Sauron’s True Nature: Origins, Power, and History in Tolkien’s Legendarium

Sauron stands as one of the most enigmatic figures in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and Peter Jackson’s film adaptations. Amazon Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power further explores his nature, offering insight into his perspective and character. Set during the Second Age of Middle-earth, the series portrays Sauron at the peak of his power, in contrast to his diminished state by the Third Age events of The Lord of the Rings.

Though largely mysterious in The Lord of the Rings, Sauron’s full story is detailed in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion. Edited and published by his son Christopher, the work serves as Tolkien’s foundational history of Elves, Men, Dwarves, and other beings of Middle-earth. Released in 1977, four years after Tolkien’s death, The Silmarillion establishes the mythology behind his legendarium and provides essential context for Sauron, tracing the timeline from the Timeless Halls through the Fourth Age.

Sauron Was Originally Mairon, One of the Maiar

Sauron belonged to the Maiar, an order of the Ainur—the first beings created by Eru Ilúvatar, Middle-earth’s supreme deity, in the Timeless Halls before time itself began. The eight Aratar ranked highest among these spirits and were also counted among the Valar. Below them stood the remaining seven Valar, followed by the Maiar, a host of considerable number, as suggested by references to the “Host of the Valar.”

The Valar dispatched this host of Ainur during the First Age to fight in the War of Wrath, though they hesitated out of fear that such overwhelming power would cause catastrophic destruction. Their concerns proved warranted when the host’s intervention sank Beleriand, yet it also secured victory over Morgoth. Sauron was originally known as Mairon, according to obscure Tolkien lore published in the seventeenth issue of Parma Eldalamberon. Approved by Christopher Tolkien, the journal releases the author’s linguistic writings, several appearing for the first time.

Sauron Became Evil Due to the Influence of Morgoth

Before his fall, Mairon served Aulë, one of the three Valar chiefly responsible for shaping Arda. He likely spent countless ages studying and laboring under Aulë in the Timeless Halls, establishing a legacy that even his later evil could not erase. After turning to Morgoth and becoming Sauron “the Abhorred” in Quenya, he committed innumerable crimes against Elves and Men, yet “he remained mighty in the lore of that people.”

The Ainur spoke Valarin, Sauron’s native tongue, though Tolkien offered few details about it. Mairon is a Quenya name derived from the adjective “maira,” meaning “admirable.” Because Quenya is an Elvish language, Mairon represents a translation of Sauron’s true name, which remains unknown in its original Valarin.

Morgoth—formerly Melkor—corrupted Mairon, drawing him into his service to the detriment of Sauron and all Middle-earth. Mairon “loved order and coordination, and disliked all confusion and wasteful friction,” while “the apparent will and power of Melkor to effect his designs quickly and masterfully” first attracted Sauron, according to Morgoth’s Ring. Though Sauron initially “adored” Morgoth, the Dark Lord was willing to destroy anything Sauron might have ruled. Their differing aims likely surfaced quickly, suggesting their alliance was never entirely harmonious.

What Sauron Is Actually Supposed to Look Like as a Maia

As spiritual beings, the Ainur—including Sauron—had no need for physical bodies and could move “unclad,” in Tolkien’s words. “Maiar were usually invisible unclad, but their presence was revealed by their fragrance,” a quality that intensified following corruption, according to Parma Eldalamberon 17. The Ainur could assume, change, and regenerate physical forms as described in The Silmarillion. However, pursuing personal aims or indulging in bodily sensations made it more difficult for them to abandon or control those forms, per Ósanwe-kenta.

The Valar ate and slept—among them Tulkas and Morgoth—while the Maia Gandalf smoked. Morgoth sexually assaulted the Maia Arien and plotted against the Elf Lúthien, and Tolkien implied that Tulkas and Nessa consummated their marriage. Early accounts describe the Valar as having children, though later Morgoth and his followers became infertile, according to Morgoth’s Ring. Setting these details aside, the cruelty of Morgoth and Sauron ultimately bound them to fixed dark forms they could not change or use to deceive. Sauron’s final body was destroyed alongside the One Ring, leaving him unable to take shape again.

How Strong Sauron Is Compared to the Other Maiar and Wizards

The Valar surpassed Sauron in power, yet by the Third Age he ranked among the greatest Maiar in Middle-earth. Tolkien wrote in a letter that Sauron was effectively “greater” in the Second Age than Morgoth at the end of the First. Although Morgoth had been diminished, the Maia Eönwë—”whose might in arms is surpassed by none in Arda”—could still have defeated him. Eönwë served as herald to Manwë, King of the Valar. Nevertheless, despite appeals to Eru during the downfall of Númenor, the Valar and their chief servants had largely withdrawn from Middle-earth after the First Age.

With Eönwë and the Valar in Aman, the only Maiar capable of challenging Sauron in the Third Age were the five Wizards: Gandalf, Saruman, Radagast, and the Blue Wizards. Saruman fell under Sauron’s influence, Radagast proved no match, and the Blue Wizards met unknown fates, leaving Gandalf as the sole potential contender. Tolkien wrote that “only Gandalf might be expected to master [Sauron]” should he claim the Ring, though “confrontation of Sauron alone, unaided, self-to-self was not contemplated” in The Lord of the Rings. As Aulë’s apprentice, Sauron had learned from one of the greatest.

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