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J.R.R. Tolkien’sThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy is considered to be one of the most intriguing and important pieces of literature in the modern world. The trilogy is not only written exceptionally, but the lessons it provides and the epic world-building it possesses are something that transcends fantasy, offering timeless reflections on power, hope, friendship, and the resilience of the human (and hobbit) spirit in the face of overwhelming darkness. However, one of the key factors that makesLOTRsuch a revelation is the characters it introduces throughout the three books.
From Aragorn and Frodo to Gandalf and Legolas, every character in the Middle-earth saga is a force to be reckoned with. Although all the aforementioned characters are really popular in pop culture, one character who has managed to captivate everyone’s minds is none other than Sauron, the menacing villain of Tolkien’s universe.
Sauron is a very complex character. Even though he is a traditional antagonist who wants to rule over the entire Middle-earth, he doesn’t shy away from taking catastrophic paths to destroy people from within. That’s what makes him such a terrifying villain, and if people have read the original trilogy, they would know how Sauron instilled terror in the deepest corners of Middle-earth. Just like how every story ends,The Lord of the Ringsalso concludes with the defeat of the evil Sauron. But is he truly destroyed? Contrary to what people might think, Sauron cannot be completely destroyed in a way a mortal person could be. The truth about his existence and death is much more complicated. Let’s take a look at what happens to Sauron and his spirit after the ring is destroyed inThe Return of the King.
Who Is Sauron, And What Does The One Ring Mean For His Spirit?
Before we talk about whether Sauron can be completely destroyed or not, let’s understand who Sauron really is. Sauron is not a human, or an elf, or a dwarf. He is a Maia. For those who don’t know who or what Maia is,they are a kind of spirit being that existed before the world came into existence.According to lore, Sauron’s original name was Mairon, and he was considered to be the mightiest Maia of the Vala Aulë the Smith. As a whole, Maiar are regarded as lesser Ainur, spiritual beings that were crucial in shaping the world under the guidance of Eru Ilúvatar, the godlike figure in the Middle-earth saga. He is not the only Maiar in the Tolkien Universe; characters such as Gandalf, Saruman, and Balrog inThe Fellowship of the Ringare examples of Maiar as well.
One of the most significant aspects of these beings is that they can take any physical form, but they are not bound to it. For example, inThe Hobbittrilogy, readers don’t see Sauron in his physical form, but he is referred to as the “Necromancer.” However, his true identity is exposed inThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy, where everyone realizes that the Necromancer is actually Sauron, who has come back to cast a shadow of darkness over Middle-earth. Initially, Sauron was a good being, but as time passed, he was corrupted by Melkor, who was later known as Morgoth. Melkor corrupted him and told him to betray the Valar and serve him. After he started serving Morgoth, things didn’t remain the same for him. He became more powerful when Morgoth was defeated in the War of Wrath that took place at the end of the First Age.
In the second and third ages, Sauron continued to be a force to be reckoned with and used his powers to corrupt the elves, the men, and the dwarves so that he could be the most powerful being in Middle-earth. He started corrupting the Elven smiths to make a total of 20 rings. These include: three rings for the Elven kings, seven rings for the Dwarf-lords, nine rings for the mortal men, and one ring for Sauron himself. And that One Ring is really important if anyone wants to know what happened to Sauron’s spirit.
What Happens When The One Ring Is Destroyed?
The journey of Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Merry Brandybuck, and Pippin Took began inThe Fellowship of the Ring,and all four Hobbits accompanied Gandalf on an adventure. However, that adventure soon turns into something terrifying, which makes them realize that they are onto something bigger, and everything is related to the One Ring possessed by Frodo. In the finalLord of the Ringsbook,titledThe Return of the King,Frodo and Samwise were able to reach Mount Doom after facing a lot of difficulties. During their journey, they were accompanied by Gollum, who disguised himself as one of their friends but wanted to get hold of the One Ring. Frodo reaches the point where he is about to drop the ring into the burning hot lava. However, something changed in him, and the Ring overpowers him at the final moment.
Meanwhile, Gollum made his way to Frodo as well and fought Frodo to have the One Ring. In the end, Gollum bites off Frodo’s finger and falls into the lava along with the ring. Finally, the ring is destroyed once and for all. Readers of the book or viewers of the film trilogy must have felt that Sauron is completely destroyed, and that he will never come back. Honestly, that’s not true. Sauron is not completely gone, and these two lines fromThe Silmarillionare really important in making everyone understand a lot more about Sauron’s existence. In the aforementioned book, Tolkien writes:“But Sauron was diminished and became a spirit of malice that gnawed itself in the shadows, but could do nothing more.”
This sentence by Tolkien is enough to make anyone understand that Sauron was never completely destroyed.When the One Ring was destroyed at Mount Doom by Frodo, all Sauron’s power linked to that ring was destroyed by it. But he did not die in the human sense. Instead, his spirit was annihilated and reduced to almost nothing. In the end, Sauron became a powerless figure, like a shadow that couldn’t do anything beyond existing. Of course, he was still full of malice and hate, but he didn’t have the ability or strength to act on it. He was not able to take physical forms, manipulate or dominate minds, or build armies. Although his presence was still out there in Middle-earth, it was so weak that he could never threaten anyone again.
Why Was Sauron Never Completely Killed?
A lot of people might be thinking that Sauron could have been completely killed, and why was he kept alive if he couldn’t do anything? Well, the answer to that question is given by Tolkien in his writings. Now, when Tolkien created this character, he made Sauron a Maia, and in his world,Maia areimmortal.The protagonists ofThe Lord of the Ringscould destroy their form and make them weak, but their spirit never dies. And because Sauron was a Maia, his spirit could not be eradicated. When the One Ring was annihilated, Sauron lost the most important source of his power, which could have helped him in regaining strength. After it got destroyed, he was helpless and reduced to a wandering spirit. Eventually, he could never take shape again.
Moreover, the “Eye” shown inPeter Jackson’s TheLord of the Ringstrilogyis not his actual body. In the books written by Tolkien, the “Eye of Sauron” is just a projection because Sauron didn’t have a full physical existence during the events ofLOTR,though he was very close to having a full physical structure. The fiery eye shown in the trilogy is a metaphorical way of saying that he was watching things, and his gaze was almost everywhere. This is why he fades away, and the tower falls instead of being absolutely blown to bits.
What Tolkien did with a character like Sauron showcases his brilliance as a storyteller. The annihilation of the One Ring doesn’t just end the war; it also concludes the most tumultuous era of Middle-earth, and the darkness finally fades away.Aragorn becomes the king, the Elves leave Middle-earth, and the fourth age, the age of men, begins. But where does Sauron go? He goes into the shadow, a powerless ghost of malice who is present there, but is unable to do anything as he has lost all his powers. This conveyed a very important message inThe Lord of the Rings: Evil forces can be brought down by showing courage.
