Biography of Sauron from the Middle-earth franchise.
Beginning and Corruption[]
Sauron during the First Age.
Sauron was once originally a powerful Maia, an angelic being made by the universe's creator, Eru Ilúvatar, to serve the Valar, a higher order of Ainur than the Maiar.
Sauron's original name was Mairon, meaning "the admirable", and he was a Maia of the Vala known as Aüle the Smith. He had learned so much from Aüle, such as crafting and forging, that he became a great craftsman. He was created as one of the most powerful Maiar, even more than Olórin, or Gandalf, and Curumo, or Saruman. At the time, he took part in the Music of the Ainur, when he was incorrupt and good. However, he was also obsessed with perfection and order, which would cause his corruption into evil. Mairon became enamored of Arda when it was formed, and he was corrupted by the evil Vala Melkor, who promised to share dominion over the world with him. After this, he corrupted many other Maiar, who became Balrogs. Mairon then worshiped Morgoth and followed him into Arda.
Despite this, Mairon managed to pretend to stay faithful to the Valar, when in reality, he was feeding information to Morgoth about their dealings. Mairon didn't reveal his true nature nor leave the Blessed Realms until Melkor established his fortresses. For this treachery, Mairon has been permanently established a foe of both the Valar and the Free Peoples of Middle-earth. He was called Gothaur, meaning "dread abomination", by the Sindar in Beleriand, and named Sauron, meaning "the abhorred" or "the abominable", by the Ñoldor. The name "Sauron" was a mockery of his original name.
Under Morgoth's Service[]
During the First Age of Middle-earth, Sauron served as Morgoth's chief lieutenant, working to corrupt Men and Elves, the Children of Ilúvatar, to his master's service. Sauron became the High General of Angband along with the Balrog lord Gothmog. Many other Maiar joined Morgoth, and they possessed the bodies of Wolves and became Werewolves. Sauron was possibly given the task of corrupting Elves into Orcs when Morgoth captured them and did unspeakable cruelties to them, an act that provoked even Ilúvatar himself. When the Battle of the Powers took place, the Valar came into Middle-earth and leveled the fortress of Angband, defeating Morgoth in the process. However, they were unable to capture Sauron as they could not find him anywhere in the fortress. Morgoth was imprisoned for three millennia, and Sauron came back to Angband when Morgoth was returned from Valinor after lying about his repentance.
Sauron is given orders by Morgoth.
Sauron played a large part in the War of the Jewels because he could cast illusions and make his enemies think things were going differently. Following the battle of Dagor Bragollach when Morgoth killed the High King Fingolfin of the Ñoldor, Sauron cast a spell which made Gorlim think that his wife Eilinel was still alive, and when he was captured and brought before him, Sauron promised him that if he told the location of Barahir's camp, he would be reunited with his wife. After Gorlim betrayed the location of his comrades, Sauron revealed that Eilinel was already dead and sadistically had Gorlim cruelly put to death. His most famous conquest was when he captured the island of Tol Sirion and renamed it Tol-in-Gaurhoth, the Isle of Werewolves, and bought many Werewolves there. Draugluin became the sire, and lord of werewolves, while a vampire named Thuringwethil became the herald of Sauron. Sauron would feed prisoners to his werewolves and he was left to his own devices there. Morgoth saw it as a big victory because Tol Sirion has an Elven fortress, and this victory made Elves unable to pass through that place.
Eventually, a Man named Beren appeared with the Elf King Finrod and ten other Elves, disguised as Orcs. However, Sauron saw them and was suspicious as all Orcs had to report to him. He had them brought before him and defeated Finrod in a contest of magic and song, stripping the disguises. Sauron threw all twelve of them into his deepest dungeon till they would tell him their purpose, but he had them picked off one by one. Ten of the comrades were consumed by the werewolves, with Sauron wanting Finrod left alive. However, when a werewolf came for Beren, Finrod broke free, and he and the werewolf ended up killing each other. Sauron saw that the Elven princess by the name of Lúthien had come to rescue Beren, so he sent werewolves to capture her. However, each of them was slain by Huan, the Hound of Valinor. Finally, Sauron sent Draugluin, but he too, was killed by Huan. Despite this, the werewolf sire survived long enough to tell Sauron that Huan was in the area.
A painting by Ted Nasmith of Sauron being subdued by Huan.
