The Rings of Power series is set to detail the major events of the Second Age, and all that led up to the war in the Lord of the Rings. One of the most important things to be included in the series is the forging of the Rings, and the deception of Sauron in tricking all of the other races into wearing his dark and terrible objects.
But there are still many guesses as to which character will turn out to be the evil lord himself, as his secret identity is yet to be revealed. Some fans believe it may the man from the meteor, while others believe it may be the mysterious elf Adar, who is seen leading the orcs in the fourth episode. But there are five major reasons why it would be implausible for Adar to be the one.
Emotion
The scene in which the audience is first introduced to Adar depicts him kneeling over the body of a fallen orc who is dying. Adar seems to almost caress him, and is clearly mourning as he thrusts the blade into its body. His eyes are tearful, and there is a certain level of respect there that seems so alien from everything that is known about Sauron.
This elf has far too much emotion, far too much humanity, to be the ruthless and cruel being that intends to bring down the entire Middle Earth. He talks of building “a new world” as if it is the right thing to do, which shows that he has at least some moral guidance. The Sauron of the Third Age is far too destructive and chaotic to have such reason and depth.
His Age
Another problem with the possibility of Adar being Sauron is that Adar remembers a time long ago. When Arondir talks of Beleriand, his home-land, Adar says: “I went down that river once. When I was young. I remember the banks were covered in sage blossoms, miles of them.”
However, the idea of Sauron being young, possibly even a child who has grown, goes against all of Tolkien’s lore. Sauron is a Maiar, a spiritual being who appeared in Middle Earth during the Second Age, already fully formed. They didn’t grow and age in the same way as mortal beings, they appeared in the form that they take. In this sense, Gandalf has always been an old grey wizard, just as Sauron should always have been a beautiful, full-grown elf.
The Orcs Calling Him Father
One of the biggest mysteries about Adar’s character is why the orcs call him ‘father.’ Arondir, the captive elf, is cut off mid-question, and the answer is interrupted, but it is a particular and very curious way for the orcs to refer to an elf.
However, it does seem to suggest that Adar may be more closely related to Morgoth, the creator of the orcs, than to Sauron, his loyal servant. At this time of the world, it should only be Morgoth who is capable of creating evil life like the orcs and the Balrogs, unless he has already passed this terrible skill onto Sauron, his disciple.
“His time is near”
Then comes the curious scene in which the old man from the bar in the Southlands speaks to Theo of the dagger he has hidden in his belt. It is the hilt of Sauron’s sword, snapped long ago, but when dug into the flesh of its wielder, it begins to re-form into a blade. The old bartender says that it is a power forged for their people by Sauron, and that the comet falling from the sky is an omen of Sauron’s imminent return: “His time is near.”
This seems to suggest that Sauron has not yet taken physical form in the world, and that he will suddenly rise up in death and destruction, rather than hiding and biding his time in the orc wastelands. This might pose the possibility that Adar is more of a right-hand man, paving the way for Sauron’s return, rather than actually Sauron himself.
Fair But Foul
Probably the most troubling thing about Adar is his appearance. Although he is clearly elven, he holds none of the beauty and grace of the eternal beings. His skin is scarred and burned, and he is pallid and unpleasant. This goes against everything that Sauron should be.
The famous quote in the Lord of the Rings, “a servant of the enemy would look fairer but feel fouler” stems from this very age in which Sauron appeared as a beautiful golden elf, full of charm and generosity that tricked the people into accepting his gifts of the Rings of Power. It’s not impossible that Adar may take on a fairer form later, in order to become the Sauron that is depicted in Tolkien’s original works. But in his current state, he is far too obviously villainous to be the cunning trickster of legend.