Why is Sauron so powerful? [ Lord of the Rings l The Silmarillion l Tolkien ]
Вставка
- Опубліковано 8 вер 2024
- Come join our Fellowship of the Ring movie night for just a couple of bucks per month! / hellofutureme Love to see you there.
HELP US STOP SLAVERY, GET A SUBFURY T-SHIRT: tinyurl.com/y7... Support A21 and the World Wildlife Fund!
Learn more about A21: www.a21.org/ind...
Learn more about WWF: www.worldwildl...
My SECOND CHANNEL can be found via a link on my main page or at 'TwotheFuture'. Come join us!
Email fanart/fanmail: hellofuturemeyt@gmail.com
Twitter: / timhickson1
Facebook: / hellofutureme
IF YOU WANT TO SEND THINGS TO ME (address):
Tim Hickson
PO Box 69062
Lincoln, 7608
Canterbury, New Zealand
The artist that designed my display pic! serem01.devian...
The artist who design my cover photo:
- raidesart.devi...
- / raidesart
- / raidesart
The artist who did my Avatar/lots of other art:
/ @ejag_art
I am so excited to see what you guys have made :D Thanks for watching subfuries.
Sauron: jeweler, architect, meteorologist, zoologist, necromancer, dark lord.
That guy sure can multi-task.
think he was a itch as well
sauron is a zaddy
well he sure has the time of all of his hobby
Just a Angel with a magic ring take that away what is left.
architect, meteorologist, zoologist, necromancer, Billionaire, playboy, and dark lord.
don't forget werewolf
When he mentioned that sauron was the master of crafts, I couldn't help but picture him knitting in a rocking chair or doing crafts with girl scouts discussing weaving techniques
How else do you think he gets new recruits?
That's because you're stoned. Lol
"Can we copystrike the Elves?"- Sauron
I laughed harder then I should have
Alinity is Sauron?
Demonetise Galadrials vlogging channel.
Reminds me of the can we copy strike pewdiepie? 😂😂
Sir, not legally... but yes
"Big man with a One Ring... take that away, what are you?" - "A Genius, Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist... no wait, strike that last one."
As "Lord of Gifts" he at least pretended to be a philanthropist....
Sauron has a Planet Fitness membership for thousands years.
Pffffttttttt, Sauron goes to Gold's
As a kid, I took the unusual path of reading the Silmarillion first, then The Hobbit, and only then The Lord of the Rings. That left no doubt as to what Sauron was and why he was powerful. This video is a perfect summary of why.
Sauron is an example of how OP enchanting is in skyrim.
Sauron splits his power into jewelry
Malkor splits his power into a person
So basically Tolkien invented Horcruxes and Rowling took the idea and ran with it?
The idea is actually from Russian folklore, with an egg inside of a bird inside of a rabbit locked in a chest buried under a tree.
@@benedictrogers1478 but the rings are a reference to a ring used by (I think) Socrates to illustrate a point about human nature. The ring would literally turn you invisible, and the idea was that when invisible you could kill, rape etc without limit. I really think Tolkien got the idea from Platos republic.
@@zayan6284 Missing the fact that I was obviously talking about soul storage there.
@@benedictrogers1478 But the idea behind the ring is platonic, not from russia. You didn't actually specify, so you don't need to act like your on your period. Change your tampon.
@@zayan6284 sorry, next tone somebody is taking Ankit horcruxes and claims Tolkein invented them I'll start babbling about Plato instead of their actual origins.
I'm not to blame for you misunderstanding the topic here.
I always understood Sauron's loss of the ability to assume a fair form as being the result of his then body being consumed in the downfall of Numenor - to extend the analogy of the bodies being like clothing, it's like his good suit being destroyed in the cataclysm, leaving him with fewer choices of outfit.
When Gandalf defeats the Balrog, and his body dies in the attempt, he gets issued a new body; when Sauron dies, he can't apply to Manwe for a new form, so has to make do with whatever he can pull together himself.
Well Manwë really had nothing to do with this. Even the Valar couldn't restore Gandalf to his human form, it was a direct intervention from Eru. Sauron would have recovered his fair form, but was also stopped by Eru, stripping his shapeshifting powers from him.
Something about that doesn't quite add up - you're saying that without direct intervention from Eru, Sauron would have done what Olorin couldn't have managed even with help from the Valar? And that even after that supposed intervention, Sauron still achieved a lesser version of the feat supposedly beyond the power of the Valar.
Looking into it further, Tolkien did say (in one of the Letters) that Eru intervened in the return and empowerment of Gandalf the White, though whether that was the issuance of a body, or just the renewal of spirit is not made clear.
I find no sign of Sauron's loss of the ability to assume a fair form having been considered to be anything other than the natural and inevitable consequence of his actions in the downfall of Numenor and his body being caught in that destruction. Whether because his fair form was destroyed, or, the other popular theory, because he had then fallen so far from fairness and grace that he was no longer able to disguise his nature in a fair form.
It also fits mythologically for Sauron to have squandered his power to assume fair forms rather than for it to have been stripped from him by divine intervention.
You shouldn't equate 2nd Age Sauron with 3rd Age Gandalf. Gandalf and the others were clad in mortal flesh, to be made like humans. When he died the Valar couldn't restore him because they are somewhat removed from humans.
Sauron losing his physical maiar made form happened more than once, yet he would still retain his shapeshifting abilities up until the destruction of Westernisse. It is specifically stated in the Silmarrilion that they wear bodies like raiments but aren't impeded by it in any sense. Besides we see him lose all of his shapeshifting abilities, not just his fair form. This is proven when Gollum states that he only has 9 fingers remaining in the third age. He can no longer generate new bodies, only revive his old Dark Lord form. It makes me sceptical of your clothing analogy.
It has been stated in many accounts that Sauron was in all ways as evil as Melkor, save for the fact that for a time he served another than himself. It makes little sense to me that he only squandered his fair form then.
Do you have a source for the Valar being unable to restore Gandalf, or is that just head-canon?
As for Sauron, we know that after his defeat by the Last Alliance at the end of the Second Age, he was unbodied for something like a thousand years - that defeat, and the loss of the One Ring would have been a further loss of potency for him beyond what cost him his fair form. There's a gap between the loss of the ability to appear fair, and the loss of his last remaining form for longer than it's been since the Norman Conquest.
For an Ainu to appear in a consistent form before mortals on separate occasions, either they need to remain in that form between appearances, or they need some way of storing that form - a psychic wardrobe, if you will - if, when Sauron lost the One Ring, he reverted to spirit and his physical form autosaved, that would explain why, when he managed to return, he was stuck with that form, with just the 9 fingers. Either way, if his fair form was devised in the distant past, before he fell into evil, then, until that form was destroyed, he could still use it even if he could no longer create such a form anew.
I have come across the theory that Gandalf the White was not an Istari - that, where the Istari were sent by the Valar, and working around the limitations on direct intervention in the affairs of Men by limiting the Istari to mortal forms, Gandalf the White was a Maia sent by Illuvatar himself, so merely seemed to have the form of a man.
