During the first season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, one question ruled the thoughts of fans: Which character would turn out to be Sauron? If you watched season one of the series, you know that it was The Rings of Power‘s Halbrand who emerged as Sauron himself. But as The Rings of Power season two quickly reveals, Halbrand was less a pure vision of Sauron and more just one form of him, a version specifically created to deceive Galadriel into becoming his ally. This season, Sauron is after someone else’s attention on The Rings of Power, the great elven smith, Celebrimbor, whose knowledge Sauron needs to create his ruling rings. And with a new target in his sights, Sauron transforms again in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, this time becoming his “fair form,” Annatar.
But who is Annatar exactly on The Rings of Power, and what do we know about him from The Lord of the Rings texts? Let’s dive in to explore the “divine” figure.
Jump to: Who Is Annatar on The Rings of Power? // How Did Sauron Become Annatar on The Rings of Power? // What Does Annatar Mean in The Lord of the Rings World? // Charlie Vickers’ Annatar Transformation // Why Didn’t Celebrimbor Know that Halbrand/Annatar Was Sauron? // Annatar on The Rings of Power Season 2 // More About Annatar From The Lord of the Rings‘ Lore
Who Is Annatar on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?
Quite simply, Annatar is Sauron on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. In the specific context of The Rings of Power, Annatar is the form that Sauron believes is most likely to sway Celebrimbor to his side. When Sauron becomes Annatar, he loses the noble yet humble human trappings that characterized The Rings of Power‘s Halbrand. After all, Halbrand was designed specifically to appeal to Galadriel and her goals in season one. More specifically, Sauron took on the guise of the human King of the Southlands, becoming the perfect ally to help Galadriel wage war against the Orcs in the Southlands as she sought to root out Sauron.
Celebrimbor, however, has a different set of goals in mind on The Rings of Power. Namely, he’s obsessed with creating a legacy that leaves a true impact on Middle-earth for ages to come. When Sauron transforms into Annatar on The Rings of Power episode two, he tells Celebrimbor that he is an emissary of the Valar, or gods, on a mission to save Middle-earth from darkness by means of the Rings of Power.
Halbrand Becomes Annatar
Sauron, as Halbrand, says to Celebrimbor, “There are forces in this world, beyond evil, Celebrimbor. And sometimes they send aid in the form of an envoy, a messenger, sent to bring guidance to the ears of the wise.” And then transforming into Annatar, Sauron dramatically booms out, “I have walked through the dust and the deserts of faraway lands in search of an artist possessing the craft to save all Middle-earth. A storm is coming, Celebrimbor, I can bring you the knowledge none other possess, I can unlock your grandest abilities. And when our work is complete, never again will the world overlook you as the mere scion of Fëanor. But forever more revere you The Lord of the Rings.”
Of course, these dramatics from Sauron, complete with clanging explosions and plumes of fire, lead Celebrimbor to believe he is chosen by the gods themselves, via Annatar, to bring to life their creations on earth. Sauron as Annatar leads Celebrimbor to believe he is destined to save Middle-earth from darkness by creating rings. There’s nothing Celebrimbor could desire more in this world.
On The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Sauron doesn’t appeal to the weaknesses in the characters around him, but to their strengths and hopes. In this way, Annatar is the perfect creation to tempt Celebrimbor into helping Sauron create the Rings of Power he needs to rule Middle-earth.
Charlie Vickers Reveals More About Sauron’s Annatar Form on The Rings of Power Season 2
Charlie Vickers, who plays Sauron in his Annatar form, shares a bit more with us about who Annatar is on The Rings of Power and where he’s coming from.
Vickers notes, “Approaching it from a creative point of view, Annatar is very different [from Halbrand]. I took some ideas from the book, this idea of a fair form. I always thought of him as quite an angelic being. And everything that he does is for Celebrimbor. So the way I play the character comes from the place of I want Celebrimbor to do what I want, basically. There were certain ways that I would move, and ways that I’d speak, and things that I developed with lots of different people that are inherently different to Halbrand. But it all comes from the place of how can I best get the oldest, greatest elven smith in the history of Middle-earth to listen to a complete stranger.”
