Adar continues to insist that orcs be called Uruks in The Rings of Power season 2, begging the question of why this matter means so much to him. Although The Rings of Power‘s cast of characters is filled with those from Tolkien’s Legendarium, Adar is an original creation for the show. This provides the Prime Video adaptation with more of an antagonistic presence that even those familiar with the source material can explore for the first time, providing a different flavor to Sauron’s dark Rings of Power plan.

Adar is not depicted as someone who is inherently evil in The Rings of Power, unlike other villains like Morgoth and Sauron himself. Despite The Rings of Power recasting Adar, new actor Sam Hazeldine makes the transition almost seamless by capturing the more memorable parts of the character well. One such element of the character continues from The Rings of Power season 1’s ending, that being Adar’s insistence on him and his orcs being labeled Uruks.

“Uruk” Means “Orc” In The Black Speech Of Middle-earth

Uruk Is More Of A Respected Term In Adar’s Eyes

The primary reason behind Adar’s insistence on being called Uruk is the care he has for the orcs. Adar is their self-proclaimed father and simply wants to give the Uruks a home rather than the life of servitude they would live under Sauron’s rule. As such, Adar’s insistence on them being called Uruks is a way of showing them as more respectable, as Uruk is the Black Speech word for orc.

Adar would rather his children be labeled as they rightfully are in their own tongue, removing the almost slur-like term of orc…

The word orc likely came from the other races of Middle-earth. Be it elves, dwarves, or men, orc became a word used to describe Uruks from the outside, with The Rings of Power even depicting it as a derogatory term as far as Adar is concerned. Therefore, Adar would rather his children be labeled as they rightfully are in their own tongue, removing the almost slur-like term of orc.

The Rings Of Power’s Uruks Aren’t The Same As Uruk-hai From The Lord Of The Rings

The Uruk-hai Were Bred Under Different Circumstances

The word Uruk being used regularly in The Rings of Power brings to mind the Uruk-hai, a breed of orcs from The Lord of the Rings. However, there are some differences between the two. While both are breeds of orcs, the Uruks are primarily those born and bred in Mordor, whereas the Uruk-hai were created in Isengard by Saruman. 

The Urul-hai were created by Saruman as the ultimate fighting form of the orc. They were much larger, sturdier, and more hardy as warriors than the more slight builds of Mordor’s Uruks. In Black Speech, Uruk-hai means Orc-folk. This explains why the Uruks of The Rings of Power have a similar name, as the Uruk-hai have a very slight differentiation regarding their name. However, Middle-earth’s Second Age does not possess any Uruk-hai as they come later in the Third Age, with the Uruks under Adar’s care being the primary orc breed of The Rings of Power‘s timeline.