Learn more about the legendary J.R.R. Tolkien character as the series ramps up for its second season, which premieres August 29 on Prime Video.

The villainous figure Sauron is a stalwart of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings saga, with a journey spanning myriad ages and stories as he plots and schemes to run roughshod over Middle-earth.

So not surprisingly, Sauron has a key role in Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, set in an age long before the events of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. As fans learned late in Season 1, the mysterious character Halbrand (Charlie Vickers), who joined Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) on much of her journey throughout the season, was revealed to be Sauron disguised as a mortal man.

One of his more cunning traits is his ability to take on different physical forms to deceive others and achieve his sinister goals. As we head into Season 2, with Sauron adopting a new persona as the godlike Annatar, here’s everything you need to know about the legendary Tolkien character and what his presence means for Middle-earth. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power returns on August 29, exclusively on Prime Video.

Halbrand is Sauron

Viewers spent much of The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power’s first season following Halbrand’s travels alongside Galadriel, but there was always an air of mystery around exactly how this character fit into the larger mythology of Middle-earth. The answer came at the end of Season 1, when he revealed his true identity as Sauron to Galadriel and offered her a chance to join him in his quest to rule Middle-earth.

Galadriel is now aware of Halbrand’s true identity, and the two have developed a close bond. We’ll have to wait until Season 2, though, to see exactly what happens next.

How Sauron fits into ‘The Rings of Power’ era

Despite the fact that The Rings of Power takes place in an age long before the events of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Sauron is a figure who has existed for much of Tolkien’s Middle-earth saga, and his appearance in The Rings of Power ups the stakes even further. As we saw in Season 1, his machinations that spurred the creation of the titular rings were well underway during the age of The Rings of Power, fueling questions about what lies ahead after he infiltrated the elves and influenced the elven smith Celebrimbor while under the guise of Annatar.

Who is Annatar?

Season 2 will see the next phase of Sauron’s plan, as he takes on the guise of the emissary Annatar, the Lord of Gifts, and endears himself to the elves by offering them help and knowledge to further manipulate them into crafting more Rings of Power. Some are understandably skeptical of his offers, but his promise of knowledge in creating powerful objects could be too useful to pass up.

Sauron’s connection to the Rings of Power

Sauron is the central figure in Tolkien lore pulling the strings that lead to the creation of the Rings of Power—all so he can amass true power with the One Ring. But to get there, he had to convince the elves, dwarves, and men to go along with that plan. In Season 2, we’ll start to see exactly how Sauron made it all happen.

“We know Númenor has big things to do with Sauron down the road. As do the Dwarves in Khazad-dûm and elsewhere. We know that the Southlanders who had a home in Mordor, that has been utterly devastated and destroyed, are now essentially refugees. How does that play into it?” co-showrunner Patrick McKay told Nerdist. “And what is going to be happening over the course of Season 2 is, every single one of these societies and heroes that we set up in Season 1, are now facing serious cracks in the foundation that Sauron can exploit.”

Sauron in Tolkien lore

Sauron has existed in Tolkien’s story pretty much since the beginning, dating back to before the First Age, and being a servant of the evil Morgoth. But when Morgoth was defeated in the First Age, Sauron escaped, and bided his time before returning in the Second Age, which encompasses the events showcased in The Rings of Power.

“Having shared an adventure with Galadriel and these other characters in Season 1, it will have all the more impact now that Sauron is on the board moving into future seasons,” McKay told Vulture.

Of course, Sauron remains a player far beyond the Second Age in Tolkien’s tales of Middle-earth. He seeds wars among men, uses the rings to corrupt much of Middle-earth, leading to the epic War of the Last Alliance where Sauron was defeated (at least for a time) and the One Ring was eventually lost. That is, until it came into the possession of Gollum, and then Bilbo Baggins, leading to the events chronicled in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. 

How to watch Season 2 of The Rings of Power

The eight-episode second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will premiere on August 29 on Prime Video. The first season is available to stream now, exclusively on Prime Video. If you’re a Prime member, log in to your account to watch on Prime Video, free with your membership. If you’re not a Prime Member yet, learn more about the benefits and find out how you can sign up.