The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has followed two main villains thus far. The most obvious is Sauron (Charlie Vickers), who has taken over Eregion with his manipulation and lies as he makes the titular rings. While Sauron is a well-known villain in the world, The Rings of Power has also introduced a new player to Middle-earth in the form of Adar (Sam Hazeldine), who conquered the Southlands, laid siege to Eregion, and now leads an army of Orcs in a battle against the Elves. While both villains are firmly against the heroes of Middle-earth, they are not on the same side. Season 2’s opening shows Adar’s initial attempt to kill Sauron, but, after that fails, his main focus remains on destroying Sauron, who is a powerful enemy for anyone to have. Yet, despite the animosity between them, Sauron is not the biggest threat to Adar. Nor is Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), who escaped his capture, or Elrond (Robert Aramayo), who led the Elves against him. Even the army of Elves posed little threat to him and his Uruks. Instead, the worst enemy Adar must face is himself, and he is already losing.

The penultimate episode of Season 2 leaves Adar one step closer to victory after his army defeats the Elves and brings chaos to Eregion. In the final minutes, Adar even took one of the three Elven Rings from Elrond. In fact, throughout the episode, Adar has the strongest position, with an army that vastly outnumbers his opponents, but his strength is only on the surface. In truth, Adar’s position is crumbling, and it is no one’s fault but his own. The Orcs, whom he claims as his children, are beginning to doubt Adar as he sacrifices their lives without a second thought, and that disregard for his soldiers takes away any potential advantage he has.

Adar’s Control Relies on His Role as the Father of the Orcs

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Adar’s advantage comes from the support of the Orcs, who willingly serve him. Lacking the power of Morgoth or Sauron, Adar only poses a threat to Middle-earth because of his army, but the audience quickly learns that his intentions are not so evil as those who previously led the Uruk. Rather than being bent on destroying or controlling Middle-earth, Adar is focused on protecting the Uruk. Adar considers himself the father of the Orcs, and in Season 1, his sole mission is to give them a better life by taking control of the Southlands and creating a place for them to live. He does this by establishing Mordor, which involves attacking and enslaving the Southlanders. Adar certainly isn’t shown to be good, but his goal is less malicious than his predecessors, and among the Uruk, he is revered. Even in the Season 2 flashback, when Adar kills Sauron, he does so, saying he has sacrificed enough of his children, and the Orcs are looking to him for guidance and protection.

Having been tortured by Morgoth himself, Adar understands the Uruk and sympathizes with them. His caring attitude toward the Uruk sets him apart from the others who have ruled them and makes them want to follow him. Rather than the fear Morgoth used to keep them in line, Adar relies on his persona as the loving father figure. He commands the powerful army, and the Orcs don’t question him because they trust him. Their love and admiration towards Adar make the Uruk loyal, but if he were to fall from favor, Adar would lose his control over them.

Adar Contradicts Himself in ‘The Rings of Power’ Season 2

Though Adar has set himself up to be the sympathetic and kind father of the Uruk, even naming himself the Sindarin word for “father,” he loses sight of that, which is his greatest mistake. Throughout Season 2, Episode 7, “Doomed to Die,” Adar seems unbeatable. His Uruk army outnumbers the Elves ten to one, and, with Galadriel captured and the Dwarves unable to come to their aid, his victory looks inevitable. However, Adar’s relentless desire to kill Sauron is interfering with what he claims to want most: the safety of his children.

Adar sends his Uruk to battle, knowing many will die, but their loss of life doesn’t cause him to hesitate. Even when reminded of the losses his so-called children will suffer, Adar does not reconsider or even show sympathy. Instead, Adar is only concerned with his attack on Sauron. This apparent change in priority slowly creates discontent among the Uruk, destabilizing Adar’s position. Adar is blinded by his hatred of Sauron, making his actions incompatible with his words, and that is the biggest obstacle he will have to face, not the Elves or even Sauron. He stands no chance against Sauron without the full support of the Uruk, and now that he is pushing them away, Adar is quickly losing his only advantage.

‘The Rings of Power’ Season 2 Shows the Orcs Turning Against Adar

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During the battle, the Orcs picked up on the change in Adar’s goal, forcing them to doubt their Lord-father. Adar threatens Elrond, saying his children have endured more than the Elves could bear, confident in their power. But the Uruk don’t want to suffer. Season 2 has shown the Orcs to be more than the army they make up, even showing an Uruk child, proving the species has a life outside of fighting, so it’s no wonder they don’t want to die for Adar’s mission of killing Sauron.

The Orcs have questioned Adar’s hypocrisy on several occasions, proving that he is alienating them and losing the war for himself despite his superior army. Specifically, Glûg (Robert Strange), a high-ranking Uruk, often speaks with Adar directly. Glûg’s hesitation leads him to suggest a retreat, but Adar doesn’t listen. This Uruk goes as far as challenging Adar directly, accusing him by saying, “You told us you loved us,” in response to Adar’s willingness to sacrifice the lives of his own children. Adar insists he’s fighting for them, telling Glûg that he would rather let them die than let Sauron control them, but the Uruk is unconvinced. Glûg questions Adar again when he is ordered to release the Hill-troll, which will kill Uruk as willingly as Elves. Though Glûg follows the command, his discontent grows, showing how the Orcs’ feelings toward Adar are changing. Even though he overpowers the Elves, Adar has planted a seed of mistrust among his army that threatens to destroy him, making himself the biggest threat to his own power.

The first seven episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 are streaming on Prime Video now.