Every Theory Behind Sauron’s Sigil in The Rings of Power

Sauron’s sigil has been one of the biggest mysteries of The Rings of Power premiere. Although the symbol’s true purpose hasn’t been unraveled yet, folks on the internet have already begun dissecting it. If you, too, are wondering, what Sauron’s sigil in The Rings of Power means, you’ve arrived at the right place.

Sauron’s sigil could either be a map leading the orcs to Mount Doom in Mordor, a symbol for the Eye of Sauron, or a life force to support Sauron after defeat.

The symbol needn’t necessarily mean just one thing. In fact, Sauron’s sigil holds the ability to serve more than one purpose. The purposes could differ based on where the sigil was found.

We first see the sigil engraved on Finrod’s body. We see this during the prologue narrated by Galadriel. After this, the Elf Commander comes across this sigil in the icy caves of Forodwaith on an anvil.

The third time the sigil appears is on a broken sword found by Theo. It almost comes to life with a reddish-orange flame, and two things happen every time Theo takes it in his hands.

One, the sword seems to regrow and increase in length. Two, Theo goes into a trance-like state that we’ve all seen in the OG LOTR trilogy. The only difference is that in the LOTR films, it was the ring, and here it is the sword.

So what does it all mean? Let’s find out.

The Map of Mordor and Mount Doom

When Galadriel and her troop arrived at Forodwaith and encountered the sigil, the Elven Commander said it could be a clue for the orcs. Galadriel was the only one who believed the orcs and Sauron’s followers were still out there.

According to her, the sigil could be like a trail for the orcs to follow. If this were true, then the sigil seems quite similar to the map of Middle-Earth.

If you turn the sigil horizontally and virtually place it on the Mordor part of the map, you’ll see how the two align with each other. The mountain range in Mordor is congruent with the sides of the sigil.

In fact, there’s a small triangle on the map which coincides with the triangle in the sigil. Guess what the place is? Mount Doom. The place where Sauron settled during the Second Age and forged the infamous Ring.

So, the Dark Lord would leave clues for the orcs to rejoin him at Mordor/Mount Doom. This is one theory behind the sigil.

The Life Force of Sauron After Defeat

Every time Sauron has been defeated, his powers and existence have weakened. He used different ways to preserve his essence and life force during this time. In the OG trilogy, it was in the form of the ring.

In this case, the sigil could be a life force. If you go back to the scene in Forodwaith, you’ll see that Galadriel pours some water on the anvil, and it starts hissing while exuding vapors. She tells her comrade that the mark has been left quite recently.

In fact, it is highly possible that the orcs were recently here before moving to the next location. So could this mean that every place this mark is left can act as some form of a life force?

We see the mark on Theo’s sword as well. Every time he touches the sword, it comes to life, and a flame erupts around it. This could be a relic Sauron left so that he can leverage it and come back stronger.

However, this theory could be false too. Most people on the internet believe that the sword is either the legendary Gurthang of the First Age or the signature weapon of the Witch King of Nazgul.

The Eye of Sauron

The final theory is that the sigil could also be the Eye of Sauron. We’ve seen this Eye in the LOTR trilogy when it first came out.

However, even in the Second Age, when Sauron was at his weakest, he was popularized by his Eye. It essentially meant that he is everywhere without physically existing, and his Eye is always on you.

Overall, these are the three theories surrounding Sauron’s sigil. These theories may overlap, or a different rendition of them would be true. After all, the show has introduced characters and elements which weren’t part of the books.

Here’s the kicker. The sigil wasn’t exactly a part of the books, and Sauron never left a mark on people after killing them. So, it is rather difficult to decipher the sigil’s meaning, and we just have to wait to find out.

About The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is an American TV series, based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien, developed by J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay for streaming on Amazon Prime. 

Set 3,000 years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, the show will be set in the Second Age of Middle-earth. Beginning with a time of peace, the series will follow the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron and the forging of the rings of power.

The cast includes Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Nazanin Boniadi, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, and Dylan Smith among many others.