Another theory, that doesn't fit with Tolkien's letters, is that Gandalf the White was simply Gandalf as he was - or should have been - when he was fresh from Aman, rather than after some two thousand years of mortal(ish) existence.
One thing that is present in LotR is the suggestion that the wizards physical forms all come from the same template - Gandalf and Saruman are distinguished by their garb, not by their appearance, and when Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli encounter Gandalf the White, it takes a while for them to be able to recognise him, possibly due to his form having been reset to the original template.
That's almost the exact explanation from The Silmarillion, so you are correct
The entire reason I got into reading everything else Tolkien wrote is because I was so frustrated that I couldn’t figure out exactly what Sauron was. Why was he evil? What could he do? What kind of creature was he? After my second read through of LotR I asked my mom to buy me the silmarillion, then unfinished tales then the rest of HoME. If we had had UA-cam at the time, I wonder if I would’ve read as much as I did in my search to understand Tolkien’s world.
I absolutely love your videos and they’ve inspired me to go back and read through everything again. Much love!
you should read all books by rick riordan then read the last apprentice series, the summoner series and the chronicles of ancient darkness for more of this stuff
I'll somewhat 2nd that. The books started to feel like they meandered a bit come the Egyptian series (My primary issue here, though, may actually be that since everything in it is done pretty much directly with magic, character struggles are very insubstantial. Standard difficulty with anything where things are settled 100% with magical strength rather than anything with a physical element or w/e, really, and sadly that was not successfully overcome in this case). Despite the fact that it was supposed to be the set with the big payoffs or w/e I never quite made it through the Roman sequence myself.
Though that may also be formula exhaustion. Which is not something I'll strictly blame the author for, as formula series are just a thing, and the fact that I got tired of it isn't really his fault, but definitely a thing to be aware of.
He's a demigod. Simplest answer
I read the Silmarillion to try and figure out how Tolkien's magic system worked XD.
To me hes always been purposely vague just like "Evil" as a concept.
"[Fangorn is] Dangerous!" cried Gandalf. "And so am I, very dangerous: more dangerous than anything you will ever meet, unless you are taken alive before the seat of the Dark Lord." - Gandalf the White
As the art of selective quoting (otherwise known as "Gandalf mouths off"). Real badasses dont need to tell everyone how badss they are....Remind me how well he did against the Lord of the Nagzul in Minas Tirith.
redcardinalist Book or movie? He was facing off with the witch king at the gate of Minas Tirith when Rohan showed up. They never actually fought, but Gandalf seemed pretty damned confident. Also, that was as far as the witch king’s army got- the first gate, no further.
redcardinalist he’s not bragging - he’s warning his companions that just because something or someone (including him) currently isn’t trying to kill them, it doesn’t mean they aren’t very dangerous.
Sauron training montage
DarkKing009 huh huh uf
dun duuuuuuuunnn
xD Yes pls
Ok now I see Sauron doing all the Rocky movie training scenes
DeWayne Nelson beating meat etc.
Sauron has the scariest power of them all: The power to convince you to compromise. A power that can't be measured on how much can you break or destroy, a power that is subtle, insidious, a power that convinces you to just do this one small thing you wouldn't do otherwise, that the situation calls for it, that it is necessary, that it's the only way to get what the world owes you. And that's terrifying.
On the time travel question: no one. Never meet your heroes. I guess that's a sentiment shared by anyone who was a fan of Nobuhiro Watsuki.
Francisco Cuadra anyone who played lotro remembers Audaghaim the village that ended up doing business with Sauron. No spoilers but it ended awfully!
thats not compromise, that is convenience
I agree, its that "Its ok just this one time" He can convince you to do evil and rationalize it to yourself.
He asks the simple question posed by juxtaposing Faramir's and Boromir's reactions to the Ring. "How much evil would you do to save your country" the line falls between the brothers directly. Boromir is willing to do anything even lose his humanity and doom everything, Faramir considers the downsides of the ring to be too dangerous. He asks not can I but should I.
To me this is the primary reason hobbits can handle the ring and others cannot. They are so far removed from the world that the idea of the Shire being attacked is un-thought of. Nothing to lose/nothing to gain besides peace. The hobbits have no interest since the Shire is already perfect. The ring wouldn't help the shire directly it would only cause mischief so they have no interest in its power since power isnt what keeps the Shire safe. All it can do is bring evil there.
The answer the hobbits have to the question of "How much evil would you do to save your country" is: absolutely none. This is my interpretation of their resistance to The Ring, there is no evil in the hearts of hobbits because they have a Utopian existence and without that evil the ring has nothing to manipulate.
Further proof is Tom Bomadil being 100% immune to its effects. Hes the embodiment of good nature and free carelessness. The reason they dont just give him the ring is Gandalf saying "[I]f he were given the Ring, he would soon forget it, or most likely throw it away. Such things have no hold on his mind. He would be a most unsafe guardian; and that alone is answer enough." His lack of interest is notable, what could the ring promise to give him that he does not already have? Similar to how there is little it can promise the Hobbits because their only interest is peace, goodness and comfort.
Gandalf also speaks to this: "Let folly be our cloak, a veil before the eyes of the Enemy! For he is very wise, and weighs all things to a nicety in the scales of his malice. But the only measure that he knows is desire, desire for power; and so he judges all hearts. Into his heart the thought will not enter that any will refuse it, that having the Ring we may seek to destroy it. If we seek this, we shall put him out of reckoning."
Sauron assumes that literally every being has interest in power and cant understand that some wouldnt and in this the Hobbits give them the advantage as they have none.
To quote a letter by Tolkien himself “if you have, as it were taken ‘a vow of poverty’, renounced control, and take your delight in things for themselves without reference to yourself, watching, observing, and to some extent knowing, then the question of the rights and wrongs of power and control might become utterly meaningless to you, and the means of power quite valueless.”
Just stumbled over a Sam quote
"Already the Ring tempted him, gnawing at his will and reason. Wild fantasies arose in his mind; and he saw Samwise the Strong, Hero of the Age, striding with a flaming sword across the darkened land, and armies flocking to his call as he marched to the overthrow of Barad-dûr. And then all the clouds rolled away, and the white sun shone, and at his command the vale of Gorgoroth became a garden of flowers and trees and brought forth fruit. He had only to put on the Ring and claim it for his own, and all this could be.
In that hour of trial it was the love of his master that helped most to hold him firm; but also deep down in him lived still unconquered his plain hobbit-sense: he knew in the core of his heart that he was not large enough to bear such a burden, even if such visions were not a mere cheat to betray him. The one small garden of a free gardener was all his need and due, not a garden swollen to a realm; his own hands to use, not the hands of others to command."
Excellent point, Francisco! Very well put. It's very rare that someone becomes totally corrupt without the small, seemingly unimportant compromises or those that seem likely to bring about something good, and yet we're chipping away at our own morals.
As someone who only really knows LOTR thanks to growing up with the films, I gotta say I really appreciate videos like this that break down and explore sides of it I never knew existed.
Oh, also of course I super appreciate Mishka more. Hail!