Jump to: Who Is Annatar on The Rings of Power? // How Did Sauron Become Annatar on The Rings of Power? // What Does Annatar Mean in The Lord of the Rings World? // Charlie Vickers’ Annatar Transformation // Why Didn’t Celebrimbor Know that Halbrand/Annatar Was Sauron? // Annatar on The Rings of Power Season 2 // More About Annatar From The Lord of the Rings‘ Lore
How Did Sauron Become Annatar in The Rings of Power Season Two? Sauron’s Shape-Shifting Powers
But just how did Sauron become Annatar on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power? Well, it turns out Sauron is a pretty powerful fellow. Sauron is one of the Maia, in The Lord of the Rings world, spirits who came to Arda, or Earth, to help the Valar, the gods, create the world. Although Sauron in the Second Age of Middle-earth, when The Rings of Power takes place, is not quite as powerful as he was in the First Age, when he served Morgoth, he still has more than a few tricks up his sleeve. And one of the powers Sauron happens to have is that of shape-shifting.
In The Rings of Power season two’s first three episodes, we see Sauron change forms a couple of times. The first time is after Adar and the Orcs “split him open.” He looks one way before his first “death” and then emerges again in his Halbrand form. Whether this is Sauron shape-shifting or merely reflects the idea that, as a Maia, his spirit is difficult to kill and can emerge again even after “death,” is up for debate. But to become Annatar, we clearly see Sauron pulling out his shape-shifting powers on The Rings of Power. It’s quite a neat trick going from a ragged mortal to a divine, angelic being. And it has us wondering, what guise will Sauron wear next when Annatar no longer serves him. We bet the men of Númenor may have a few thoughts.
What Does Annatar Mean in The Lord of the Rings World?
“I am your partner, no more, no less, a sharer of gifts,” Sauron tells Celebrimbor on The Rings of Power episode two, “Annatar.” Of course, Halbrand would no longer suit Sauron, who is now proudly wearing a form that more recalls divinity and angels and less men and muck. But what does the name Annatar mean on The Rings of Power and in The Lord of the Rings world? Celebrimbor is happy to explain; he translates for the audience that Annatar means “Lord of Gifts.”
And, it’s true. As Celebrimbor confirms, the name “Annatar” indeed means “Lord of Gifts” in the elven language Quenya. Annatar is actually a compound word. It is composed of the elven word “anna,” which means “gift,” and the affix –tar, which indicates “lord,” or more specifically, “high, high; king or queen (in compounds).”
Does Charlie Vickers Wear Any Kind of Prosthetics or Makeup to Become Annatar on The Rings of Power?
Charlie Vicker’s transformation from Sauron’s Halbrand to Sauron’s Annatar on The Rings of Power season two is truly astounding. Even more astounding is that this transformation into Annatar is done solely by means of makeup on The Rings of Power. Vickers tells Nerdist, “It’s all just the work of the makeup team. What they really wanted was angular lines, and that was something that kind of creates this sense of evil and darkness and sharpness. They used a lot of contouring and shadowing to do that.”
He additionally shares, “Annatar, he is very clean. He’s a hygienic guy with almost kind of translucent skin, and wearing more clothes, in a gown the whole time. So it was quite nice not to have to get home at the end of the day and wash my whole body. It was kind of just my face.”
Jump to: Who Is Annatar on The Rings of Power? // How Did Sauron Become Annatar on The Rings of Power? // What Does Annatar Mean in The Lord of the Rings World? // Charlie Vickers’ Annatar Transformation // Why Didn’t Celebrimbor Know that Halbrand/Annatar Was Sauron? // Annatar on The Rings of Power Season 2 // More About Annatar From The Lord of the Rings‘ Lore
Why Didn’t Celebrimbor Know Halbrand/Annatar Was Sauron?
