Is Adar a form of Sauron in The Rings of Power Episode 3?

In Episode 3 of The Rings of Power, more characters were introduced. One of the most significant ones was Adar from the Southlands. When Arondir goes to the place to find out what’s lurking in the shadows, he encounters an entire camp of Orcs who seem to be building something.

These Orcs seem to constantly take the name of Adar and worship him as their leader. So, who is Adar, and could he be Sauron in The Rings of Power?

Adar is most likely a subordinate to Sauron and not the Dark Lord himself. In the Second Age, Sauron took the form of a shapeshifter called Annatar. So, Adar might be one of Sauron’s commanders, like Saruman or the Witch-King.

Adar is not a character from Tolkien’s books and is created specifically for the show. Now, we’ve been introduced to quite a few new characters so far. However, none seem to change the storyline of the books drastically. At least, not yet.

In this episode, we see Arondir captured by a camp of Orcs in the Southlands. When he’s thrown with the other victims, he realizes that numerous people and a few Elves are being held captive at this camp.

But they’re not sitting idle. In fact, they’ve been tasked with digging the ground and even chopping down the sacred tree. Arondir tries to revolt and escape from the place, but his attempt fails.

Within the short span of time he spent in the camp, he came across the name Adar quite a few times. My ears instantly shot up because I knew this character would be of great significance, and I was partially right.

After Arondir’s failure, Adar seems to walk amongst the Orcs as they worship him. We know there will be some form of interaction between him and the Elven Commander. But what would that be?

I guess that’s a question for another day. For now, let’s focus on who this character is. There have been many theories on the internet, but one of the most prominent ones is that Adar could be Sauron.

The creators have kept it all under wraps when it comes to the identity of Sauron and the actor playing the big bad guy. So, almost every new character introduced seems to be a candidate for the Dark Lord.

However, I do not think Adar is the one. If the creators have stuck to Sauron’s arc from the books and not changed it much, Adar cannot be Sauron.

According to the books, Sauron took the form of a shapeshifter called Annatar. He mingled with Elves to learn the art of magic and gain their powers. Once he did so, he deceived them, and the rest is history.

Not only is Adar not Annatar, but he also doesn’t seem to carry the aura of the Dark Lord. If the creators have kept it a secret for so long, I’m sure the reveal would be as surreal as you can imagine.

In fact, PrimeVideo has decided to run the show for more than one season (Five seasons, according to reports). If this is the case, the reveal won’t happen so early. In fact, Hallbrand is another character being considered for the position of either Sauron or the Witch-King.

Well, the speculations will go on, as they should. But it is highly unlikely for Adar to be Sauron. To find out, all we can do is sit tight and watch.

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.