The American fantasy series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is based on J. R. R. Tolkien’s novel The Lord of the Rings and its supplementary materials. Author: R. R. Tolkien. The creator of the show, J. The series, created by J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay for Amazon’s Prime Video, takes place in the Second Age of Middle-earth, many centuries before the events of Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Amazon Studios, HarperCollins, New Line Cinema, and the Tolkien Estate work together.
In November 2017, Amazon paid US$250 million for the television rights to The Lord of the Rings, committing to produce at least five seasons of the show at the cost of US$1 billion. If this is the case, the cost of having the show will exceed any other in history. As of July 2018, both Payne and McKay were employed. The series was developed with input from Tolkien’s grandson, Simon Tolkien, and is based on the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, which detail the Second Age. It is neither a sequel to the Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit films, as that would violate Amazon’s agreement with the Tolkien estate.
Who Is Adar in Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?
The Silvan elf Arondir makes the initial discovery that Adar exists when investigating the increasing evil in the Southlands. It has come to our attention that orcs are digging tunnels deep into the earth, most likely in quest of a weapon.
In Episode 3, the orcs kidnap Arondir, along with several humans and elves, and force them to dig tunnels for them. He observes that the orcs constantly refer to a leader named “Adar,” to whom they answer (more on that exciting name below).
Although we do not know much more about Adar then, we get a glimpse of him after Episode 3, when Arondir is hauled in front of him. The character is an entirely original conception of the show. As such, it is impossible to say if he is just some fresh antagonist or an early iteration of an antagonist that we are familiar with quite well.
Is Adar A Shape-Shifting Sauron?
Tolkien’s Middle-earth history places The Rings of Power in the Second Age, when Sauron is present but not yet the main antagonist. Polygon reports that Sauron has been amassing his forces in Mordor, which is geographically close to the Southlands.
Evidence suggests Adar is not Sauron. In the Second Age, he learned ringcraft by disguising himself as the helpful Annatar. To top it all off, if Adar went about his business, Sauron would have a lot on his plate. Aside from the “man in the sky” and Halbrand, there are two more candidates for Sauron.
He could also disguise himself as Adar, but that would be too easy and, frankly, underwhelming. Arondir and the other elves possibly use the term “Adar” to refer to Sauron. Even so, Sauron has plenty of time to establish his throne: thousands. If our heroes do manage to learn his true identity, it’s doubtful they’ll be able to change his course significantly.
Who Plays Adar in The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power?
Joseph Mawle, known for his role as Benjen Stark on Game of Thrones, is the actor who portrays Adar. Most fans of fantasy television shows are likely already familiar with Mawle. A prolific stage actor, he has also made guest appearances on many other television programs, such as the American series Sense 8 and the British series Ripper Street and Birdsong.
Rings of Power Episode 3: Adar Gets Mentioned By The Orcs
During the third episode, the orcs have taken several captive humans, elves, and other races and forced them to labor for them. Arondir is one of those elves. At this time, Adar has already been brought up, and the group of slaves is discussing out loud the possibility that this refers to Sauron, given that he used a variety of aliases. Arondir is the only member of his squad to survive after their planned revolt, which unfortunately did not go according to plan.
But it’s possible that he won’t make it very far. When the insurrection ends, he is kidnapped and told that he will be taken to Adar. He is taken along a dim hallway and put in front of a man who appears to be Adar. He has a human figure, pale skin, and dark hair, but the illumination makes it difficult to make his face. Is this the main antagonist of the play?
