Where there’s Sauron, there’s deception; What does the Dark Lord’s grand plan entail in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power? Sauron may be the biggest villain of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Second Age and beyond, but his role in The Rings of Power season 1 is more of a precursor to this, with the sorcerer instead depicted as an unseen spirit spoken of in hushed tones across Middle-earth. As revealed in The Rings of Power season 1’s ending, however, Sauron is not as unseen as initially believed. Charlie Vickers’ Halbrand was his fair-looking alter ego all along.

The Rings of Power‘s big Halbrand-Sauron twist raises many questions, none more pressing than the extent of Sauron’s plan. Fans of Peter Jackson’s trilogy and Tolkien’s books will know of Sauron’s intention to craft The Lord of the Rings’ One Ring already, but how long was he working toward that goal? In The Rings of Power‘s season 2 story, Sauron’s plan reaches its next stage as more of the titular pieces of jewelry are crafted. But with so much of Sauron’s plans and motivations shrouded in shadow, what does he want, and how does he intend to achieve this?

The Rings Of Power Teased How Sauron’s Plan Began

Season 1 Outlined The Beginning Of Sauron’s Grand Plan

The Rings of Power was teasing the genesis of Sauron’s Second Age plan as early as episode 1’s opening scenes. When Galadriel’s company investigated Forodwaith, she discovered a chamber where Orcs had been brutally subjected to dark magic experiments. Later in the season, Adar confirmed this science project was Sauron’s, intended to bring him “power over flesh.” An entranced Celebrimbor later utters this same line, which confirms forging the Rings of Power is a continuation of Sauron’s original experiments. Adar also confirms Sauron failed at cracking the formula and purports to have killed him to prevent more Orc subjects.

This period of reflection must have been where Sauron realized his quest for ” power over flesh ” would require the kind of expert forging he could not manage alone…

Dying was not part of Sauron’s plan – the vengeful anger shown towards Adar proves as much. However, Sauron’s power meant he did not die as a mortal would, but renewed his strength and took a new physical form. The Rings of Power season 1 did not confirm how long Sauron spent recuperating, nor how long he lived under the Halbrand disguise, but this period of reflection must have been where Sauron realized his quest for “power over flesh” would require the kind of expert forging he could not manage alone; He needed the Elves of Eregion.

Was Meeting Galadriel Sauron’s Plan?

Galadriel’s Coincidental Meeting May Have Been Orchestrated

A key point The Rings of Power leaves ambiguous is whether Halbrand’s chance meeting with Galadriel on the Sundering Seas was, in fact, a deliberate ploy by Sauron. A crystal-clear answer is not provided in The Rings of Power season 1, though the impending continuation of the show could reveal their chance meeting was according to Sauron’s design. If Sauron had already decided on soliciting Elven assistance before The Rings of Power‘s timeline began, he would have also guessed that one does not simply walk into Eregion and would need an Elf-friend to vouch for him.

However, infiltrating such an insular and untrusting community is no simple feat, and this is why Galadriel made for the perfect candidate. Already feuding with her own kind, Galadriel was filled with rage, grief, and guilt, and desperate for an ally who felt the same. Sauron knew of this and knew that if “Halbrand” could enable Galadriel’s revenge plot to continue, then he could earn her trust. There is also no good reason the Dark Lord himself should be half-drowned on a broken raft while fighting off a sea monster, if not for the purpose of “encountering” Galadriel.

The Rings of Power season 2’s trailers promise younger Sauron scenes, meaning his moments leading up to finding Galadriel may be explored.

Even if Galadriel was Sauron’s ticket into Eregion and The Rings of Power season 1 was largely spent gaining her trust, Morfydd Clark’s Elven warrior was not just a tool to her new friend. From their final scene together in The Rings of Power‘s season 1 finale, it is obvious that Sauron feels somewhat of an affinity towards Galadriel and hopes they can rule Middle-earth together. The Rin gs of Power season 2 will likely continue exploring this, revealing whether Sauron still desires Galadriel or whether he feels scorned by her rebuke of his advances.

