Rings of Power: Why Sauron Turned Evil, Explained

Sauron, the big bad of Amazon Prime Video's Rings of Power and The Lord of the Rings, wasn't always the evil dark lord of Middle-earth. 

Not only did Season 2 of The Rings of Power begin with more of Sauron's backstory, but it also positioned him as the anti-hero of the new eight-episode season. 

What audiences haven't seen, however, is Sauron's villain origin story and who he was before becoming a jewelry-obsessed, shape-shifting tyrant. 

[ Here's Why Sauron Changed Actors for Rings of Power Season 2 ]

How Sauron in The Rings of Power Became Evil

As explained in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion, Sauron was one of the Ainur, immortal, spiritual creatures made by Eru, and a Maia named Mairon who helped the Valar establish the world. 

While this hasn't been seen on-screen in the Rings of Power, Galadriel established this fact in Season 1, Episode 1, saying, "Nothing is evil in the beginning."

Still, despite being made for good, Mairon's love of order devolved into an obsession, luring him to Morgoth. 

Morgoth, also known as Melkor, was the greatest of the Ainur, and he fell to evil due to his desire for control and destruction. 

As a Morgoth lieutenant, Mairon received the name Sauron, meaning "The Abhorred."

While Morgoth is ultimately defeated, Sauron hides in Middle-earth with plans to take over and establish his brand of control, leading to what transpires in Rings of Power, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings. 

Therefore, Sauron isn't intended to be the personification of evil. He became evil through arrogance and self-righteousness, losing all empathy and love of order above life and free will. 

Part of Tolkien's genius is the fellowship's choices and their humility in knowing themselves to be capable of corruption, which allows them to defeat Sauron and save Middle-earth.  

What Tolkien Said About Sauron

J.R.R. Tolkien further explained Sauron and his relationship with evil in his letters, saying, noting that he began "well" but "went further than human tyrants:"

"He had gone the way of all tyrants: beginning well, at least on the level that while desiring to order all things according to his own wisdom he still at first considered the (economic) well-being of other inhabitants of the Earth. But he went further than human tyrants in pride and the lust for domination, being in origin an immortal (angelic) spirit."

In many ways, Sauron's fall is similar to the Biblical fall of Satan, as both were originally angelic spirits who embraced evil due to their own choices and self-worship.

Since the Rings of Power explores Sauron as a character and his shocking past in ways fans haven't seen on-screen, the question is whether the series will reference or revisit more of Sauron's backstory and how he came to serve Morgoth. 

New episodes of The Rings of Power Season 2 debut on Thursdays at 3 a.m. ET/midnight PT on Amazon Prime Video.