Quite simply, The Rings of Power prevents Celebrimbor from ever receiving word that Halbrand was really Sauron. All Galadriel tells Celebrimbor about Halbrand is that the elves are not to treat with him again. Though Gil-galad sends messengers to Celebrimbor to alert him that Halbrand is Sauron, the Orcs following Halbrand to Eregion kill the messengers, and word never arrives to Celebrimbor. Thus, Celebrimbor does not know that Halbrand, who transforms into Annatar, is Sauron.
What Can We Expect From Annatar, Lord of Gifts, This Season on The Rings of Power?
Now that Annatar, Lord of Gifts, is on the scene, what does he want? Well, as mentioned, he’s after the power to control, or, heal, as he’d probably tell it, Middle-earth. Vickers notes of Sauron as Annatar’s great purpose and his relationship with Celebrimbor. “He brings this thing that he’s been stewing on. Not a power of the flesh, but over flesh, an idea he’s been stewing on for centuries. But he doesn’t have the practical knowledge about how to implement it. And then all of a sudden he meets this guy who knows his way around a forge really well. Not that Sauron doesn’t, but he thinks, ‘Well, I can work with this person to put my ideas into motion.’ It’s the bringing of them together. They push each other to new heights throughout the season.”
Of course, we can see from trailers for the season that Annatar won’t stay so divine as he first appears and will slowly become a darker, more menacing figure as his machinations as Sauron come to light. Will we see Sauron transform out of Annatar and into a darker form this season on The Rings of Power? We’ll have to wait and find out.
What Does Tolkien Tell Us About Annatar in The Silmarillion and His Other The Lord of the Rings Writings?
That’s Annatar on The Rings of Power. But, of course, Sauron’s Annatar form comes straight from The Silmarillion. Tolkien writes of Annatar, “Sauron took to himself the name of Annatar, the Lord of Gifts, and they had at first much profit from his friendship. And he said to [the elves]: ‘Alas, for the weakness of the great! For a mighty king is Gil-galad, and wise in all lore is Master Elrond, and yet they will not aid me in my labours. Can it be that they do not desire to see other lands become as blissful as their own?” Additionally, Tolkien notes in the “Index of Names,”: “Annatar ‘Lord of Gifts’, name given to himself by Sauron in the Second Age, in that time when he appeared in a fair form among the Eldar who remained in Middle-earth.”
It was in his Annatar, “fair form,” that Sauron managed to convince the elves of Eregion to forge the Rings of Power alongside him. Of course, Celebrimbor forged three rings without Sauron’s influence, and Sauron forged the One Ring by himself in the fires of Mount Doom before returning to wage war on the elves. In The Simarillion all this happens in a matter of pages. But what exactly we’ll see take place in season two of The Rings of Power is yet to be determined.
Annatar in Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth
One interesting note about Sauron’s time as Annatar in Eregion from Tolkien’s Unfinished Tales reads:
Sauron used all his arts upon Celebrimbor and his fellow smiths, who had formed a society or brotherhood, very powerful in Eregion, the Gwaith-i-Mírdain; but he worked in secret, unknown to Galadriel and Celeborn. Before long, Sauron had the Gwaith-i-Mírdain under his influence, for at first they had great profit from his instruction in secret matters of their craft. So great became his hold on the Mírdain that, at length, he persuaded them to revolt against Galadriel and Celeborn and to seize power in Eregion; and that was at some time between 1350 and 1400 of the Second Age. Galadriel thereupon left Eregion and passed through Khazad-dûm to Lórinand, taking with her Amroth and Celebrían; but Celeborn would not enter the mansions of the Dwarves, and he remained behind in Eregion, disregarded by Celebrimbor. In Lórinand Galadriel took up rule, and defence against Sauron.
It will be interesting to see how the other smiths in Eregion react to Sauron’s Annatar in The Rings of Power season two… and whether Sauron can convince them to revolt against their elven brethren.
Jump to: Who Is Annatar on The Rings of Power? // How Did Sauron Become Annatar on The Rings of Power? // What Does Annatar Mean in The Lord of the Rings World? // Charlie Vickers’ Annatar Transformation // Why Didn’t Celebrimbor Know that Halbrand/Annatar Was Sauron? // Annatar on The Rings of Power Season 2 // More About Annatar From The Lord of the Rings‘ Lore