The Rings Of Power's Adar Explained & How He Breaks LOTR Canon

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power episode 3.The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power episode 3 sets up the introduction of Adar, the mysterious ruler of the Orcs. The First Age ended with the defeat of Morgoth, but in The Rings of Power episode 3 Galadriel learned the forces of evil had planned for that defeat. She discovered evidence of a contingency, one to be enacted in the event Morgoth fell, in which his successor claimed power in his place.

That plan is to be enacted in the Southlands, the region destined to become known as Mordor. Already Orcs stalk the Southlands, kidnapping entire villagers, taking them as slaves so they can extend their tunnels across the Southlands - and, presumably, beyond. It is little wonder the Elves could find no trace of the Orcs, for they acted in secret, and they ensured none of their slaves escaped. They are led by a mysterious being named Adar, who is important enough for the entire episode to be named after him.

The Rings of Power Orcs are subtly different, but they are every bit as brutal and ruthless as J.R.R. Tolkien intended. Although the Elves speculate their leader is simply an alias of Sauron, in reality Adar is believed to be an original character. He's also clearly one of the show's most important villains.

Everything We Know About Adar, The Orc Leader In Rings Of Power

Arondir's companions point out that Sauron went by many names, and suggest Adar could be one of them. Although this is unlikely, they're almost certainly correct to believe Adar is either an alias or a title; Arondir notes "Adar" is an Elvish word, and it probably means "father" in one of the dialects Tolkien created (this can be deduced from Tom Bombadil's Elven name, Iarwain Ben-adar, which means "Oldest and Fatherless"). It is likely, then, that Adar claims to be "father" to the Orcs - perhaps implying he was the servant of Morgoth responsible for creating the Orcs in The Lord of the Rings.

Morgoth is known to have had many servants during the First Age, and - presuming he is indeed Morgoth's chosen successor - Sauron is known to have followed the same approach. He organized his army with clear lines of command, establishing direct reports who led his forces or had an impressive degree of independence. Adar could well be one of Sauron's lieutenants, the one tasked with commanding the Orcs as they expand Sauron's kingdom across the Southlands.

Adar is believed to be a new character created for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and there have been rumors he is played by Joseph Mawle (best known for playing Benjen Stark in Game of Thrones). According to these reports, he is in fact a fallen Elf who serves as the main villain of The Rings of Power season 1, tasked with following Sauron's instructions and expanding his sphere of influence across the Southlands. This would certainly fit with the Elven origin of his assumed name or title.

If Rumors Are True, Adar Breaks Lord Of The Rings Canon

If these rumors are correct, then Adar is a major break with Lord of the Rings canon. J.R.R. Tolkien toyed with many different ideas for the origin of the Orcs, and in one telling they were in fact fallen Elves. This concept made its way into The Silmarillion, an unpublished work by Tolkien that was published by his son Christopher.

"Yet this is held true by the wise of Eressëa, that all those of the Quendi (Elves) that who came into the hands of Melkor, ere Utumno was broken, were put there in prison, and by slow arts of cruelty were corrupted and enslaved; and thus did Melkor breed the hideous race of the Orcs..."

Christopher Tolkien had to make numerous editorial decisions when publishing The Silmarillion, and he chose the earliest version because his father never completed his revisions. Later, reflecting on his father's views, the late Christopher Tolkien noted he settled on the idea Orcs were bred by men rather than fallen Elves. He seems to have been motivated by a desire to enhance the inherent mobility of the Elves, by stressing they were unable to fall. Elves are not all good, but fundamentally who they are and how they were created prevents them being truly evil.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien's appendices and unpublished notes on Middle-earth. If Adar is indeed a fallen Elf, then in this matter it draws from Tolkien's earliest notes rather than its revisions. It will be thrilling to see how this plays out - and how a fallen Elf, one who served in the armies of Morgoth and now potentially works under Sauron, changes the lore of Middle-earth.

Episodes of The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power air Thursdays on Amazon Prime.