Sauron and Morgoth were similar Middle-earth villains, but The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 has leaned into their greatest difference. Sauron is bound and determined to differentiate himself from his old master in the Prime Video series, and he has repeatedly pointed out how his vision for Middle-earth would be an improvement compared to Morgoth. While Rings of Power has changed a great deal about the dynamic between these two villains, Sauron’s words to Celebrimbor about how he plans to better the world ring true.

In Rings of Power season 2, episode 7, Celebrimbor realizes that Annatar is Sauron, not an emissary of the Valar. Determined to get his Nine Rings made, Sauron chains the Lord of Eregion up and forces him to continue his work—though he is keen to remind Celebrimbor that his poor treatment is nothing compared to the evil of Morgoth. Sauron implies that Morgoth had tormented him in the First Age, forcing him to do his bidding through threats and pain. This is a different account of these villain’s relationship than Lord of the Rings canon, but the foundation discussed here is true.

Morgoth’s Ultimate Goal Was Very Different To Sauron’s In The Lord Of The Rings

Sauron Seems To Think This Makes Him Better

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There is no indication in The Lord of the Rings that Morgoth ever forced Sauron to do his bidding. However, it’s true that, as Dark Lords, Morgoth and Sauron had different goals. Morgoth was destructive for the simple pleasure it brought him. He wanted to see the beautiful creations of Eru Ilúvatar (the god of Lord of the Rings) and the Ainur crumble under his rule. On the other hand, Sauron saw the devastation Morgoth caused in Middle-earth as a sort of purge through which he could recreate a better world of his own design.

Before turning to evil, Sauron was called Mairon, and he was known to be the most talented of the Maiar at crafting and smithing. He loved nothing more than balance and perfection, which is why he was capable of creating great beauty. This is a quality seen in Sauron in Rings of Power season 2. He truly believes that his own talents are precisely what Middle-earth needs since he has come to think that his design is superior to that of Eru Ilúvatar.

Morgoth Also Had Another Aim That Sauron Didn’t Share

Sauron Never Acknowledged The Secret Fire

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Morgoth desired so much to destroy Eru Ilúvatar’s creations because he was denied the ability to create life himself. Back when he was called Melkor, Morgoth had assisted Ilúvatar and the Ainur in the creation of the universe, but he deviated from God’s plan and sewed his own vision into the song that created the world. He then became desperate to obtain the Secret Fire—the flame that allowed Ilúvatar to give his creations a soul and free will. However, getting his hands on it turned out to be impossible, and the resulting rage and jealousy led Morgoth down his dark path.

Tom Bombadil mentions the Secret Fire in Rings of Power , telling the Stranger that it was this power that would guide him.

The Secret Fire is never something that Sauron showed any interest in. While Morgoth coveted Ilúvatar’s power, Sauron seemed to think that he had no need for it and was even superior compared to the god of Lord of the Rings. He had no need to create life for himself when he could instead control Ilúvatar’s children like puppets and, therefore, construct the world according to his own plan.

Does Sauron’s Goal Make Him Less Villainous Compared To Morgoth?

Are Sauron’s Intentions Good?

Morgoth wanted to destroy the world, while Sauron believes in Rings of Power that his control will make it better. However, this isn’t to say that Sauron is any less evil. The concept of creation is a slippery slope in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. There is a balance between contributing beauty to Ilúvatar’s design and attempting to overshadow or realign the Greater Plan entirely. Sauron knows that what he is doing is contradictory to the natural order, and his goal in doing so is, in truth, entirely self-serving. Therefore, despite any greater good that Sauron is attempting to care about, his actions are altogether evil.

The fact that Sauron can’t see his own wickedness makes him, in a way, even more dangerous.

Throw in the fact that Sauron is entirely willing to kill or harm anyone or anything so long as it serves his goal, and there can be no claim that this villain is any more redeemable than Morgoth. He claims to be better than his predecessor in Rings of Power and even seems to believe it himself. However, the fact that Sauron can’t see his own wickedness makes him, in a way, even more dangerous. It’s just as Celebrimbor said, “Sauron the Deceiver” is the best at deceiving himself.