Charlie Vickers' Sauron has really won me over inThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, but I don’t expect to see much of his face past season 3. This realization occurred to me after the recent tease that production for this upcoming installment is officially underway at Prime Video. The announcement came with a shortclip showing a slight design change for Sauron’s crown.
The Iron Crown, which previously belonged to Morgoth, is another aspect of Tolkien’s works that TheRings of Powerhas made some changes to. In canon, this crown was reforged into a chain and used to imprison the Dark Lord Morgoth. In Prime Video’s version of events, however, Sauron claimed the crown for himself, reforging it to fit his beautiful head.
It’s evident inRings of Powerthat Sauron’s crownwas modeled after this Dark Lord’s armor in Peter Jackson’s TheLord of the Ringsmovies.It’s a reminder of the ominous figure this villain will become, despite his more pleasing appearance as Halbrand or Annatar in the first two seasons ofRings of Power. Vickers has looked spectacular as these versions of Sauron, but I’d bet that everything is about to change in season 3.
Numenor’s Destruction In Rings Of Power Season 3 Means Sauron Will Lose His “Beautiful” Form
The Sauron We’ve Gotten Used To Won’t Last Long
Rings of Powerseason 3is all set to revolve mainly around the downfall of Numenor, which should mean a massive development for Sauron’s story. The previous two installments of this Prime Video series have spent a lot of time foreshadowing the great wave that will bury the island kingdom, and Pharazon’s ascent to the throne is another significant step in that direction.
In Tolkien’s version of the story,Sauron works his way into Pharazon’s mind, ultimately becoming a trusted advisor to the Numenorean king. From this position, Sauron slowly convinces Pharazon that he can claim the immortality of the Elves if he travels to Valinor—the Undying Lands—and wages war on the demigod-like Valar. Naturally, this doesn’t go well for anyone.
Sauron will be cursed to never again take the sorts of beautiful and seductive forms he had previously favored.
Pharazon’s foolish attempt to challenge the Valar will result in Numenor’s damnation, and Sauron will be on the island when the great wave arrives.His body will be destroyed, but we know fromRings of Powerthat this is far from the first time. Still, this instance will be different, since Sauron will be cursed to never again take the sorts of beautiful and seductive forms he had previously favored.
So,while Vickers' handsome Sauron has become the poster image forRings of Power, he’s sure to look quite different after this season. The tease of his crown, which now looks a bit more like a helmet, further foreshadows this. After Numenor’s destruction, Vickers' character may appear more like the massive, armored figure we saw inThe Lord of the Rings.
Rings Of Power Could Suffer If Charlie Vickers Is Trapped Behind Armor For The Last 2 Seasons
We Could Lose That Personal Connection With Sauron
Seeing Sauron transform from his beautiful self into a cruel, armored monster will surely be an exciting experience inRings of Power. However, the Prime Video series is expected to continue for two additional installments after season 3.This could be a bit of a problem,since a significant benefit of thisLord of the Ringsprequel is that it gave us our first look at a more human-like Dark Lord.
Rings of Power was a chance to see this firsthand and become more connected with the villain as a true character.
A common complaint aboutSauron in TheLord of the Ringsis thathe just wasn’t a particularly tangible villain. Though he wasn’t actually formless (or a big flaming eye) in the Third Age, he wasn’t as accessible as in the Second Age when he took his beautiful forms.Rings of Powerwas a chance to see this firsthand and become more connected with the villain as a true character.
Vickers is hugely responsible for this newfound connection with Sauron, but this may be hard to keep up if the actor is lost behind a suit of armor.Rings of Powerwill have to find a way to keep us in the loop with the villain’s intentions and misery, especially as he creates his One Ring and loses himself to it. Somehow, a performance must shine through.
