I don’t know about you, but when I think of the most evil villains, Lord of the Rings’ Sauron is one of the first to pop into my mind. He’s the being behind all the trouble Middle-earth faces and fights, and it’s hard to think of him as much more than the bad guy. However, Charlie Vickers, who plays him in Rings of Power (which you can stream with an Amazon Prime subscription), did a deep dive into why his character is more complicated than that, and I’m so here for it.
While Rings of Power Season 3 is still a ways away, Charlie Vickers spoke during an FYC event (via Variety) about Sauron and his role in Season 2 opposite Charles Edwards’ Celebrimbor. He specifically talked about making Sauron three-dimensional and more than just evil. He did that by going back to J.R.R. Tolkien’s work and realizing how the author fleshed out his villain:
I think it’s tricky with Sauron, because he’s kind of like the embodiment of evil, right? And you think of Sauron as synonymous with one of the most evil characters ever written. But when you really look into what Tolkien wrote about him, he’s incredibly three-dimensional, and he seeks peace for Middle-earth and the healing of Middle-earth. It just all has to happen his way, which is, I think, where the evil bit comes in.
In another Variety clip from the same event, Vickers reiterated that Tolkien “wrote specifically about Sauron” having “good intentions.”
All the best villains think they’re doing the right thing, and that’s 100% true with Vickers’ character. I think that’s why he’s so good at manipulating and gaslighting others, because he fully believes what he’s saying to a fault. And it’s this pure motivation that drives him forward, makes him a powerful bad guy and also illuminates his flaws.
Over the course of Season 2, my favorite moments came when we saw the flaws of Sauron or a crack in his facade. We got that when Celebrimbor called Sauron out in Episode 7, saying that he “can deceive even [himself].” Then, we got that again, when Vickers’ character cried after killing Celebrimbor, because, as the actor said, Sauron lost his “control” and was very frustrated and angry over it.
Sauron’s relationship with Galadriel also highlights his complexities. Since I thought he was just Halbrand for most of Season 1, I was under the impression that he truly cared for the elf. However, when it was revealed that he was Sauron, it became clear that he was using her. However, even during their fight in Rings of Power’s second season, I couldn’t shake the nuanced feelings Sauron clearly has when it comes to trying to get Galadriel on his side.
Like all good characters, Sauron is three-dimensional. He’s evil, but there’s a lot more to it than that, and that complexity is what makes him such an interesting villain to watch.
Now, as we jump forward for Rings of Power Season 3, I’m curious to see how Vickers continues to play this character as he works to do what he thinks is healing Middle-earth.
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