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The Rings Of Power’s Numenor Visit Had A Secret Purpose

The Island Kingdom Of Men Factored Into Sauron’s Plan

Rings of Power Episodes Set In Númenor
Season & Episode Number

“Adar”
Season 1, Episode 3

“The Great Wave”
Season 1, Episode 4

“Partings”
Season 1, Episode 5

Another somewhat unclear element of Sauron’s plan is whether he banked on being picked up by Númenóreans and taken back to their island. Floating a raft in front of an Elf is one thing, but finding a Númenórean boat that just-so-happens to have the Elf-friendly Captain Elendil aboard feels even more unlikely. On the other hand, Sauron achieved many key aims during his time in Númenor. Galadriel discovered Halbrand’s fake heritage as King of the Southlands, while the Elf also convinced Queen Regent Míriel to raise an army against Adar in the Southlands.

Sauron even found time to stoke dissent among Númenor’s population while there meaning that, surely, this was not all just coincidence. Watching Halbrand’s The Rings of Power scenes back, his time on Númenor feels even more deliberate. In episode 5, Galadriel argues with Halbrand over his reluctance to rescue the Southlanders, saying, “I have just convinced Númenor to send five ships and 500 people to aid your people and place a crown upon your head. Many might assume YOU used ME.”

Sauron wanted Galadriel to discover his fake connection to the Southlands and equally wanted her to rally a Númenórean army…

In hindsight, Galadriel’s words were truer than she knew. One of Sauron’s great manipulative talents is convincing a victim that his ideas are theirs, and this is seen later with Celebrimbor in episode 8. Sauron wanted Galadriel to discover his fake connection to the Southlands and equally wanted her to rally a Númenórean army. After all, it is the jailed Halbrand who subtly tells Galadriel how to win Queen Regent Míriel over after her early attempts fail.

Two points regarding Sauron’s time in Númenor remain unanswered heading into The Rings of Power season 2. From his cell, Halbrand whispers advice to Chancellor Pharazôn, planting seeds for Tolkien’s future stories involving these two villains. It is hard to say whether Sauron is making plans, hedging his bets, or merely stirring up trouble for trouble’s sake here, though Rings of Power season 2 promises to answer this with more Pharazôn stories coming. Secondly, after Galadriel pleads for Halbrand to join the Southlands mission, he deliberates over whether to accept. Was Sauron just method-acting, or did he truly consider staying in Númenor?

Sauron Orchestrated The Creation Of Mordor

The Southlands Became Mordor In The Rings Of Power Season 1

The Rings of Power leaves a degree of ambiguity over whether the plan to turn Middle-earth’s Southlands into a steaming wasteland of fire and ash came from Adar, who wanted a home for the Orcs, or Sauron, who needed a new HQ after Morgoth’s downfall. All clues point toward Mordor’s creation having a place in Sauron’s plan in The Rings of Power season 1. Perhaps Adar was behind the Southlands’ symbol Galadriel found at Forodwaith – a sign for where fellow Orcs should gather – but the same mark was burned into Finrod’s corpse too.

This suggests the plan originated with Sauron himself. Someone more powerful than Adar also constructed Ostirith’s water release system during the First Age. Furthermore, when discussing the Southlands’ assault plan in The Rings of Power episode 5, Halbrand smartly guesses Adar’s Orcs would head from Tirharad to Ostirith. This suggests he knew about the black sword and the havoc it would wreak by causing the eruption of Orodruin, later known as Mount Doom in The Lord of the Rings.

Bringing these clues together, Sauron probably planned to use the Southlands as his new stronghold before Adar killed him. Adar then carried on Sauron’s plan, but only because he wanted the Orcs to have a home without sunlight. Knowing this, Sauron willingly allowed the eruption to go ahead, as it benefitted his own motivations. After all, it is Halbrand and Galadriel who capture Adar and reclaim the fake sword hilt.

Due to his affinity for dark magic, Sauron must have known the bundle Adar held was a decoy, but did not mention this detail to his new friends, further implying Mordor was part of the Dark Lord’s larger design. Another possible motivation Sauron may have for letting the landscape change is knowing he will need Mount Doom to forge the One Ring further down the line. With The Rings of Power season 2 promising the crafting of more rings, this could come into play.

