The promotional campaign for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 hasn’t concealed how much its sophomore outing focuses on Sauron (Charlie Vickers); it’s capitalized on it. Season 1 hid the Dark Lord’s identity in plain sight, waiting until the finale to reveal his masquerade: that Halbrand, Galadriel’s (Morfydd Clark) trusted human ally, was actually her sworn enemy. Now that Sauron, known for his deceiving ways, is out in the open, Rings of Power’s second season plans to peel back the curtain on high fantasy’s ultimate villain. The marketing materials have followed suit, emphasizing Sauron’s latest disguise — Annatar, a regal elf — and the threat he poses toward not just Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards), his latest target, but all Middle-earth.
With less than a week left before Season 2 premieres, a new behind-the-scenes video reveals a decent-sized spoiler. According to Prime Video’s “The Faces of Sauron S2” teaser, this season opens with a Sauron flashback. And that version of Sauron isn’t Charlie Vickers shifting from a rugged human to a long-haired elf; the Sauron of the flashback is played by Jack Lowden, a current Emmy nominee for his role in the Apple TV+ drama Slow Horses. Ordinarily, this actor-role combo seems like a big enough surprise to save for the premiere. But revealing Lowden’s involvement ups the intrigue about Rings of Power’s interpretation of Sauron: not the giant eye of Peter Jackson’s movie trilogy who influences from afar, but a calculating being of immense power who can walk, talk, and corrupt Middle-earth firsthand. And as he does, maybe Rings of Power will explore why he seeks to conquer the world to begin with.
What Version of Sauron Does Jack Lowden Play in ‘The Rings of Power’ Season 2?
According to “The Faces of Sauron S2,” Lowden’s scene takes place in the wake of the Dark Lord Morgoth’s defeat, approximately a millennium before The Rings of Power. Best known for his roles in Dunkirk, Mary Queen of Scots, and Slow Horses, Lowden’s Sauron addresses a gathering of Orcs. As Morgoth’s chief lieutenant, Sauron assumes control of his fallen master’s Orc army, promising that “a new age begins under me.” His ominous proclamation comes to pass, albeit differently than he planned; Morgoth’s defeat closes out the First Age of Middle-earth, and the first true battle against Sauron — which Rings of Power depicts — happens during the Second Age.
Why Does Sauron Change Faces in ‘The Rings of Power’ Season 2?
Creator J. R. R. Tolkien’s works established Sauron as an immortal spirit capable of shapeshifting. He took both “sinister” and “fair” humanoid forms to accomplish his goals, as well as animal shapes. Vickers’ costume and makeup changes between seasons hinted at Rings of Power preserving this detail, but revealing Lowden’s role confirms it. Even though showing one of Sauron’s older faces is an unfortunate spoiler for some, for other viewers, it introduces the extent of his shifting ability and clarifies why Vickers looks so different from season to season.
Speaking of Vickers: the actor seems to be adapting to Sauron’s new guise more than capably. Between his wardrobe, body language, and vocal delivery, he’s almost but not fully unrecognizable, leading to an uncanny valley effect — but in a good way. The disconnect enhances the dramatic irony. The characters and the audience aren’t in the same boat anymore; this time, fans know Sauron’s tricks and are along for the ride. That said, casting Lowden as a past Sauron immediately underscores that Sauron’s transformations are nothing new for him. Contrasting the actors puts a literal face on why neither Celebrimbor nor Adar (Joseph Mawle in Season 1, Sam Hazeldine in Season 2) recognizes their enemy, and how Sauron evaded capture for centuries despite Galadriel’s best efforts to find him.
Casting Different Actors Makes Sauron’s Manipulations Scarier
Sneaking in a second actor also emphasizes how easily Sauron charms his unwitting victims. Not only is there a legitimate physical shift, he convincingly embodies what people most crave. Last season, Sauron flew under Galadriel’s radar by appearing as a human man. As he gradually earned her trust, Halbrand’s “identity” as the long-lost King of the Southlands appealed to Galadriel’s hope for peace, clarity, and restoration.
This season, Sauron-as-Annatar presumably targets Celebrimbor’s ego. When the two briefly met in Rings of Power Season 1, “Halbrand” noticed that the master elven-smith had shut down his forge but still longed to create something unforgettable. Tolkien described “Annatar” as an ethereal emissary of the Valar (Middle-earth’s creator gods) and the Lord of Gifts, and the lie slid past Celebrimbor’s defenses. Rings of Power appears to be keeping this lore. As Vickers explained in the “Faces of Sauron S2” video:
” The Annatar form that we see this season is all for Celebrimbor, because [Sauron] needs Celebrimbor and his understanding, and his methodology, and his craftsmanship, to make these rings.”
A Sauron flashback also hints at how much mythology Rings of Power might adapt or re-invent. Throughout The Lord of the Rings books, the Dark Lord of Mordor casts a vast shadow despite being essentially non-corporeal. He’s never visualized beyond a giant eyeball “wreathed in flame.” Characters speak of him, but not directly to him. As such, Tolkien detailed most of Sauron’s backstory in his compendium material, which includes the trilogy’s appendices, The Silmarillion, and his son Christopher Tolkien’s compilations of his father’s unpublished works. Similarly, the film trilogy only shows Sauron’s fully armored body and his infamous Eye.
‘The Rings of Power’ Season 2 Explores a Brand New Onscreen Sauron
Compared to Galadriel’s heroic journey across Season 1, showrunners Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne have called Season 2 “all about the villains,” essentially making this new season a dark echo of the first. McKay told Empire Magazine that depicting Sauron at the height of his power was one of the project’s biggest draws:
“If you had to pick one reason to make this show and set it in this era of the mythology, that’s it. From minute one, we talked about Milton’s Paradise Lost , Walter White and Tony Soprano, and how Sauron has the potential to be like these great villain-heroes – hero meaning protagonist.”
Knowing that Sauron was underneath everyone’s noses casts Season 1 in a new light. The new and unique opportunity afforded by Season 2 is a game-changer. We’ve never explored Sauron’s psychology, watched him sow discord, or seen him pitted against an equal opponent in a battle of dichotomies. Sauron has many faces and powers, and just one shiny, golden, circular agenda. That’s compelling, disquieting, and a good marketing technique.