OneWingedRose Your name is awesome.
The Silmarillion is a really heavy read, but worth it if your a fan of Tolkien. Maybe check out an audiobook.
Read Tolkien's books, especially The Silmarillion and Lord of the Rings. You'll get so much interesting information, it'll blow your mind.
There are fantastic audiobooks available. I have only physically read The Silmarillion from cover to cover once, and in sections another time. I have, however, listened to it half a dozen times. It helps with pronunciation anyway.
We have to remember that the influence Sauron had over the dwarfes was limited, even after he gave them the seven rings, this being because they were not made the same ways Elves and humans were, so he could not control them, but the rings made them even more greedy, which could be used to his advantage.
It's also described as them being simply SO stubborn, that he couldn't control them.
@Philip Good mainly anything treasure wise technically did attract dragons . I wonder if that was part of his plan since Melkor created them and he knew their love for crafts and treasure and also dragons themselves hate dwarves cause they basically killed a great amount of them in the first age . Or maybe it was just a happy accident that worked out in the future .
Awesome work. From what I got in the Simarillion, Morgoth dispersed his power. He corrupted everything but he weakened himself as a result. Sauron went the opposite route by focusing his power and very being into the One Ring itself. The advantage was his immense power, but incredible vulnerability.
Also, I think he could shape shift with the ring, because he did to trick the Numenoreans and he already had the Ring. I think the difference is that since the fall of Numenor and he couldn’t trick people the same way, as he lost the ability to appear fair. he didn’t bother relying on shape-shifting like he used to.
Sauron is powerful because he lifts.
he doesn't skip leg day
Sauron is Rich Piana
Nice one
What do you thinks his deads limit is
Gainzzz!
DO NOT LOOK UP SAURON/MELKOR FANART!!!
Simply Simon Yep. That stuff is off limits! :)
I made that mistake once..... never again.
Rule 34 strikes again.
NO ABSOLUTELY LOOK UP SAURON/MELKOR FANART!!!
I made that mistake once, now I’m paralyzed below the neck.
"Do not look up Melkor/Sauron Fanart"
*looks up Melkor/Sauron fanart*
Oooooh...
Lore of the rings
Whore of the Rings?
Daniel Dosso that joke makes no sense and is just immature
@@YodaOnABender you don't get to criticize his joke since you came up with the original bad joke
Darion my joke made sense: lore of the rings because he talks about lore but he just wanted an excuse to use an immature word with no clever punchline
@@YodaOnABender yes but lore of the rings is still cringy
"Do not. I repeat do not look up Melkor/Sauron fanart"
*Immediately looks up fanart* Sweet mother of the Gods they can devour me until there's nothing left.
Josh Robertson gay
ilcandice orcs are very tasty 😉
i didn't find anything bad while googeling
S A M E
ilcandice its gay, dont be fooled
If i am not mistaken, Sauron did put a big chunk of his power into the One Ring, so that when he wore it, the ring amplified his power. That's why he is so "weak" without it and wants it back badly
You are mistaken.
"But even if he did not wear it, that power existed and was in 'rapport' with himself, he was not diminished."-Tolkien about Sauron and the One Ring
And as the video said: Sauron was the most powerful servant of Melkor.
My xplanation is that the ring is the vessel of his being as a maiar. Mortal body weakens his power as much, so inorder to channel his energy he must draw it to the ring and sealed unto that ring. Inorder to consolidate his power in middle earth he needs the assistance of someone like a divine being and the ring is like a ticket
He was top of his class in evil villain school.
This is by far the best explanation of Sauron I have come across. Thanks for sharing!
Why don’t you just ask Sauron? He lives on your shelf
PhantomGamer28 but i am not an elf!
He would only use lies and deceit. He was a manipulator, after all.
@Hello Future Me has been conquered by Sauron.
@@azarishere6442 mrrrrraleee
Thanks Tim, it’s great that you share your love of the lore and nerd out with us!!!
One thing on Melkor, the unique thing that he does/has as one of the Valar seems to be that he subverts/corrupts the creation of Eru and the domains of the other Valar. In the creation story, he tried to meddle in the musical themes to make himself the star (a musician who tries to play music with an egomaniac knows what’s that’s like!) Morgoth created orcs by corrupting elves, and (possibly?) trolls by corrupting ents. So yes, you were on the right track when you say that he meddles in all parts of existence that Eru entrusted to the other Valar 🙂
Not possibly. Trolls are corrupted ents and it's mentioned on the two towers
@@georgevelis4651 This information is gained from Treebeard, but that's not what he says:
"Trolls are only counterfeits, made by the Enemy in the Great Darkness, in mockery of Ents, as Orcs were of Elves."
That doesn't say Trolls are corrupted Ents, it says they were made in mockery of them; counterfeit. But Tolkien also calls Treebeard out on this in Letter #153:
"Treebeard is a character in my story, not me; and though he has a great memory and some earthy wisdom, he is not one of the Wise, and there is quite a lot he does not know or understand."
Sauron was just trying to create jobs. The elves were sour and jealous.
Make Mordor Great Again
Sauron didn't build Dol Guldur. It was an abandoned Elven stronghold. He DID build Barad-dur, though.
Fantastic video!!
I'm so happy right now. I found my Lord of The Rings movies.
Melkor had some spheres of his own: Heat, cold, fire and he wielded a blazing light.
You, Sir, are one heck of a communicator and the depth of your knowledge on the writings and Legendarium of Tolkien is incredibly deep. I stand in admiration!
Sauron’s ability to craft and in a sense, create is something I find underrated in fantasy.
People go “Who cares if you can make good stuff? I vomit fireballs!”
Smiths and Architects make the great fortresses, armour and relics that empower their holders.
It reminds me of Bethrezen in the Disciples game series.
An Angel technically lesser than his Highfather, but having something his better lacked. The true ability to create.
Unfortunately very little of this is ever shown in the game itself, it is told in the background.
He would then become a Satanic analogy due to circumstances only just within his control that he could not have anticipated.
Turned bitter from his unjust punishment for crimes that were not his he lashed out at everything else.
The Highfather who he had served and punished him, the other gods that stood by, the lesser angels that had trusted to safeguard the gift of Free Will that he had given humanity.
Melkor: Hi, my name is Melkor
Thu: Hi Melkor, I'm Thu
Morgoth: Who's Melkor, Thu? I'm Morgoth, king of Middle Earth
Sauron: I don't know this Thu character, my name is Sauron
No, Sauron didnt built Dol Guldur. It was formely know as Amon Lanc. It was a city of the Silvan elves under the rule of Oropher I believe. It was later abbadoned when they ventured north into their currenct location in Mirkwood. It was around 1000 at the third age occupied by the necromancer and got the new name of Dol Guldur
Yeah, he meand Barad-dur, not Dol Guldur, little slip up. Still a great video. :)
Yeah it's awesome video indeed. It was my first tought aswell, he might meant Barad-dur but still one thing bugs me. Why on middle-earth are footage from the Hobbit, wich showes Dol Guldur where he talk about how Sauron built it.
