What is known about Sauron? He was a Maiar, similar to characters like Gandalf and Saruman, and therefore could manifest himself in virtually any form. His strength wasn’t in arms or force, unlike his powerful master Melkor, but in manipulation and trickery. Sauron often appeared as a benevolent and knowledgable person, and above all, beautiful and pleasing to the eye. Everyone likes him.
After Numenor sunk, the price that Sauron paid was that he could never take a fair form again. During the Second Age, however, even after the fall of Morgoth, Sauron still had this power. If he is lurking in the present cast, he could be any one of several mysterious figures.
6 Bronwyn
Oh no, not the sweet medicine woman! She’s one of the only responsible people around, and she seems to be a neighborhood leader. It’s bad luck that Theo brought home that sword hilt, but maybe it’s not just an unlucky coincidence. And then there’s this Arondir, an elf warrior from the ruling class, who has a special affection for her. Put all this together, and Bronwyn is in the comfortable position of power in a community mostly loyal to Sauron. Oh, wait.
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Until the last episode, this might have been more of a long shot. Now, though, Bronwyn is determined to defend the Tower of Ostirith which happens to be built on an ancient shrine with an effigy that includes a completed “blood sword” like the one Theo found. Her moment of despair might just be another bit of manipulation, and maybe her motives depend on the identity of certain other characters.
5 Gil-galad
What’s going on with the High King? Wasn’t it suspicious that he was so eager to end the war and send some of the strongest elven warriors alive off to Valinor? Everyone saw that look that Galadriel gave him, too, and he had a Boromir moment and failed her test. According to the lore, Sauron appeared in Eregion first as a messenger of the Valar. Although he was rejected by Gil-galad, he eventually manipulated the elven smiths into making his rings.
This time, maybe Sauron took the form of the High King. Even Celebrimbor and Elrond are getting suspicious of how cagey he is, and the revelation of the blight at the end of episode five makes him even more suspicious. The blight could very well be his own doing, a convenient excuse to destroy the mallorn trees and pry the mithril from the caves of Khazad-dûm.
4 Halbrand
This exiled leader from the Southlands has some savage fighting powers and also a dark and troubled past. Halbrand also seems determined to stay in Numenor, at least for a few days, before Galadriel is finally able to drag him back to Middle-Earth. He’s smarter than he looks, and it’s obvious he’s hiding a dark secret, but he does clean up nicely and has some profound diplomatic skills when he tries them.
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His fighting skills and scruffy continence are an argument against him being Sauron, since the character is a manipulator and not a fighter. It’s also unlikely that Galadriel would have spent so much time with Halbrand if he is Sauron, without being able to sense his true intentions. He seems loyal at the moment, but what will happen when he reaches his former kingdom?
3 Adar
Adar was introduced in a way that made the audience assume for at least one episode that this was Sauron. Even certain characters seemed to buy into it. He’s got a few things going for him, such as power over a certain group of orcs and goblins that revere him and bitter cruelty towards all living things that are unlucky enough to cross his path. Put all this evil together, and he must be Sauron, right?
That’s the problem. It’s almost too obvious, plus this elf is scarred and misshapen, and this is a period in which Sauron is beautiful. Plus he seems to react with hostility when one of the Easterlings calls him Sauron — but at the same time, he doesn’t deny it.
An interesting fan theory identifies Adar as the last surviving son of Feanor, either Maedhros or Maglor. This would explain his scars, his missing hand, and hostility towards Sauron. Episode five closes with him and his forces on the march. Is he going to the Tower of Ostirith to ensure the loyalty of the people and secure a strategic location, or is he looking for someone?
2 Pharazôn
Folks who know their lore will be cutting their eyes at the queen’s advisor, Pharazôn. It’s more likely that Sauron is hiding in a rich and opulent city serving as a king’s advisor or in some other powerful administration position than in a ditch with a bunch of goblins. And according to the lore, Sauron was a close advisor to the Emporer of Numenor.
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In the lore, Sauron was advising this character, but in the series, they might be the same. Pharazôn isn’t a soldier, but a charismatic politician, and his son has to concede that everyone seems to like him. He sways a whole room with just a few words, and although he keeps his disagreement with the campaign to Middle-Earth fairly quiet, he’s working behind the scenes to sabotage it.
1 The Stranger
The events of episode five, which show some of the Stranger’s powers finally pushing Nori over the edge and some creepy folks in white robes looking for him, have put the Stranger in the top place for the most likely suspect. Of all the characters on the list, he seems the most likely to be a Maiar, with his magical powers and falling out of the sky. But the question is: which one?
Speculation points to one of the Blue Wizards, who went into the east but more or less disappeared according to the lore. The figures in white that are looking for the Stranger might represent the Cult of Melkor, a cult that also infiltrated Numenorean society eventually. But are they looking for Sauron, or were they sent by him?
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