Adar is an elf who was manipulated with evil magic. He served under Morgoth and claims that he killed Sauron. He does not seem to recognize Halbrand as Sauron, and yet he carries out what we can assume is his master's evil bidding by setting in motion the events that burn the Southlands and create Mordor.
The other major character you know from the Peter Jackson movies, Elrond is but a young architect and politician in “The Rings of Power.” He is close friends with Galadriel, but has ambitions of his own.
Adar as the Elf Who Became the First Orc, Created by Morgoth
He is one of the elves Morgoth “tortured” and “twisted” into “a new and ruined form of life.” She called those elves, the first orcs, “the Moriondor, the Sons of the Dark.”
The Moriquendi (singular Moriquendë; also named the Hisildi, Kaliondi, and Lembi) were the Elves of Darkness: those who did not embark on the journey over the sea to Aman and behold the light of the Two Trees of Valinor.
Why Are There No Elf Children in the Lord of the Rings?
Who is Adar to Sauron?
Adar is an elf who was manipulated with evil magic. He served under Morgoth and claims that he killed Sauron. He does not seem to recognize Halbrand as Sauron, and yet he carries out what we can assume is his master's evil bidding by setting in motion the events that burn the Southlands and create Mordor.
As soon as the Mystics realize the Stranger isn't Sauron, they label him an "Istar." With this label, and several other hints throughout the episode and the season, The Rings of Power has all but confirmed that the Stranger is everyone's favorite wizard: Gandalf the Grey.
According to Polygon, Sauron was building up his forces in Mordor, which is close to the Southlands. All signs point to Adar not being Sauron, though. During the Second Age, he used his shapeshifting ability to appear as the friendly Annatar so he could learn ringcraft.
One thing episode 6 of The Rings of Power completely puts to rest is the theory that Adar could be Sauron. Adar certainly knew Sauron, but he wasn't a fan. He tells Galadriel that in his quest to master Middle-earth, Sauron sacrificed many of Adar's children. Because of this, Adar killed Sauron.
Adar talks about Sauron's experimentation with his orcs in his quest for power and then reveals how the mistreatment of his children led him to split Sauron open, killing him to save the rest of the Uruk.
While The Rings of Power season 1 includes no overt clues to suggest a direct link between Harfoot characters and the Fellowship Hobbits in The Lord of the Rings, several subtle details indicate that Nori Brandyfoot could potentially be an ancient relative of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins.
Theo's father is a bit of a mystery in all of this as well--the obvious implication is that he's actually half-elven and Arondir is his dad, which is certainly plausible.
If Adar was an Elf captured by Morgoth, he must've been one of the earliest Elves to awaken in Middle-earth. As the Enemy's prisoner, Adar and his fellow captives would've been tortured, twisted and corrupted into the very first Orcs - the Moriondor.
Because of his age, Adar would have had a prominent place in Morgoth's army, but he was still subservient to Sauron. So, when Sauron took over, Adar became his servant until Sauron started to experiment on Orcs. Because they were his children, Adar rebelled, and to his knowledge, they killed Sauron.
A prevailing theory that is picking up steam on social media is that Adar is Maeglin, an elf who betrayed his people and gave up the location of the city of Gondolin to Morgoth.
A mysterious individual of the Second Age was referred to as Adar, or "Lord-father", by Orcs, presumably because, according to Galadriel, of his status as one of the Moriondor, the first Elves to be captured and tortured by Morgoth.
Adar revealed his entire story to Galadriel, and what he told her will change her mission in the Second Age. Adar is an original Orc, and he served Morgoth and Sauron. His life has been one of darkness, but his attack on the Southlands is a desperate attempt to create a home for his offspring.
"So I think in his pitch to Galadriel, it cannot mean that he loves her or that there's any kind of romantic relationship. There should be no ambiguity around the fact that Sauron is evil — he's terrible, and he's using Galadriel to enhance his power."
Halbrand does not deny his heroism out of bashful humility, though; he knows that as Sauron, he's not the hero she wants him to be for the Southlands -- not when his plans involve scorching it into Mordor. No, Halbrand was never a hero, nor did he ever claim to be.
Halbrand is the form of a Human that he has taken in order to trick people, in the series. It's well documented in the Silmarillion that Sauron can take on pretty much any form he likes, and he seems to generally default to 'fair' form. So looking like Charlie Vickers isn't really a problem.
After knocking him from his horse, Halbrand, in an aggressive stance with his lance point at Adar's throat, asked, "Do you remember me?" Adar replied, "No." This clearly angered Halbrand as it was evident that he recognized Adar.
It's that friendship with Nori that develops throughout the season, according to Weyman, that shows the Stranger the path forward to becoming (we assume) Gandalf.
You probably already know about Gandalf the Gray, the wise and kind wizard, friend to hobbits, who was among the fellowship of the ring. He defeated a Balrog.
Who is the giant who fell from the sky in Rings of Power?
This revelation refutes any lingering theories that The Stranger (Daniel Weyman), the man who fell from the sky at the start of the season, is in fact Sauron, with the finale confirming he's actually one of the Istari, Tolkien's version of Wizards.
