The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has finally returned for Season 2 with a dark story and new actors. Some additions to the show introduce new characters to the world, but others portray those we have already seen. Sam Hazeldine takes over the role of Adar from Joseph Mawle, and strangely, Jack Lowden shares the character of Sauron with Charlie Vickers. Sauron’s identity was a mystery throughout Season 1, only to reveal in the final episode that the self-proclaimed King of the Southlands, Halbrand, was actually the Dark Lord. This deceit left Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), who considered Halbrand a friend, in a precarious situation after she had invited the enemy into her home and near Celebrimbor’s (Charles Edwards) project to save the Elves’ dying tree with mithril.

The significance of Halbrand’s betrayal and his true identity is at the forefront of Season 2, as the Elves argue about whether the three rings Halbrand helped create could save their kind or are corrupted by Sauron’s involvement. With such an important story involving the Dark Lord still open, Lowden’s drastically different Sauron announcing his identity at the beginning of the new season is jarring, to say the least. Rather than the rugged human audiences knew, this Sauron is elf-like, with long hair and a regal air. There is nothing similar about them, but the change makes sense. Halbrand was always a disguise, allowing Sauron the anonymity to create chaos, and that wouldn’t be effective if he were easily recognizable. Considering Vickers is back as well, this recast had little to do with actor availability. Instead, it fits the story the series has chosen to tell and even ties into J. R. R. Tolkien‘s mythology.

Jack Lowden’s Sauron Appears in ‘The Rings of Power’ Season 2 as a Flashback

Season 2 of The Rings of Power opens with the confrontation between Sauron and Adar that was already alluded to. After Morgoth’s defeat, Sauron supposedly disappears, and Adar claims to have killed him, but when he encounters Halbrand, Adar doesn’t react as if he has seen a ghost or even recognizes him. The flashback explains everything as Lowden’s Sauron ascends to power over Morgoth’s forces. But during the coronation, Sauron threatens and taunts the Orcs, whom Adar has such a love for. In retribution, Adar initiates a rebellion, stabbing Sauron with his own crown. The Orcs swarm Sauron, brutalizing him in a way that would kill an ordinary enemy several times over, but as a Maiar, Sauron cannot die.

This scene shows the context of Sauron’s hatred for Adar, proving that, while both are enemies of the heroes, they are not allies. This animosity suggests that there will be a power struggle for Mordor while the heroes attempt to destroy it, but it does more than set up Season 2’s story. Lowden’s Sauron appearance in the flashback is significant, as it reveals that, when he knew Adar, Sauron had a different form. This establishes his ability to change and explains why Adar did not know who he was when they met in Season 1, excusing a plot hole that could have been created by the show’s choice to keep his identity secret. But if Sauron has changed form once, he can do it again, allowing him to continue to deceive Galadriel and the Elves.

‘The Rings of Power’ Season 2 Shows the Messy Process of Sauron Changing Form

Though he is called the Father of Lies for good reason, Sauron does not change form easily. After Adar and the Orcs turn on him, Sauron becomes a blob form, creeping away and taking refuge in a cave. In a horror-like sequence, Sauron’s gooey remains take form by murdering, first a rat and then a human traveler. It is only then that he looks completely different, now appearing as Halbrand. The sequence ends at the same place Season 1 introduced Halbrand, giving the once mysterious character a backstory. Apart from providing an unsettling opening, the flashback shows how Sauron changes form, and it’s not pretty.

Sauron becomes someone else after nearly dying, echoing his claim to the Orcs, “Always after a defeat, the shadow takes another shape.” After his apparent death, Sauron needed a new body, one that would allow him to escape Adar’s reach while he planned his revenge. Halbrand is the perfect form, as he looks nothing like the Sauron that Adar remembers. Season 2 takes Sauron (in the form of Halbrand) back to Adar, where Halbrand convinces Adar that Galadriel is working with Sauron. They strike a deal that allows Halbrand to leave in search of Sauron, proving that Adar still has no idea who Halbrand really is. However, the method Sauron uses to change so completely isn’t easy, and when he transforms into Annatar in front of Celebrimbor, it is still Vickers playing the character, leaving that form much more recognizable. This difference suggests that changing as drastically (as he does in the beginning) takes more effort, perhaps saving Galadriel and Elrond (Robert Aramayo) for now.

‘The Rings of Power’ Changing Sauron Fits Tolkien’s Work

Though Tolkien never wrote out the precise details of Sauron changing form, he certainly included the villain going by different names and never being recognized. The best example is Sauron adopting the form of Annatar in the Second Age, which The Rings of Power is adapting. This change happens after Sauron suffers defeat when Morgoth is killed, requiring the cunning character to enact a new plan. But Annatar is not the only time Sauron takes a new form. After the people of Middle-earth beat Sauron in the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, Sauron loses his power, though he does not die. According to Tolkien, he is in a weakened, non-corporeal form following the battle, which lines up with The Rings of Power‘s depiction. Then, in the Third Age, he returns as the Necromancer and is, again, not recognized by the many immortal beings in Middle-earth.

Sauron’s ability to change shape raises the stakes in The Rings of Power as it keeps his identity a secret, allowing his cunning plans to incorporate more people. The change in actor highlights the difference in Sauron’s form, making his deception of Adar more believable. While the story is only beginning, The Rings of Power‘s portrayal makes for an interesting setup and even honors Tolkien’s writings. Though it was a shock initially, The Rings of Power‘s choice to show Lowden as Sauron in the flashback benefits the show.