Amon Lanc is a Sindarin name for "Naked Hill." Does it seem reasonable to call the hill this if the Silvan elves had built upon it? Let us assume that Sauron did not build the fortress of Dol Guldur - that he merely occupied an already existing structure. Given the fortress's description and any related artwork that Tolkien may have done for it, does it sound like the elves built it? What specific elven characteristics are identified in the fortress?
This is unclear, but Barad Dur was probably built by Sauron. The Amon Land had indeed been a settlement of elves, but the fortress was built after Sauron took the Amon Land as his own.
Sauron did build Dol Guldur. The local elves that used to live around Amon Lanc were some of the more primal in Middle-Earth. They would not have the skill, and wouldn't be interested in building cities and fortresses. They lived in harmony with nature.
There is an assumption being made here that Valar and Maiar are limited to an almost “pre-assigned” sphere of influence. However, I do not believe this to be true. It’s kind of a Greek god way of looking at this, which I don’t believe to be entirely accurate. Just like people, they had natural inclinations and aptitudes, but were not limited by them. After all, Saruman was a maiar of Aule as well as Sauron. Many of these abilities, such as shape shifting, was innate to these spirits.
Also, the nature of power and the “magic” system in Tolkien’s mythology is largely will-based. This is why elves and even men could practice this so-called magic. Galadriel herself was perplexed by the word and its meaning, as it seemed very natural to her. Every being in and outside of middle earth has a potential and soft limit to their strength of will. Elves have greater potential than men, maiar greater than elves, etc. As one of the greater maiar, Sauron’s natural strength of will was already amazingly powerful compared with most of his peers, let alone lesser races. Add to that cunning, skill, and experience, and it got to be even greater.
The particularly interesting thing to me about this will-based power, is that some learned to organize their wills in the form of spells, rituals, songs, or even dances. It depended on the entity and their inclinations, or chose expressions of will. On top of that some beings, including elves, learned how to place or even store their will into objects, or even creatures for a variety of effects. Morgoth did this with middle earth itself, in the land itself and even some of its creatures he twisted in order to “create”, such orcs, goblins and to an extent dragons, and who knows what else.
But pouring power and will into objects or creatures outside of oneself diminishes the spirit’s natural potency and limits. This is why not even the combined might of the Valar could defeat Morgoth in the beginning, but thousands of years later, he was so diminished from spreading himself so thin into middle earth itself, along with all his other works and efforts, even an elf could harm him in the end. In a way, middle earth itself was Morgoth’s ring.
Sauron learned from this. Not only could he take advantage of all the “investments” Morgoth had placed into the shaping of the world and all his other efforts that still lingered, Sauron also learned of ring making and its associated lore. He could place his strength of will into an object and store it like a battery that would never drain for specific, spell-like uses. In making the ring, he drained his own battery so to speak, which is why it took him thousands of years for his spirit and strength of will to grow again. Back nearly to his full, innate strength during LOTR, he would have been an insanely powerful force if he had gotten the ring back... more powerful than he would have ever been. Possibly even more powerful than even Morgoth before his final defeat in ages past, though not near Morgoth’s full strength at the beginning. It would have taken more than wizards to take him down.
Unfortunately the ring was a risk as much as it offered reward. It wasn’t like a horcrux in this way. If the ring was destroyed, it’s like his sprit itself was partially destroyed. In the end he could have either doubled his powers (in the specific context of the ring’s purpose), or lost everything, for a long, long, long time. As Gandalf said, none could foresee Saurons rise again. His store of power so low, his “battery” so damaged it would take nearly an eternity for him to recover. But that said, when you’re immortal... does it really matter? In the Tolkien canon, Sauron is still out there, slowly growing again, if imperceptibly.
Didnt tulkas kick morgoths ass at the beggining? Being the strongest valar?
There was war in Arda before Tulkas arrived, between the Valar that were already there and Morgoth. Tulkas merely tipped the balance. Tulkas probably could not defeat Morgoth single-handedly, but there were thirteen other Valar to help him. So Tulkas was not without assistance. It is indeed a testament to Morgoth's power that he was the equal of thirteen of the Valar put together. It is worth noting that (though this does not apply here) in later ages Morgoth dissipated much of his power into Arda itself and into his servants, seeking to corrupt it beyond repair. He was then weakened to the point that a single Vala, Maia, or even elf could contend with him. The power of the other Valar seems to have decreased with time as well, perhaps partly for the same reason.
@@ChristopherNelsonArt Tulkas was the strongest Valar by far. He could beat Morgoth at any time. I said beat, but not defeat. For Morgoth was much witted and multifarious in order to be defeated by a simpeltone like Tulkas. But in the narrow situation when they had to fight using their strenght Morgoth was no match for Tulkas.
At a certain point, at least in terms of physical prowess and strength, this certainly became true.
Tolkas is actually a really interesting case, since he came from the outside, after Melkor/Morgoth (as well as the other Valar) had already "spent" some of their essence during and after Middle Earth's shaping. So he came "fresh" so to speak, with all of his innate, natural power available to him. I don't think Melkor really counted on that, and it certainly caught him off-guard. It's Tolkien's "deus ex machina" moment from The Silmarillion.
I love that i have read the Silmarillion at least 5 times but I never get tired of your posts dude cause u refresh somethings I may have forgot and you have such passion. Very engaging. Gr8 job...now I will actually listen to it lol.
So it safe to say that TES genre is heavy with Tolkien inspiration. I mean I am too, Tolkien's work is one of a kind as he gave inspiration not one but twice. One when he was alive through his books, and one through the movies when he's dead. I mean Tolkien must have powers like Sauron to be "alive" long after his supposed death. I mean its quite interesting how people are so amazed and intrigued with his books. Almost as if he put a powerful spell on his books that would entice people to read them and be obsessed with his work. Work of a great craftsmen or the art of writing. So bravo to Mr. Tolkien.
Sauron: Because if we're gonna use Norse influences, we might as well make a competent version of Loki.
That's Morgroth. He's the Loki of the story
When his helmet falls, a loud thud of a Lock tumbler sounds. Loki means Lock, in Norse, because to say his actual name as freely as the Jews did (Lucifer) invites trouble. When he swings his wand/mace it’s almost like a distorted Barking sound. Like: *WOOF* (a nod to Fenrir)
Odin had brothers Vili and Ve. Gandalf has Sauron and Saraomon.
Tolkien never said they were brothers, but... they were brothers.
Gandalf means Wand Elf, is just a mispronunciation away from another name for Odin.
Tolkien studied Norse theology as devoutly as he did Christianity, because he knew the truth: Odin was the first man, Adam.. Norse theology conceals so much of the truth. Odin and Gandalf are mirror image parallels.
Oakenshield is out of Norse Mythology, as are dozens of other names. His great great great grandfather is Thror, son of Thor.... Thor...
Gandalf’s sword is called Foe Hammer...
Hello??
The Bible book of Genesis doesn’t go into much detail at all, until the Jews leave Egypt. The Jews were chosen and brought from Egypt, because the kingdom had embellished its history too much. Egyptian pantheon and Norse Pantheon occupy the same foot print, in a Venn diagram more than just over lap.
