The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powers Sauron star Charlie Vickers discusses the next stage in the Dark Lord’s plan to conquer Middle-Earth following the events of season 2 and going into season 3. While the Dark Lord was seemingly vanquished at the start of Prime Video’s ambitious adaptation of J R.R. Tolkien’s beloved fantasy world to television, Sauron was under the guise of the Southlander Haalbrand. In The Rings of Power season 2, Sauron instead took on the guise of the Elf Annatar, setting his sights on manipulating Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) into forging the titular artifacts.

Vickers opened up to Decider about what the next phase of his plan will be in season 3. When suggesting other locations ripe for the Dark Lord to travel to and cause the most chaos, Vickers admits that he doesn’t know where the story is going to take him, but he hopes that his shapeshifting powers will be used sparingly to maintain the spectacle.

I don’t know when, I’m in the dark about what’s coming next, but I think it’s a really cool power that he has to change forms and it’s a fine line. You don’t just want to be changing forms for the sake of it, so it becomes gimmicky. But I think the way to avoid that is to lean into it, but it all needs to be grounded. In the same way that Annatar was all about Celebrimbor, I feel like Sauron’s next form, if there is another form , will be like something that he leans into his strength and power as Sauron now.

The actor then states he feels that whatever form Sauron would take would not only rely on his current status, but also the task at hand. Using the example of infiltrating Numenor, Vickers hypothesizes he would need to make himself as non-threatening as possible to deceive Ar-Pharazôn (Trystan Gravelle).

Like we’re almost at the height of his power in the Second Age, you know? And then he needs to go on a journey when he goes to Númenor. I don’t know what kind of Sauron gets captured by Pharazôn, but if I’m Pharazôn, I’m not going to be wanting to take this huge evil sorcerer into my prison. So maybe he needs to present as a weakling. I don’t know.

What Vicker’s Explanation Tells Us About Sauron’s Plan

Sauron’s Methods Have Been Clear Since Season 1

Many of Vicker’s points can already be seen in action within The Rings of Power’s first two seasons. With his Halbrand persona, Sauron played the role of a long-lost king destined to take his promised throne once more, playing on what audiences would expect thanks to tales previously told in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, not only lulling Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) into trusting him, but the viewer too.

While his identity was well-known to viewers once season 2 aired, the season still followed in Vicker’s explanation, showing why this mindset has helped Sauron, and how other methods such as solely relying on power have failed him. His demise by Adar’s (Sam Hazeldine) hand was prompted by an abuse of power over the Orcs, but his Annatar disguise allowed him to manipulate Celebrimbor into serving him for some time, even though the illusion would eventually be shattered.

Our Thoughts on Sauron’s Future

Sauron’s Lust For Power May Lead To His Demise

Though Vicker’s explanation did include nods to where Tolkien’s Sauron will end up, it is clear that the actor has not heard any firm plans for The Rings of Power season 3. Nevertheless, the actor’s dive into the character does show a clear understanding of how he operates, hinting that there have been discussions of where his story will take him.

What remains to be seen, however, is whether Sauron growing closer to his goal will change his mindset as The Rings of Power progresses. Absolute power has lulled the Dark Lord into believing himself invulnerable and unstoppable before, so it is possible he could fall into the same trap twice, as Celembrimbor himself predicted.