How Sauron Influenced Celebrimbor’s Rings Of Power (& Why)

Sauron Pushed Celebrimbor Into Crafting The Rings

In The Rings of Power season 1, Sauron successfully gains Galadriel’s trust, tacitly convinces her he is the Southlands’ rightful king, recruits an army to crush Adar in revenge for killing him centuries prior, and allows Mount Doom’s reawakening. Now, it is finally time to infiltrate Eregion and begin creating the Rings of Power as a means of gaining the aforementioned “power over flesh.” First, Halbrand emerges from the volcanic explosion having suffered an injury that only Elves can heal.

The Rings of Power season 1, episode 7 confirms that Southlanders found Halbrand already wounded, meaning no one witnessed him getting hurt. It is safe to assume this injury is designed to force Galadriel into riding Sauron straight through the gates of Eregion. Safely inside and healed, Sauron wastes no time seeking out Eregion’s master smith, Celebrimbor, and appeals to the Elf’s ego through pure flattery. Next comes the advice on how to craft magic rings, but rather than simply offer all his arcane knowledge directly, Halbrand gives Celebrimbor just enough hints to reach every conclusion himself.

The Rings of Power implies some kind of sorcery has been cast over Eregion’s Lord too, since Celebrimbor believes the ” power over flesh ” line came from his lips, not Halbrand’s.

The secret reason Sauron helps Celebrimbor is explained in The Lord of the Rings. Middle-earth’s villain plans to weave his own magic into the Rings’ design, thereby giving his soon-to-be-created One Ring mastery over the others. As such, influencing Celebrimbor into crafting Rings of Power is how Sauron eventually casts his dominion over dwarves and men, though not over the elves whose rings were crafted in secret.

Sauron’s Plan In The Rings Of Power Season 2 Explained

Sauron’s Plan For Domination Continues

As the legendary Lord of the Rings poem goes: three for the elven kings under the sky, seven for the dwarf lords in their halls of stone, nine for mortal men doomed to die, and one for the dark lord. These rings eventually all end up being crafted, tying into The Lord of the Rings trilogy with Sauron attempting to regain his power, and the One Ring, to finalize his plan for dominance. As The Rings of Power season 1 ends, only the three elven rings exist.

In The Rings of Power season 2, the remaining seventeen rings will become a major plot point, especially since the Rings of Dwarves and Men are the ones Sauron helps forge directly. A confirmed element for The Rings of Power season 2 is that Sauron will take the form of Annatar, not Halbrand. In J.R.R. Tolkien’s story, Annatar is the form Sauron takes throughout his time in Eregion, a fair-looking gift-giver. In season 2, Vickers will play this form of Sauron and begin his manipulation of Celebrimbor.

The various trailers for The Rings of Power season 2 have confirmed this storyline. For example, one scene sees Prince Durin, played by Owain Arthur in The Rings of Power’s cast, pleading with his father to “take off the ring.” This confirms the seven dwarven rings will be crafted in Rings of Power season 2. Later, Annatar is shown telling Celebrimbor “You will give me the nine,” speaking of the nine rings of men. All of this proves what Sauron’s goal is in season 2 – the final construction of the rings he intends to dominate.

What Sauron Does As Annatar In J.R.R. Tolkien’s History

Annatar Manipulates Celebrimbor

In the stories of J.R.R. Tolkien, Sauron’s role as Annatar is purely one of deceit. Similar to how Halbrad was used, Sauron uses the form of Annatar to worm his way into the trust of the elves, furthering his own plans. The main subject of Annatar’s deceit is Celebrimbor, the elven smith responsible for crafting the Rings of Power. Annatar appears as a so-called lord of gifts and teaches the elves of Eregion how to craft more rings of power before infusing them with his own dark magic without their knowledge.

After Annatar’s deceit of Celebrimbor is successful, Sauron unveils himself upon Middle-earth. This begins the War of the Elves and Sauron, a conflict in the Second Age of Middle-earth. As such, The Rings of Power season 2 is expected to begin this section of the story by including Sauron as Annatar, the fair-looking visage that will continue his master plan intended to result in the complete dominion of Middle-earth.