...nah
Middle Earth is based on stories of UK, Germany etc...
@@remc5386 Nope, Tolkien was a devout Catholic, so a Perennialist view of the world wouldn't be to his favour
"Do not underestimate the power of the Dark Side of the Force"
Sauron and Gandalf were among the Ainur. The Ainur were divine spirits. They were the first beings created by Ilúvatar (God) and came in the 'order' of the Valar and Maiar.
Again, both Sauron and Gandalf were of the same order 'Maiar'. However, that doesn't make them equal in power, and Sauron was indeed significantly more powerful than both Gandalf the Grey and Gandalf the White.
[Sauron] of the same kind as Gandalf and Saruman, but of a far higher order.
The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien- 183
He was come to the heart of the realm of Sauron and the forges of his ancient might, greatest in Middle-earth; all other powers were here subdued.
LoTR, The Return of the King, Mount Doom
Gandalf the White:
"It fills me with great sorrow and great fear: for much shall be destroyed and all may be lost. I am Gandalf, Gandalf the White, but Black is mightier still."
LoTR, The Two Towers, The White Rider
"Dangerous!" cried Gandalf. "And so am I, very dangerous: more dangerous than anything you will ever meet, unless you are brought alive before the seat of the Dark Lord."
LoTR, The Two Towers, The White Rider
Even before being sent, Gandalf knew he lacked some of the raw power inherent in other more powerful Maiar spirits.
But Olórin declared that he was too weak for such a task, and that he feared Sauron.
Unfinished Tales, The Istari
Being exposed via the Palantír was possibily more than Gandalf could handle, let alone a direct confrontation.
"Maybe, I have been saved by this hobbit from a grave blunder. I had considered whether or not to probe this Stone myself to find its uses. Had I done so, I should have been revealed to him [Sauron] myself. I am not ready for such a trial, if indeed I shall ever be so: But even if I found the power to withdraw myself, it would be disastrous for him to see me, yet - until the hour comes when secrecy will avail no longer."
LoTR, The Two Towers, The Palantír
Maintenance Renegade nah. He’s just a chill dude who likes to hang out with his fellow hobbits who can keep filling up his pipe weed supply
What i got from reading the books is that 3rd age gandalf is stronger than 3rd age sauron but he was afraid to face him alone because sauron could still manipulate him. If i remember correctly there were even some humans and regular elfs that beat sauron 1on 1 in a fight but it's his power of seduction and manipulation that makes him so dangerous.
I think sauron became stonger by using the rings s means to become immortal. Through the power of invention. And whoever sent gandalf there said " I will test the mortals willpower, you still can fend of sauron, but you powers are limited in aiding the mortals. If they prevail they earned the right to this land."
And then sent him off without anything useful how to do it. And Gandalf became the likable bum we know because he went places but also hung out with the dwarves and hobbits, enjoying life.
Ned Barks Sauron was always immortal. He was over 6000 years old
Sam De Prez he’s still not more powerful than Sauron, overall.
I binge-watched alot of your Avatar videos about a week ago and haven't seen you in my recommended since then. When I clicked on the video I recognized your name and was wondering why I had seen your channel before. As soon as I saw your face I was like, "OH YEAH ITS THE AVATAR GUY!!!! This video is gonna be good."
Never ever got a clear explanation for Saruon powers like you did here my friend.
You got your self a new subscriber 👍
Would you consider doing a video like this for Gandalf?
Gandalf and the other wizards are Maiar, the same order of beings as Sauron.
justin leckey only 5 i think... (in middle-earth, the number of all in arda is unknown) Gandalf, Radagast, Saruman and 2 which don't appear anywere in the canon/books i believe. They also have other names but I'm too lazy to look them up right now.
justin leckey yeah i know. they are canon and are mentioned but i don't recall any stories with them and they don't do much i think.
justin leckey ah didn't know that, thank you. Heard of the one who went to rhun tho and i think tolkien himself said something like he (tolkien) did't know himself what happened to him (the maia) there.
Didn't Gandalf even say something about himslef and his four 'collegues' to the end of LotR? Like their purpose and names also
I think the two blue wizards were corrupted, not necessarily to evil but lost there path as set by the Vadar.
Sauron originated - in part - in a monstrous cat named Tevildo, who is mentioned only in Book of Lost Tales volume 2. So Mishka is not so different from Sauron.
“Since the earliest versions of The Silmarillion legendarium as detailed in the History of Middle-earth series, Sauron underwent many changes. The prototype or precursor Sauron-figure was a giant monstrous cat, the Prince of Cats. Called Tevildo, Tifil and Tiberth among other names, this character played the role later taken by Sauron in the earliest version of the story of Beren and Tinúviel in The Book of Lost Tales. The Prince of Cats was later replaced by Thû, the Necromancer. The name was then changed to Gorthû, Sûr, and finally to Sauron. Gorthû, in the form Gorthaur remained in The Silmarillion; both Thû and Sauron name the character in the Lay of Leithian.”
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauron
As always a wonderfully laid out video! (I have done the forbidden search and I am concerned for my soul)
Ooooh.... It's hard to choose what historical figure I'd most like to speak with. I think I'd like to be able to talk to an average citizen during the height of the Roman empire and learn about their daily life. There's a lot we can tell from ruins and archaeological finds but it would be interesting to learn what we're wrong about and what things we simply couldn't know without talking to them directly.
So you basically took my favorite universe of all time, analysed my favorite villain of all time and made him even better in my eyes, you sir have won the ultimate dark lord cookie jar!
Drinking game: Take a shot every time you hear the word “power” and make sure you call an ambulance before 7:00
In Tolkien's mythos Dogs (Hounds) came before wolves rather than the other way around. That wolves were the capturing hounds of Oromë; the Valar of the Hunt / Woods, and were twisted by Melkor / Sauron to become more ferocious and less noble.
*pauses video and immediately proceeds to look up melkor/sauron fanart*
*does not regret*
same here
Boy, you are easy to manipulate.
Josh Robertson gay
videosearcherwhenbored ikr im one sexy dark lord
😝😷🤒😫
It all feels so surreal when I think how much I loved Tolkien's work since I was 10yrs old, all the books and letters published, movies and games...and now my house is just nearby this man's resting place.
So Melkor was kind of the "Middle Ground" of the Valar, the jack of all trades.
The Demigod of Hufflepuffs is Arda's Lucifer. That's... interesting
(Love your video btw)
Did I hear a faint elder scrolls in the background? Reminded me of this blacksmith dude's flat I crashed for a couple of days in Riverwood... good times, good times...
9:25 Immediately googled "melkor sauron fanart" and honestly, I don't see why that would be any problem, all I got was funny comics and honestly really beautiful drawings of the two.
Because homophobia, probably.
