Sauron has been in control for practically all of The Rings of Power season 2, though Númenor is the one faction he seems most concerned about. The Rings of Power Season 1’s ending saw Sauron, disguised as Halbrand, joining the forces of Númenor in their campaign against Adar in the Southlands, which was costly for the island kingdom. Since then, they’ve returned to their home and have focused on their own political strife, leaving Sauron to wreak havoc on Middle-earth in the forging of the Rings of Power.

Actor Charlie Vickers plays Sauron in The Rings of Power cast, and season 2 has featured him primarily manipulating Celebrimbor into forging rings for the dwarves. Notably, Sauron has also expressed keenness to forge rings for men and has gone to great lengths to convince the elven smith to do so. Sauron sees Númenor as a significant threat, and there are reasons for this that pertain to the history of Middle-earth’s Second Age.

The Númenóreans Helped To Bring Sauron Down During The Second Age

Númenor Is Crucial To Sauron’s Downfall

Given how The Rings of Power alters the Lord of the Rings timeline, certain events that happen in J.R.R. Tolkien’s lore aren’t existent in the show’s canon. In the books, the Númenórean king Tar-Minastir sends a fleet to aid the elves in their war with Sauron over 1,000 years before the likes of Elendil, Ar-Pharazôn, and Miriel came to be. It was then that Númenor began to establish small settlements in Middle-earth, which are shown to already exist in the TV series. This wasn’t the only instance of Númenor sailing against Sauron; the other should happen in the TV series.

During Ar-Pharazôn’s rule, the usurper king led a massive Númenórean fleet to Mordor to contest with Sauron. He brought such a significant force that the dark lord surrendered. Ar-Pharazôn took Sauron into captivity on Númenor, which eventually contributed to the kingdom’s downfall. Season 2, episode 6, teased this through Pharazôn using the palantír, causing him to see Sauron.

Sauron Retaliated By Bringing Down The Númenóreans Soon After

Sauron Causes The Downfall Of Númenor

After being taken into captivity, Sauron became a plague upon Númenor from the inside, whispering in the ear of Ar-Pharazon. The Rings of Power has seen Sauron’s capabilities of manipulation on Galadriel and Celebrimbor, but neither resulted in the level of direct destruction as Sauron’s manipulation of Pharazôn in Tolkien’s lore. Númenor is currently divided by a political conflict with one side, who are jealous of the elves for their immortality and spiteful of the Valar for not offering them the same gift, led by Pharazôn.

This political strife has already seen Pharazôn usurp the throne from Miriel, who believes in the more traditionalist view of Númenor and the elves being allies. This conflict will likely continue to worsen, giving Sauron a way in to cause even more chaos. In The Silmarillion and other writings of Tolkien, Ar-Pharazôn succumbs to Sauron’s manipulation due to his fear of death. Sauron convinces the Númenóreans that they can obtain immortality through the worship of Morgoth, causing them to build temples and begin ritual sacrifices in his name.

The island of Númenor was then sunk under a great wave, killing everyone who remained, including Sauron’s bodily form.

Sauron’s last drastic act against Númenor sees him convince Ar-Pharazôn to sail his fleet directly against the Valar. The Númenóreans depart with a massive fleet, sailing west for Valinor. The world’s creator, Ilúvatar, erupts the earth around Ar-Pharazôn and his army, leaving them covered in an enormous mound of dirt. The island of Númenor was then sunk under a great wave, killing everyone who remained, including Sauron’s bodily form.

Following Sauron’s body being destroyed in Numenor, he was unable to assume his fair form, which he’s been using in season 2.

Sauron’s History With The Númenóreans Traces Back To The First Age

Before Númenor, The Edain Fought In The War Against Morgoth

During the First Age, Sauron shared Morgoth’s desires to create life, which was kept from the Valar and the Maiar, restricted only to Ilúvatar. Because of this, he joined forces with Morgoth and was known during this period as his most trusted lieutenant. The kingdom of Númenor was established in the Second Age, but its history dates back further. The Edain were the men of the First Age who fought alongside the elves in the War of the Jewels, eventually defeating Morgoth.

Due to their efforts in aiding the elves, the Edain were gifted the island of Númenor by the Valar, establishing their line. Their blood passed through the Númenóreans down to the Dúnedain of the Third Age, all the way to Aragorn, meaning the noble men of Middle-earth have been a thorn in his side from beginning to end. In The Rings of Power, audiences will get to see his conflict with Númenor carried out, potentially in season 3.