Sauron knew the prophecy that Huan would not die till he encountered the biggest wolf to ever walk the world, so Sauron took the form of the biggest werewolf yet and fought Huan, being so menacing that even Huan himself briefly hesitated. Lúthien drew her magic veil over Sauron's eyes, causing him to stumble and struggle with fatigue before Huan fought him. Sauron's dark presence alone caused Lúthien to be weakened, and he continued to fight Huan in a lengthy duel, but Huan held him by the throat with his jaws. In an attempt to escape, Sauron turned into a snake, and from monster back to his own form, but it proved to be useless for him. When it was clear he was going to lose, Lúthien told him to hand the Isle to her or go back in shame to Morgoth. Dismayed, Sauron gave her control of the Isle, and when released, he turned into a vampire and flew off to Taur-nu-Fuin, dripping blood over the trees.
Later on, when Morgoth was finally defeated and banished into the Timeless Void during the War of Wrath, Sauron briefly repented and went to Eönwë asking forgiveness so that he wouldn't face punishment by the Valar, but Eönwë told him that he would have to face Manwë's judgment. Sauron was far too proud to humble himself, however, so he went straight back to evil and returned to Middle-earth to begin his own rule there.
Forging the One Ring[]
Barad-dûr as drawn by Tolkien.
In the Second Age, Sauron came to corrupt Men from both the East and South of Middle-earth who had already fallen to the influence of Morgoth. He became aware of the expansion of the Númenóreans, so he established himself in Mordor, and took up the mantle and title of the second Dark Lord of Middle-earth. In Mordor was where he began the construction of Barad-dûr, which would be his base of operations. His next choice of action was to manipulate the Elves into creating the Rings of Power as part of a plan to make them his servants.
To do this, he went in the guise of Annatar, Lord of Gifts, but Elrond and Gil-galad, even though they did not know his true identity, were wary of him and would not make any offer with him. However, he managed to come to the Elves of Eregion and taught them how to create the Rings of Power, and they accepted because they longed to gain more knowledge from him. The Rings of Power were created around the 16th century of the Age, which Sauron claimed would help them rule Middle-earth. The Elves made the Seven Rings and the Nine Rings with his influence, but they also created the Three without his knowledge or influence.
However, Sauron himself hid that he had other plans for the ones he gave the Rings of Power to, and in ten years, created the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom in Mordor to control all the other Rings of Power. Into this Ring, he put part of his own malignant life force and power to rule the other Rings and enslave the free peoples of Middle-earth. He used the One Ring to finish the construction of Barad-dûr. After this, it was now time for him to make his move.
Sauron revealed himself and went to war against the Elves, capturing the Seven and the Nine, which he gave to seven Dwarven and nine human leaders respectively. While the Dwarves could not be controlled, he gained power over the human ring-bearers. He was able to corrupt the nine Kings of Men because they took the rings without question. One by one, they fell into the darkness. Sauron ensnared them to his will and turned them into the undead Nazgûl, his most fearsome servants, led by none other than the Witch-king of Angmar.
Sauron and the Númenóreans[]
At some point, the last King of Númenor, Ar-Pharazôn, challenged Sauron for Lordship of Middle-earth. Mordor's armies fled in fear of Númenor's great armies and Sauron came down from Barad-dûr, made himself into an attractive form, one that Númenor would admire, and was brought to Númenor. There he quickly grew from prisoner to adviser, using the Númenóreans contempt for the Elves and Valar to convince them to worship Morgoth, hoping to restore his master.
As Ar-Pharazôn began to grow old, Sauron tricked him to attack the Undying Lands, saying that whoever ruled the Undying Lands would live forever. Most Numenorians were in favor of it, as they feared death, despite warnings from the Elves and Valar, Númenor sent a massive armada and army to seize the undying lands. In response, Eru sunk Ar-Pharazôn's fleet and imprisoned the king and his troops inside a cave, and destroyed Númenor. Sauron survived and returned to Mordor. As punishment for his role in the destruction of Númenor, Sauron could no longer assume an attractive form, for that is what he had used to seduce the Númenóreans.
Battle with the Last Alliance[]
Towards the end of the Second Age, the Last Alliance of Elves and Men marched upon Sauron's base in Mordor to defeat him and his armies.
After a years-long siege of his fortress Barad-dûr, Sauron himself went out. He killed the Alliance's leaders, King Elendil of Gondor and the High Elf-king Gil-galad, but his physical body was in turn destroyed. Elendil's son Isildur cut off the Ring from Sauron's hand with the remains of his father's sword, Narsil. Isildur kept the Ring, against the counsel of the Elves Elrond and Círdan, who begged him to destroy it.