5:39 the whole lotr is about the spirit of gandalf incarnating into middle earth, as a form of patience and wisdom, to marshal the forces of middle earth which ultimately defeat sauron, intimidation and deception incarnate
prehaps the fight between gandalf and sauron is a reflection of power struggles within human society
The Silmarillion states that Morgoth literally put himself into his creations. He stopped being able to change shape and whatnot with the more he created. His creation and control over the Orcs is not only the best example, but is where Tolkien states this. Morgoth put his being into each and every creation, which made his creations stronger and evil and easier to control, but made Morgoth exponentially weaker.
I read Silmarillion while ago, first time Sauron lost in Numenor and he could no longer use his shape shifting powers. And when he was separated from the one ring, he lost ability to use physical from at all. Thing you said about Golumn seeing hand is probably just illusion of some kind.
Hey everyone! QotD: Which one historical person would you want to meet? I said John Locke or the Byzantine emperors, but I'm also thinking Martin Luther. If you'd like to join *me* and my amazing Discord community viewing the Fellowship of the Ring, come support the channel for just a couple of bucks per month (www.patreon.com/hellofutureme)! Hope to see you there. Stay nerdy!
*correction: I attribute the art of meeting the Valar to mynameiseyyyy. They only reblogged it. The artist is CoChart on Tumblr. I also said Dol Guldur when I meant Barad Dur - sorry! Got a little mixed up*
~ Tim
J.R.R Tolkien
Why, Tolkien of course!
Jack the Ripper. I’ve always wanted to know who the famed mysterious killer of 1888 was
Kaiser Wilhelm II
I thought about John Locke, then Sequoyah, and finally settled on Tecumseh.
Yeah I heard the skyrim music you played gently in the background, and I applaud you for it.
OOOOSSSSHHH
I did looked up for Melkor x Mairon fanart...
Thats some hot stuff...
Noooo
I'd like to meet Leonardo DaVinci or Sokrates - an hr long conversation with either of these two would be mind blowing.
They would be more fascinated by future you.
Simple answer to the video: he has mishka's blessings
Had Valars' curse on him - no blessings. But he's past now.
My thinking on what he gained from the One Ring is that it's best to think of it primarily as the centerpiece of a plot to entrap and undermine the elves (and of course dwarves and men but with that mostly a side benefit to the main goal) rather than it being some sort of amplifier of his supernatural abitlities.
Would like to have an HBO Serie only for Sauron and how he Builds and Crafts things lmao
Your wish might become true, the Amazon series will pass in the second age, and the great story of this age is numenor and sauron
"I'm Sauron, and this is my shed"
they said they will release a tv shows about the second age in 2021
Careful what you wish for.
“Today were gonna show you how to make a battering Ram with your bosses old hammer”
Fascinating video. BTW, to add to your point at the end, a very key issue in Middle Earth at the time of Sauron's return was that there were none left who could face him directly. It's like Tolkien understands the laws of entropy, and they apply to magical beings as well. The Elves, as powerful as they were, never grow, advance, or seemingly even learn new things. They just gradually deteriorate. Much is made of the Elves ability to preserve things against the ravages of time, but that power is limited, and runs out eventually. Treebeard even mentioned how the Forest of Lorien had shrunk over time. So by the time of Sauron's return, the most powerful of Elven heroes had waned in power, the kingdoms of men had splintered and grown weak, and gradually, the watchful peace turned into complacence.
So Sauron would have been completely unstoppable, not necessarily because he became more powerful since his first defeat, but because there just wasn't any strong opposition left. See how close he came to winning _without_ the ring.
When you mention the mind control you could also reference when Saurumon had mind control over the king of Rohan was an ability learned from Sauron
Also. Tolkien describes in his letter to his friend where he makes a short explanatory summary of the stories that the one ring doesn't have power over the three. Since they were forged only by the elves, however with the help of Saurons knowledge
The Istari are not allowed to use their full power, rather they should only inspire the actions of the sons of Iluvatar. When Sauron chooses to serve Melkor, he separates himself from the valar and the other maiar, and is free to use all of his strength. He might have been stronger than Olorin at some point, but in Lord of the rings he was weak for investing his powers to so many things in Arda. Actually, he was already weaker for that reason when the numenorians subjugated his forces and temporarily freed Middle Earth from his influence.
Olorin, in his true power, could easily handle Sauron in Lord of the rings. However, he was not allowed. His Istari form was limited, by order of Eru, and by his choice, for obedience. That is why he says he is equal to the witch king of Angmar.
He was the only one of the Istari who remained true to his calling. And I think it has to do with Niena, who thought him humility and wisdom, as he was the wisest maiar.
Bro are you dumb? It seems you haven't read the Lore carefully. Lol
In the books, Gandalf said that he is too weak than weakened Sauron in Valinor and he frightened of him too badly.
Just imagine Sauron's most weakened form is still too powerful than Gandalfs true/unlimited form Olorin.
Sauron is the strongest Maia while Gandalf/Olorin the weakest one. Only Eonwe can match with him
In the books, even Aiwendil(Radagast) is more powerful and braver than Olorin (Gandalf) lol
Such a big brain... Amazing. What I said in my comment Tolkien said himself, responding to a fan's letter. Study some english and be more humble.
Few things I picked up on.
Firstly he didn't have dominion over the eleven rings. Celebrimbor made the 3 eleven rings without saurons aid but the dwarves and men's rings he had direct input into therefore when he forged the one thing he generated dominance. He could sense them but not control them.
The argument for how the istari would fair against Sauron is kind of a mute point. It was made clear the istari did not have the ability to utilise the full power of their 'godly' form on middle earth. Reason being the Valar realised the destruction that was caused by the war of wrath when the Valar faced Melkor directly. So they came with power yes but only enough to help guide the defeat of Sauron by worldly means. I.E. through the younger races.
Lastly Sauron did have physical form, only the movies actually have him as this 'lid less eye wreathed in flame.' But he hid away in Barad Dur because his powers were seriously diminished after he poured so much of his essence into the one ring. Without it he could be relatively easily defeated in comparison. Remember before the formation of the ring and he still possessed his full essence he was captured and taken to Valinor to be imprisoned. Yes he was a second time by Numenor but this doesn't count as he did that by choice.
I love how you use some of Skyrim's soundtrack in a few of your videos.
While Sauron gained in power, while Gandalf in Wisdom and Faith. Gandalf trusts in the Song of Illuvitar, or Eru. (Frodo was *meant* to have the ring, as it was part of the Song)
I mean really... If only Sauron had managed to get some glue on those eleven Rings, or ensured they were a tight fit...
Eleven rings? Sauron only made 1 ring, and he only knew about the making of 16 others. Did you mean Elven rings? Sauron didn't know Celebrimbor made them, Sauron never saw or touched them.
@@Richard_Nickerson True - I was simply joking that if only he had known, or was able to somehow ensured the rings were not so easily removed, despite not making them himself, then he would have had far more time to dominate the minds of some of the more powerful minds in Middle Earth and significantly reduced the resistance to his original attempts to try and assert dominance over Middle Earth
+R Nickerson In the Silmarillion, Tolkien says "In those days the smiths of Ost-in-Edhil surpassed all that they had contrived before; and they took thought, and they made Rings of Power. But Sauron guided their labours, and he was aware of all that they did; for his desire was to set a bond upon the Elves and to bring them under his vigilance." Thus, as Sauron "guided their labours," he took a more active role than just passively knowing that the rings were being made.
