If nothing else, Amazon is doing its best to promote The Rings of Power. There have been multiple teasers, trailers and all kinds of promotional material, and given the series' budget, that makes perfect sense. Even still, plot details have remained somewhat scarce. One thing is certain, though. Galadriel will spend most of her time trying to convince her compatriots that the evils of Middle-earth still pose a formidable threat. Specifically, she will have her sights set on hunting down Sauron.
Early on, The Rings of Power's showrunners described the series as the "rise and fall of Sauron," so it's clear that Galadriel's hunt will play a prominent role. However, what Sauron will look like is a great question. The Lord of the Rings fans know that he spent much of the Second Age masquerading as Annatar and helping Celebrimbor forge the rings of power. However, LOTR fans also know that Sauron was a notorious shapeshifter, and rumors abound that he will utilize that skill on The Rings of Power. So, here's every character who could secretly be Sauron.
Sauron Was Probably Seen in All White
During one of the teaser trailers, there was a shady-looking figure in all white. When fans saw him, many automatically believed that he was Sauron's Annatar form. That seems like a very good possibility, but there is one alternative. Some fans believe that the white-clad figure is a member of the Cult of Melkor. That's also a possibility, although the two are not mutually exclusive. After all, Sauron was a follower of Morgoth.
Sauron Could Be Playing Galadriel as Halbrand
The Rings of Power will introduce a number of new characters to the LOTR universe, and that has elicited varying responses from the fandom. One of those new characters is named Halbrand. Fans don't know much about him, but apparently, he will be running from something when he joins Galadriel on her quest for Sauron. However, a lot of fans have hypothesized that Halbrand is actually one of Sauron's secret forms, and that would be absolutely perfect. He could be sending Galadriel on a wild-Maiar chase, while keeping a close eye on her.
Sauron Could Be Meteor Man
From the very beginning, The Rings of Power has had a meteor in all of its marketing material. Because it didn't have an obvious LOTR tie-in, most fans believed that it would be Sauron's way of "arriving" in Middle-earth. Then, when a man was shown at the flaming crash site, it seemed to confirm those theories. Since then, though, the figure has been dubbed "Meteor Man," and some people even think that he's one of the Blue Wizards. That, however, seems unlikely. It's far more likely that Meteor Man is a form of Sauron.
Sauron Could Be Masquerading as a Fallen Elf
Some early leaks for The Rings of Power claimed that Sauron wouldn't be the primary antagonist for Season 1. Rather, a fallen Elf named Adar would lead an army of Orcs and eventually become fodder for Sauron's rise to villainy. While fans will debate the legitimacy of a Fallen Elf, it's possible that Adar won't actually be an Elf. It's possible that he could be one of Sauron's guises. That would allow Sauron to do some really villainy stuff in Season 1 without actually having to reveal his true self. Of course, all of that is assuming that Adar ends up being a character on the series.
Sauron Could Be Covertly Recruiting Minions
If Sauron isn't actively leading Orcs, it's quite possible that he will be covertly recruiting minions. One of the teaser trailers also showed a seemingly random, old man say the name Sauron to a young character named Theo. Then, a different shot showed Theo holding a magic sword. While it could all be coincidence, it's possible that the old man was actually Sauron in disguise, leading Theo down the path of darkness. Either way, it's pretty clear that Sauron's many forms will keep fans guessing as The Rings of Power gets underway.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will premiere on Prime Video on Sept. 1, 2022.