The Rings of Power Season 1 finale debuted on Prime Video, finally revealing the real identity of Sauron.
The latest episode addressed many pending questions, leaving the fans satisfied ahead of the upcoming Season 2. Most importantly, the biggest villain of them all has revealed himself. It’s almost pointless to say that you should not keep reading unless you have already watched The Rings of Power Episode 8.
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Who Is Sauron?
In The Rings of Power Season 1, Halbrand is Sauron. It turned out that the man from the Southlands was none other than the Dark Lord himself. Halbrand had always behaved suspiciously since making his first appearance in Episode 2 when he pretended he was escaping from Orc attacks on a raft. Halbrand saved Galadriel’s life, leading the She-Elf to trust him. More than that, she also believed he was the heir to the title of King of the Southlands after noticing his necklace bore the royal mark.
At a certain point, the series even hinted that there might be some fondness between Halbrand and Galadriel. Ultimately, Halbrand’s unusual interest in craftsmanship raised suspicion in Galadriel, who discovered there had been no King of the Southlands for the last thousand years. When she confronted Halbrand, he revealed that he was the Dark Lord. Sauron then asked Galadriel to join him in his quest to rule over Middle-earth, but the She-Elf refused. Following their confrontation, Sauron fled Eregion and Galadriel suggested that Celebrimbor create three rings of power.
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Who Is The Stranger?
The Rings of Power Season 1 finale also hinted heavily that the Stranger’s real identity might be Gandalf. At first, the show tried to dupe the audience into believing that he was Sauron when three mysterious necromancers spoke to him as if he was the Dark Lord. After forcing him to follow them to Rhûn, the trio realized that he wasn’t Sauron, but someone called Istar. In the books, five Istari were sent to Middle-earth by the Valar to contrast Sauron’s power.
Common people used to call the Istari “wizards” due to their extraordinary powers. The five wizards who arrived in Middle-earth were Saruman, Gandalf, Radagast, Morinehtar, and Rómestámo. Audiences already know the first three from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. Morinehtar and Rómestámo, also known as Ithryn Luin, never revealed themselves either in the movies or in the books. Even though the episode didn’t directly mention his name, it appears that the Stranger might be Gandalf due to his fondness for Harfoots, the hobbits’ ancestors. Moreover, the episode concludes with him telling Elanor Brandyfoot to follow her nose when in doubt, something Gandalf also said to Merry in The Fellowship of the Ring. “If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose.”
