Sauron was the primary antagonist in the Lord of the Rings series, creating some confusion about why he’s a giant eye. Sauron is the main villain of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings book series where the Dark Lord resides in the evil land of Mordor, sending out legions of Orcs to instill his will upon Middle-earth. The character has been adapted into film and television in two widely different ways. In Prime Video’s The Rings of Power, Sauron appears in physical form as a man and an Elf. In Peter Jackson’s film trilogy, Sauron is a giant eyeball.

To understand Sauron, one must first understand the villain’s backstory. He’s a Maia, a being sent to Middle-earth by the Valar that was corrupted by the Dark Lord of the First Age, Morgoth. After Morgoth’s defeat, Sauron rose to prominence in the Second Age of Middle-earth, which is demonstrated in The Rings of Power, which was when he used evil will to forge the One Ring, a magical object that would allow him to hold dominion over the free people of Middle-earth. But The Lord of the Rings occurs in the Third Age, showing a much different Sauron.

Isildur Destroyed Sauron’s Physical Form

Isildur Defeated Sauron At The End Of The Second Age By Separating Him From The One Ring

Sauron’s forging of the One Ring and eventual downfall in the Second Age was featured at the beginning of 2001’s The Fellowship of the Ring. His physical form was shown as a figure in black armor that stood nine feet tall, wielding the One Ring against legions of Elves and Men who had united during a conflict known as the War of the Last Alliance. Sauron vanquished many of his foes, including Elendil, the human king. In response, Elendil’s son Isildur took his father’s sword and slashed the One Ring off of Sauron, destroying his physical form.

Without the ring, Sauron wasn’t able to directly impact the war during The Lord of the Rings

After losing the One Ring, Sauron’s physical body was destroyed as his power had been poured into the object in its creation. He was thought to have vanished from Middle-earth, but his essence still existed. Throughout the Third Age, Sauron slowly rebuilt himself and his forces, with his end goal being to regain the One Ring in order to return to his powerful physical form. Without the ring, Sauron wasn’t able to directly impact the war during The Lord of the Rings but rather relied on his armies of Orcs and the Nazgûl.

The Eye Of Sauron Was A New Change For Peter Jackson’s LOTR Movies

Making Sauron An Eye Gave Him Physical Presence In The Films

Without a physical form, the main villain of The Lord of the Rings is constantly referred to as the “shadow,” as he’s more of a phantom threat whose magical essence allows him to manipulate events indirectly. It’s only through objects like the Palantíri that he’s directly able to leave his mark. But in films, having an antagonist who doesn’t appear on-screen at all would be confusing, so Peter Jackson created a new physical form of Sauron, making him a massive eye above the fortress of Barad-dûr. While not accurate to the text, this made Sauron an unforgettable movie villain.

What The “Eye Of Sauron” Really Meant In The Lord Of The Rings Books

The Phrase Represents Sauron’s Ever-Attentive Presence In Middle-earth

Custom Image by Simone Ashmoore

Despite not actually being a massive eye, the “Eye of Sauron” is still a phrase used commonly in J.R.R. Tolkien’s books. It’s used as a metaphor to describe the villain, explaining his phantom presence to be ever-watching and attentive to the events occurring in Middle-earth. While Sauron may not physically be present in The Lord of the Rings, the phrase is used to remind the reader that he is always present, always perceiving, and always ready to make his move.