Because the Ring survived, Sauron's malignant spirit lived on, albeit unable to take physical form. Isildur, meanwhile, was attacked and killed by Orcs a few years later; as he fell, he dropped the Ring into the river Anduin, where it remained for the next 2,500 years.
Refuge in Dol Guldur[]
By the middle of the Third Age, Sauron began to take shape again. His spirit went into hiding for an Age first in Dol Guldur, where he was eventually banished. By this time, the Ring had been found by a Hobbit named Sméagol, whom it corrupted and turned into the vile creature Gollum. Gollum took the Ring into a cave in the Misty Mountains, where for the next 500 years it waited for its master to re-emerge.
Sauron took control of the abandoned fortress Dol Guldur disguised as a Necromancer in order to regain his former strength. He was vanquished by the White Council, however, and he fled to Mordor in the East. The Ring, meanwhile, was found in Gollum's cave by the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins, who took it with him to his home in the Shire.
The Search for the Ring[]
Sauron's insignia, the Eye of Sauron.
Over the next 60 years, Sauron reclaimed his power over Mordor. He began building an army to conquer all of Middle-earth. By this point, Saruman betrayed the White Council and became Sauron's servant, hoping to claim the Ring for himself and overthrow the Dark Lord. Sauron also began waging war on his former allies, Men and Elves.
He still needed the Ring to regain his former power, however, so he sent spies all over Middle-earth to find it. Eventually, he found and captured Gollum, who had spent years looking for the Ring after losing it to Bilbo, and tortured the creature until he revealed that "Baggins" had it. After Sauron discovered this, he sent the Nazgûl to the Shire to find Bilbo's nephew and heir Frodo Baggins, who now had the Ring, to kill him and take the Ring back. However, Frodo had already left for Mordor to destroy the Ring, sent by the wizard Gandalf. Following Gandalf's passing when he sacrificed himself to slay Durin's Bane, his own symbol, the Eye of Sauron, appeared in the Mirror of Galadriel. Frodo looked into the Mirror of Galadriel, which showed things in the past, present, and future. He eventually saw the symbol of the Eye, with Galadriel herself warning him not to touch the water in the Mirror.
Meanwhile, Saruman cross-bred Orcs with men to make an army of Uruk-hai, but most of them were killed in the Battle of the Hornburg that took place in the land of Rohan. After his defeat at the Hornburg, Sauron declared open war on Middle-earth, conquering several kingdoms of Elves and Men. He decided to attack Gondor and sent an army of Orcs, Southrons, and Easterlings over to Minas Tirith to destroy it. The soldiers of Gondor fought against the army, which also had several trolls and Oliphaunts in it. They were later helped to gain victory by the Riders of Rohan, led by King Théoden, and by an army of soldiers brought by Isildur's descendant Aragorn, heir to the throne of Gondor.
The Ring Destroyed[]
Meanwhile, Frodo and Sam, with Frodo carrying the One Ring, entered Mordor through the secret passage of Cirith Ungol. The symbol of the Eye of Sauron appeared once again as the Dark Lord searched for the two Hobbits. He nearly discovered them, but his attention was diverted away from them when the Army of the West, led by Aragorn, Gandalf, Eomer, and Prince Imrahil, came to draw out his forces to give Frodo and Sam a chance to get to Mount Doom. Eventually, the two Hobbits reached Mount Doom, but Frodo, having been overcome by temptation, decided to take the One Ring for himself at the last second.
| “ | ...black against the pall of cloud, there rose a huge shape of shadow, impenetrable, lightning-crowned, filling all the sky. Enormous it reared above the world, and stretched out towards them a vast threatening hand, terrible but impotent: for even as it leaned over them, a great wind took it, and it was all blown away, and passed; and then a hush fell. | „ |
| ~ J.R.R. Tolkien on Sauron's destruction |
A shadow of Sauron's former self as he is utterly destroyed.
Just as it seemed Sauron was about to conquer Middle-earth, however, Gollum attacked and bit Frodo's finger off, taking the One Ring back. He danced with joy at his conquest, but lost his balance and fell in the lava pit of Mount Doom along with his "precious", destroying the Ring and himself. With the destruction of the One Ring, Sauron was defeated for good, and he lost all of his power to the point where he became a crippled, harmless shadow of his former self.
By this point, Sauron was unable to take shape again. He was then blown away by a great wind and into the Void, vanishing from Middle-earth in the process. All that Sauron had created were destroyed, including the foundations of Barad-dûr and the Black Gate. In addition, the armies of Mordor were all exorcised from Sauron's control and were easily defeated.