily deceived.
We know she was one of the first people, in the lore, to figure out who Sauron really was. And so it happens in this show that she is one of the first people to figure it out. It's just that Tolkien says that, and this is something that I really narrowed in on, is that Tolkien says the word "eventually." He says eventually Galadriel learned. And that, to me, implies that there was a period where she didn't know. And I think that's what the show has done really well, creating some kind of context and backstory to their relationship.
What Are Sauron's Plans For Rings of Power Season 2?
The final moments of season 1 reveal Vickers’ Sauron making his way to the recently transformed Mordor, hinting at his ascension to power in the shadowy kingdom. However, before he can assume control of Mordor, he will first need to contend with Adar who previously claimed to have slain Sauron and currently stands in charge of the Orcs. Presumably responsible for driving Sauron from the Southlands in the first place, the next meeting between the two villains is likely to be an explosive affair.
In addition to claiming lordship over the lands of Mordor, Sauron still has several more rings of power to produce and gift to the Dwarf Lords and the nine Kings of Men. With season 1 only revealing the creation of the three Elven rings, the show still has some ground to cover before Sauron ultimately deceives them all by crafting the master ring. With Sauron’s identity now officially revealed, fans can expect to see a lot more of the Dark Lord’s nefarious plans being put into action throughout The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season two.
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