Only a few days stand between us and the release of ‘The Rings of Power’ season 2. The popular show is taking a new direction this season, as it has been confirmed by the crew and cast. While season 1 focuses on our heroes, season 2 will focus on the villain, taking a more psychological thriller course as Sauron will appear in a new guise and a new name.

In the source material, Sauron has plenty of powers and abilities that haven’t been explored in live-action so far. While Peter Jackson’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’ trilogies are among the best fantasy adaptations of all time, they barely showcased all of what Sauron is capable of.

In the first season, Sauron was presented as Halbrand played by Charlie Vickers, an ill-fated King of Southlands. It was ultimately revealed that this is just one of many names and forms that Sauron can take.

And when we say many, we truly mean it. Sauron was initially created as Maia known under the name Marion which roughly translates into ‘The Admirable.’ Since then he progressed into darkness under Morgoth’s leadership and with time progressed to more terrible names (and forms).

If you’ve been following marketing campaigns for the show by now, you’re likely aware that Sauron or Halbrand will appear under the new name in season 2. He will be called Annatar or as it roughly translates into “The Lord of the Gifts.”

After Morgoth’s defeat in the First Age. Sauron was ordered to return to Valinor and receive judgment from Manwë. Since his pride and ego wouldn’t let him do that, he decided to hide somewhere in Middle-Earth. He soon sensed that the tides had turned and decided to bring the world under his influence once again. He started by tricking elves in the hope that they would fall under his influence.

To do that he adopted a new identity and new guise as well as many other names. He was known as Artano (meaning “high smith”) and Aulendil (the servant of Aulë). But the most famous name that he adopted was Annatar, the Lord of Gifts.

And while most elves managed to evade his schemings and influence, the Jewel-smiths populating Eregion were less aware of his potential past. Among them was Celebrimbor who unknowingly helped set Sauron’s plan in motion. This period of Sauron’s life directly resulted in the Rings of Power being created.  Now Celebrimbor was already introduced in season 1 of the show, and if the cast and crew are to be believed, much of the season’s focus will be on the corruption of the elven smith.

As far as shapeshifting goes, once again the promos revealed that we will see Saron’s younger form, and flashback scenes revealed that Jack Lowden will be portraying a thousand years younger Sauron, while he resembled elves in all its ethereal beauty. Hopefully, we get to see how exactly Sauron transformed into the form we came to know in the first season.

All of these are aspects of Sauron we’ve never seen on-screen previously, in Jackson’s movies Sauron was portrayed more like a malignant ever-present entity, which added to the horror of the villain, the portrayal in ‘Rings of Power’ will give him a new dimension, something that intrigued the fans unfamiliar with the books for a long time.

Sauron has been given many names in the movies, but he did not exactly shapeshift on-screen, his main presence is felt through the fiery eye. The show now finally allows us to see beyond Sauron’s indirect influence, and we will have the opportunity to see how exactly the manifestation of Evil came to be as we know it in the movies.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!