After Sauron acquired a new tool in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, the show’s stars expect to see him make life worse for the people of Middle-earth. Ahead of The Rings of Power season 3, Sauron has already gained the nine Rings of Men, leaving him with immense power. With Sauron expected to dominate the coming episodes, the main cast members, including Morfydd Clark’s Galadriel and Charlie Vickers’ Sauron, are returning for the next season. The question remains, however, about what Sauron will do with his renewed influence.

In an interview with ScreenRant‘s Grant Hermanns, Vickers and Clark explained where the cunning villain might go from here. After acquiring immense power, VIckers expects to see him “emboldened” after failing to sway Galadriel to his side, while Clark expects to see him “continue to push” boundaries. Check out each of their responses below:

Charlie Vickers : I think he’ll be more emboldened. I think in the sense that he’s getting close, if you look at his power on a chart, he’s getting closer and closer to being at his peak power. I think we could get a form, or a version, of Sauron where he is Sauron the Terrible, like he is at his most mighty externally, at least. Because, I don’t know, Tolkien wasn’t very specific about the form that he took when he went to Númenor, but there’s a whole bunch of psychological stuff there, interplay between him and Pharazôn. But I think that’s a bit further down the line, in terms of our show. I think he is on a vendetta against the elves.

Morfydd Clark: And he hates boundaries, so he’ll continue to push them. [Chuckles]

Charlie Vickers: Yeah, exactly. He’s a bit forward-thinking. He’s a bit ahead of his time.

What Sauron’s Future Means For The Rings Of Power

Sauron Will Continue To Dominate The Story

Sauron is the primary antagonist of the show, and season 3 should see him further execute his plan. In The Rings of Power‘s season 2 ending, Galadriel is injured, the Balrog is set to return, and Sauron is likely to create the Nazgûl. Even Eregion has been destroyed, forcing the Elves to retreat to the valley that will become Rivendell. It is a low point for Middle-earth, though The Stranger has finally revealed himself as Gandalf. Knowing Sauron’s nature, circumstances will only continue to escalate in the coming seasons.

Rings of Power has already crunched Lord of the Rings ‘ timeline, so anything from any point in the timeline can happen.

The Rings of Power is meant to be structured into five seasons, so it is unlikely that season 3 will bring a happy ending for Middle-earth. The kingdom of Númenor will likely become increasingly involved in the affairs of the Elves, which will only encourage Sauron to bring about its downfall. That will be a fascinating arc, if depicted faithfully, which should only make the show more compelling. If Sauron destroys Númenor, then Middle-earth will reach its darkest point yet.

Our Take On Sauron’s Future

Sauron Is The Most Compelling Part Of The Show

Custom image by Yeider Chacon

Sauron has already achieved a great victory and is poised to see even more success. Just as Vickers alluded to, the villain is not yet at his peak power. It will be some time before he reaches that point, which will see him devastating Galadriel and the Elves. He will eventually be defeated, as The Lord of the Rings showed his fateful return, but it will bring dark times for the Elves and Men. Sauron has already been the most compelling The Rings of Power character, and every passing season should show more of what makes him so brilliant.