@@Richard_Nickerson The Middle Earth Shadows games are not canon. Sauron crafted the rings by himself, Celebrimbor had no role in that.
@@josecarioca8785
Re-read my comment. You somehow got the exact opposite of what I said out of it. I literally never said anything about the games being accurate, or anything of the sort.
Edit: And I just re-read your comment, and you're clearly not well versed in the story... Sauron taught the Elves to make rings of power. Sauron helped create the 7 and the 9. Sauron had nothing to do with the 3, other than the education he had given Celebrimbor with the 7 and 9 rings. Sauron made the One by himself.
So Sauron's powers were a Frankenstein-esque melding of the powers of other godlike spirits, further focused by the malevolence of his own sinister creation.
2:57 some sneaky hobitses must've replace the Ossë's fanart with the Uinen's one :P
Sauron poured so much of his native power into the One Ring that he was diminished greatly without it, and undone in Middle Earth by its destruction.
As for why & how the Ring weakened Sauron, look up "the Automation Paradox", "Is Google Making Us Stupid", and even "Thoth's Pill". The downside of having a very useful tool is that one rapidly becomes dependent on that tool.
Fun fact- Back in the First age, Sauron or as his fellow Valar called him at the time, was well known for streaking at Elven Football matches, this is where he got the nickname- Necro Prancer.
Eonwe was mightier than Sauron in arms, but Tolkien measured strength in spiritual power, not in muscle power. Sauron was more powerful than Eonwe in spiritual essence.
I have an encyclopedic knowledge of all things Tolkien, and yet this contains perspectives I'd never considered, such as how Sauron attained his abilities in many areas.
Sauron is kinda like google. "Here, have this device. It will amplify your power."
*Goes on to steal all their data and control their minds.
Big middle Earth fan and trying to learn more so you know I'm gonna sub
NO NO NO! I told you to hang this chandelier in the SALON of the 2nd floor not the dining room. Are you even trying?
You know what, FORGET IT. Ill just do it all by myself.
-sauron during the construction of dol goldur
My understanding is that the wearers of the the eleven rings retained independence from Sauron's dominance. After all, Gandalf carries the ring of fire throughout his time in Middle Earth, Galadriel uses her ring to enhance and defend lothlorien similar to the Girdle of Melian in Doriath and Elrond did the same for Rivendell.
However, their fate was ulimately bound to the One and would fade with its destruction. They retained some independence as Sauron had no hand in their making, but ultimately were bound by, it as the lore underpinning the rings of power was Sauron's.
the one ring = quantum computer + A.I. + head implant
Thank you for your very concise and understandable break down of Tolkien’s seemingly endless labyrinthine lore.
Melkor "Morgoth" Bauglir had the knowledge and abilities of all the other Valar, except not quite as much as each of the specialized ones. If they had had a competition in each faction of ability the Valar each possessed, Morgoth would always come in second. Eru Illuvatar gave him all of the abilities because he saw Melkor as his favorite, he saw being able to do everything as cool. Melkor, however, was constantly left to feel as if he wasn't as good as the rest. Always being second place made him crave first place. He wanted the powers of Illuvatar, he wanted the secret fire. That's the whole reason he chose to go to Arda when presented with the opportunity in the first place. And upon arrival, he basically told the rest of the Valar to go eff themselves, he was going to do his own thing and become the ruler of Arda.
Now you basically know enough to skip the beginning of The Silmarillion, which I have always found to be the most difficult part to read. Just learn the other Valar names and proper Tolkien pronunciation, and The Silmarillion will become one of the most interesting and exciting books you've ever read.
The beginning is one of the most interesting and exciting parts which you didn't read very closely. Melkor was motivated first by pride, not jealousy, and only turned to this when Eru made it clear that Melkor could never become equal to HIM. It had nothing to do with this second-place stuff you've invented.
@@Lodatzor
Or it's literature and finding ways to interpret it is literally part of the point.
Or my personal experience in life lead my to see his story in a totally different light than you, and that doesn't make either of us inherently wrong.
Or the most popular analysis I could find online was that Morgoth was evil just because he could be, and that is neither satisfying nor wholly portrayed in the Ainulindalë.
My analysis is, however, a pretty easy way of interpreting what did happen, and a super simple way of explaining it to people with no experience with the book whatsoever.
@@Richard_Nickerson and yet it is still incorrect. Melkor was the mightiest of all the Ainur, and had zero reason to feel jealous of the Valar. Instead, he was prideful and wished to be equal to Eru himself. This is made expressly clear bu the very text you are saying you had trouble getting through, and which you are advising others to skip.
Your personal experience is irrelevant to this fact, and your comment is misleading. That's why I corrected you.
@@Lodatzor
I said it's the most difficult part to get through, I did not say that I have trouble with it. Thank you for misquoting me and misrepresenting my thoughts.
It's called an over simplification for those wholly unfamiliar.
@UCL9LehZGze0X5G-_hhFFWrw
Thank you for continuing to misrepresent my words and meaning... let's read them again, shall we?
"Now you basically know enough to skip the beginning of The Silmarillion, which I have always found to be the most difficult part to read."
I meant that it is the most difficult part to read because of all of the Tolkien jargon that is used and the fact that it is written in a very old fashioned way. The Bible is also difficult to read in this manner, but that doesn't mean it's hard to understand. Shakespeare can be difficult in this same way, but that doesn't mean I don't understand him.
Also, "most difficult" doesn't even actually mean "difficult" necessarily anyway. It simply means "more difficult than the rest of it." Say a game has 3 levels... levels 1 and 2 are considered Easy, level 3 is considered Moderate... that makes level 3 the most difficult, but it doesn't mean it's actually difficult.
Hopefully we're on the same page with that concept and you can now see your errors on that front. I don't expect an apology from your repeated misrepresentation and insults based on it, but I do expect your condescension to disappear.
Secondly, I can summarize something pretty much however I damn well please. The Silmarillion does NOT make it as clear as you're trying to make it seem that Melkor was the best guy at everything. Ilúvatar used the word "mightiest," and that's not further defined. Tolkien says that Melkor was given the most wisdom. He also said that he shared in the skills of all the other Ainur. And given his actual character, meaning his personality and whatnot, it was very obvious that he saw himself in the way which I have summarized in an admittedly oversimplified way.
Again, for people wholly unfamiliar. And in direct response to a moment in the video that I have long since forgotten the exact wording of, but about that section of The Silmarillion.
I am not sorry that I didn't include a time stamp or a Lodatz approved summary.
Your patronizing and condescending here has been absolutely unnecessary, and you should see yourself as being rude rather than some kind of educator or savior or whatever you think you're doing and saying by walking in with your attitude, misquotes, misrepresentations, and patronizing remarks like "accept it and you'll feel better."
Maybe if you accept that you're an asshole starting shit with strangers for what amounts to no reason then you'll feel better too... who knows?
