The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power actor Charlie Vickers explains why Sauron takes on the form of an elf in season 2 of the Prime Video series. In season 1, Sauron appears as a man named Halbrand, who is not revealed to be the villainous Sauron until the season finale. Season 2 sees Sauron looking different as he abandons the form of Halbrand and instead disguises himself as an elf who goes by the name Annatar, with this form posing a new threat to Middle-earth and its people.

While speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Vickers shares that Sauron’s elf form is primarily meant to deceive and manipulate Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards). Sauron needs the master smith to create more rings of power, as only the elves’ three rings were created in the season 1 finale. Appearing as an elf with transcendent features helps convince Celebrimbor that Annatar is an emissary of the divine Valar, making it difficult for him to see Sauron’s true nature. Read Vickers’ comments below:

In terms of his physicality and appearance, we designed everything from the perspective of: What would best sway Celebrimbor? The character had to have a weight and power about him, so that someone like Celebrimbor, who is the great smith, would be persuaded.

Season 2 Increases Rings Of Power’s Scale & Connectivity

Season 1’s Setup Will Pay Off In Season 2

Between its many characters, storylines, and locations, Rings of Power season 1 had to take its time gradually building toward connecting all these elements. This led to criticisms about the season being slow-paced at times and certain storylines feeling disjointed from one another. TheRings of Power season 1 ending, the season 2 trailers, and Vickers’ comments prove that this will no longer be true for the series’ coming episodes, as the storylines are now more interconnected and on a larger scale than before.

Halbrand and Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) were separated from Celebrimbor and the majority of other characters for much of season 1. As Annatar instead of Halbrand in season 2, Sauron will now be at Celebrimbor’s side and at the center of the pivotal events happening in Middle-earth. Beyond being more connected to the rest of the series, season 2 will be further connected to The Lord of the Rings trilogy, including Sauron working with Celebrimbor to create more rings of power that are featured later in the chronological timeline.

The overall scale of the series will increase as well, with massive battles teased that will exceed season 1’s battles and the inclusion of new creatures that were not featured in the previous episodes. In his new elven form, Sauron can hatch his schemes and more easily pursue his domination over Middle-earth and its people. The setup in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1 is poised to pay off with the stories ahead for Sauron and the other characters.