The Rings of Powerseason 3 already hasits perfect Adar replacement, andtheLord of the Ringsshow can give this new villain a story the Uruk never got. Although Sauron isThe Rings of Power’s Big Bad, Adar serves as a prominent antagonist in the first two seasons of the show.Adar’s origin storygives him good reason to hate Sauron, but he also dislikes Galadriel and the other Elves. His goal of building a home for the Orcs leads to the destruction of the Southlands, and Adar seems content to trample anyone in the way of his plans.
Of course,The Rings of Powerseason 2’s endingsees Adar realizing the error of his ways when he puts on Nenya — though this is tragically short-lived. As quickly as he agrees to pursue peace alongside Galadriel, he’s betrayed by the Orcs and killed by Sauron.This eliminates any chance of the Uruk receiving a proper redemption story. Although that’s disappointing,The Rings of Powercan make up for it by giving Adar’s replacement a lengthier and more detailed redemption arc during future seasons.
The Dark Wizard Will Replace Adar As The Rings Of Power’s Minor Villain In Season 3
Season 2 Sets Him Up To Be Another Secondary Antagonist
The Rings of Powerkills off its secondary villain during season 2’s finale, buttheLord of the Ringsseries has already set up his replacement:Rhûn’s Dark Wizard. The show introduces this Dark Wizard as a threat to the Stranger, Nori, and Poppy — and he proves an antagonistic force when he tries to form an alliance with the Stranger. It’s likely he’ll becomeThe Rings of Power’s new secondary villain in season 3, while Sauron will remain the show’s biggest threat through to the end.
The Rings of Power’s Dark Wizard Reveal Creates Another Massive Tolkien Question For The Show To Answer
The Rings of Powers' showrunners have resolved the mystery of the Dark Wizard in advance, but it opens up another immediate lore question.
The Rings of Powerhasn’t revealed much about the Dark Wizard, but he appears to be an Istar like the Stranger. The Amazon series' showrunnersconfirmed that the Dark Wizard isn’t Saruman, which means he’s likely one ofJ.R.R. Tolkien’s Blue Wizards. The Blue Wizards are probably the most mysterious Istari in Tolkien’s lore, but the author doesn’t portray them as villainous. Although they form cults and have dubious tendencies, the Blue Wizards aren’t said to join Sauron. In fact, they initially set out to oppose him, which meansredemption may be in the cards forTROP’s new villain.
The Rings Of Power’s Adar Replacement Must Tell The Redemption Story He Barely Got
The Dark Wizard Can Still Turn Things Around
If Tolkien’s writings rule out the Blue Wizards becoming total villains,The Rings of Powerwill need to redeem Rhûn’s Dark Wizard before the show is through. This means he’ll get the chance to have a full redemption narrative, unlike Adar, whose final moments simply don’t do his change of heart justice. Adar doesn’t get the chance to fix the damage he causes, butThe Rings of Power’s Dark Wizard may find a way to atone and help Middle-earth.
This would prove a compelling journey for both characters, and it would give theLord of the Ringsseries a proper redemption story — one it could have had with Adar.
If the Stranger has a hand in the Dark Wizard’s redemption, this will also allowGandalf to make up for his biggest Saruman failure. The Istar may not have been able to prevent his friend from falling prey to Sauron’s corruption, but he can bringThe Rings of Power’s new antagonist over to the side of light. This would prove a compelling journey for both characters, and it would give theLord of the Ringsseries a proper redemption story — one it could have had with Adar.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Cast
Set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power explores the forging of the iconic rings, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, and the epic events leading up to the stories in J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novels. The series chronicles the creation of legendary characters and the historic alliances and rivalries that shape the fate of Middle-earth.