I believe Sauron doesn’t have dominion over the weather, rather that he send smoke from Mount Doom out together with his armies. This would tie in nicely with his beginnings in the service of Aule, who is master of all stone and such things.
Also, only the Ainur that decended onto Arda are categorized in Valar/Maiar.
On the werewolves, I think werewolves and wargs are more or less the same. Before they enter Moria, the fellowship is attacked by wargs, and Gandalf uses a firespell against them („Naur dan i ngaurhoth!“). Since „ngaurhoth“ means „werewolves“ and it is said that they are attacked by wargs, I would assume those to be the same.
All in all, a very good introduction to Sauron and his powers. I do enjoy your videos, espescially those about Avatar and LotR. Keep it up ^^
Hypatia of Alexandria or even Ada Lovelace for sure
reading The Silmarillion really explains so much. Love that book
Skyrim music in the cut 😂💀
Noticed that too lol
Sauron did have one more important power: He was able to direct his forces at will, thus hypothetically capable of incredible coordination throughout his forces, which, while undepicted, is almost certainly one of his most significant capabilities, even without the One Ring.
This is why the armies of Mordor fell into chaos; their master was gone, and with the mental dominion over them suddenly lifted during the Battle of the Black Gate, the less capable parts of his forces, such as the orcs, fled, while those of greater fortitude mostly stood and fought.
> why is sauron so powerful?
> dies to having his bloody finger chopped off by a smol guy
No, it was the other way around: Sauron's body was killed and then Isildur took the ring.
Ok. Can you also explain to me how dead Sauron became a giant eye in a spire? ^^ I really don't know
@@vario6492 Sauron never became a giant eye, as it is portrayed by the films. He lost his body at the end of the second age, but was able to retake a body during the third age.
The video also mentions saurons form during the events in "Lord of the Rings": 10:04
Well researched, well considered, well ordered, well delivered, well done.
Magic was decreasing in Middle Earth, so the Elves made the rings to stop that ( since they needed it to survive ) and Sauron basically helped them make the rings but left himself a "back door" into the system, so he hijacked the source of the Elves magic , increasing his power when everyone else's was weakening.
This put him near the top of the heap ...until he was killed by a lucky strike and his own over confidence.
He was an impotent ghost for a thousand years , but he could still connect with the ring if someone wore it and sense what they thought and saw.
But nobody would put it on , it was being guarded by a King until that King lost it in an ambush.
(Sauron caused it to slip off his finger when he made the mistake of trying to use it.)
When a Hobbit "finds" the ring ,he actually got the ring by murdering the Hobbit who really found it, he compels that Hobbit to hide deep in caves and guard the precious ring.
( A decision he would later regret )
So a few centuries later , Sauron has scraped together enough power to resurrect himself , and get the band back together near the last known location of the ring
He's too weak to directly challenge the major players of the day , but he starts rebuilding his Orc army.
He really needs that ring back......the problem is that Hobbit has been living in caves so long ( Centuries ) that he is now bat-shit crazy and no longer has any idea where he is, so Sauron cant tell where he is either.
Sauron tries to compel the Hobbit to return to the surface ( so he can be found ) but his aggro-phobia is so intense that he keeps taking the ring off to avoid leaving his "safe space" and he seems to suspect that he'll lose the ring if he follows Saurons compulsion.
Eventually his addiction forces him to put it back on , but as soon as he has his fix he takes it back off.
This actually stymies Sauron's plans for about 500 years.
500 years of
"CLICK!"
"Oh, Smeagle"
"Who is Smeagle , me Gollum!!!!!!"
"Oh...OK , Well Gollum wouldn't it be wonderful to go back to the surface , feel the sun on your face"
" NOOOOOOOOO, Sunlight bad , people try to take precious away!"
" But you could see the trees again maybe TAKE A LOOK AROUND"
" Nasty voice try to steal ring....CLICK!"
".......Uh...hello, is anyone there?"
"Why me?" a voice from beyond time and space whispers "Because you're an evil little shithead."
So one day a Hobbit picks up the ring ....and its a DIFFERENT HOBBIT who actually wants to travel to the surface.
Sauron: "I have an app for that."
Good news.
Sauron knows where the ring is.
Bad news.
Gandalf is there.
"Why me?" a voice from beyond time and space whispers "Because you're an evil little shithead."
So he sends Orcs and the Wargs to capture the ring and wouldn't you know it.
Not only is it guarded by Gandalf and 500 Dwarves , but theres a Human army and a thousand Wood Elves there too.
"Why me?" a voice from beyond time and space whispers "Because you're an evil little shithead."
Saurons army gets wiped out , he's not going to be making any big moves in that part of Middle Earth for a few decades.
More bad news , Gandalf has discovered his hiding place and now he has to retreat thousands of miles to Mordor...away from his ring.
So Sauron keeps tabs on the location of the ring until he can grow a new army and safely recover his ring from the other side of Middle Earth.
( Note to self: do not drive this Hobbit crazy and tell him to hide deep underground)
And just when he figures it cant get any worse...Gandalf figures out whats going on.
ANOTHER stubborn Hobbit has the ring and he intends to go to Mt. Doom ...the only place that can melt it.
"RELEASE THE WARGS!!!! SEND OUT THE ORCS"
"Tell those lazy Wring Wraiths to get off their ethereal asses and INVADE EVERYTHING !!!!!!!!"
"I WANT MY RING BACK !!!!!!"
9 months later....
"I really hate Hobbits"
12:57 Plato and Socrates. Since they both lived at the same time that's quite convenient cause I'd only need one trip.
There are a few issues that Plato raised in Phado but didn't quite answer to my satisfaction, and I'm not quite sure if the original source of those ideas is Socrates or Plato himself.
Melkor/Sauron 2020 ;)
Great presentation. One comment seem to remember the books attributing his loss of ability to shape-shift as a direct consequence of his loss if form during the Akallabeth, and not as a dumbing down from his ring. Anyway, I'd like to meet the Apostle Paul. His bravery and knowledge, not to mention the miracles done through him, are intriguing and I'd love to have a 5 year long conversation with him to understand better what he knows.
The thing we need to remember when it comes to these old stories is that they were written long before video-game characters and such so skills and specs weren't as defined nor as rigid as we want to regard them tdy. Power levels also weren't as numeric or fight determining as they are considered in modern day's context. A scholar of great wisdom could be described as being more powerful than a black magic weider etc.
So when talking about which "spells Sauron could do" given that he had "speced so hard on wind magic" we have to remember that Tolkien probably didn't make definitions as hard defined as such. Because he never went thru the experience of specifying which magic branch the rpg character he was creating had to pick in the character creation of his most recently bought pc game. He wrote these things 80 years ago after all, in a very analog world.
Fun tidbit: his name as a Maia was Mairon before he turned to Melkor's service as his (Melkor's) lieutenant
2019 Google search: How to be more like Sauron
Awesome video! Just finished Return of the King so it was really cool to here about some more of the backstory.
In response to your question: for me it's a three way tie between King Leonidas, George Washington, and Walt Disney.