Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Rings of Power season 2.
InThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerseason 2, episode 6, Adar confirms that he knows Halbrand is Sauron, but when did he figure this out? Adar is one of the many original characters inThe Rings of Power’s cast, giving the villains of the show more suspense as even those familiar with Tolkien’s works will not know how his story ends. As the self-proclaimed father of the Uruks, Adar’s main motivation inThe Rings of Powerseason 2’s episodeshas been to kill Sauron in a bid to free his children from the latter’s control.
This motivation will culminate in the Siege of Eregion, a key development in the timeline ofLord of the Rings' Second Agethat officially began inThe Rings of Powerepisode 6. As Adar tries to strike a tentative alliance with Galadriel to defeat Sauron, the former reveals that he knows the latter was operating under the guise of Halbrand. Given that Adar did not know this fact as ofThe Rings of Powerseason 1’s ending, the natural question is when the father of the Uruks figured out the identity of his prime enemy.
Adar Likely Didn’t Realize Halbrand Was Sauron Until After He Left Mordor
Adar Discovered Sauron’s Identity During Season 2
Given what happened at the beginning ofThe Rings of Powerseason 2, it is safe to assume Adar did not realize Halbrand was Sauron until the latter entered Eregion to craft the remaining Rings of Power. The reason for this stems from the fact that Halbrand was a prisoner of Adar in Mordor in the first episode ofThe Rings of Powerseason 2. As established, Adar is hellbent on killing Sauron, a feat that would have been much easier while the dark lord was in chains in Adar’s camp.
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Assassinating Sauron while he was incapacitated is a much easier alternative to waging war on Eregion, meaning Adar almost definitely did not know of Halbrand’s true identity at this point. Although Adar has not been shown too much betweenThe Rings of Powerseason 2, episode 1 and season 2, episode 6, he likely witnessed the state of the world and figured out that laying siege to Eregion would benefit Sauron.These elements, combined with the information gleaned from Galadriel, led to Adar figuring out Halbrand’s identityas Sauron.
Sauron Probably Expected Adar To Figure Out The Truth
Sauron Is Manipulating Adar To Benefit His Own Goals
Based on what is known ofSauron’s plan inThe Rings of Power, he likely intended for Adar to figure out the truth of his deception. It has been confirmed that Sauron wants Adar to lay siege to Eregion. This way, Sauron’s manipulation of Celebrimbor can go unnoticed as the elves in Eregion defend the city from Adar and his Uruk legions. If Adar figures out that Halbrand is Sauron, the former will be more likely to be more committed to his siege of the city. Beforehand, Adar’s siege of Eregion was dependent on the trust between the two characters.
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Adar was unsure whether Sauron had actually returned at the beginning ofThe Rings of Powerseason 2, and was taking Halbrand’s word that Sauron was in Eregion as truth. If Adar began to distrust Halbrand, the Siege of Eregion may not have taken place. However, if Adar figures out Halbrand is Sauron knowing that the dark lord is in Eregion, the attack will not relent as Adar finally has confirmation that the object of his revenge is alive and well. Therefore,for Sauron’s manipulations to go as planned, Adar figuring out his identity is for the best.
2 Clues Might’ve Given Away Sauron’s Identity In The Rings Of Power
Sauron Planted Seeds For Adar To Figure Out He Was Halbrand
Regarding exactly how Adar figured out Halbrand’s identity, there were two main clues. The first came in season 1 duringThe Rings of Power’s Mordor origin story. During the Battle of the Southlands, Halbrand corners Adar and knocks him off his horse.As Halband stabs Adar, he asks"You remember me?“This hinted at a history between the two, specifically the moment in which Adar attempted to assassinate Sauron. It could be the case that Adar reflected on these words inThe Rings of Powerseason 2, placing Halbrand as Sauron.
Adar likely figured out that Halbrand had a semblance of magical power…
The second hint is admittedly more subtle. InThe Rings of Powerseason 2, episode 1, Halbrad frees a warg after taming it using his dark powers, with the warg later killing Adar’s servant Waldreg. Despite the scene in which Adar finds Waldreg’s body and the unchained warg not being shown, Adar likely figured out that Halbrand had a semblance of magical power to achieve this. These clues could have factored into Adar figuring out Sauron’s identity inThe Rings of Powerseason 2, setting up their fateful confrontation for the future.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Cast
Set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power explores the forging of the iconic rings, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, and the epic events leading up to the stories in J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novels. The series chronicles the creation of legendary characters and the historic alliances and rivalries that shape the fate of Middle-earth.
