By Nermeen Nabil 
On The Rings of Power season one, the orcs, following their mysterious leader Adar, searched for a powerful weapon. We were curious about the weapon, itself, but also wondered, just who is The Rings of Power‘s Adar? In the sixth episode of the show, Adar and his orcs get their wish and found their weapon. But, while Theo’s sword hilt may have given Adar’s children a dark new home on Middle-earth, the episode also revealed more than the creation of Mount Doom. It revealed Adar no longer serves Sauron, as we initially thought the mutilated elf might. Throughout The Rings of Power, we’ve slowly uncovered Adar’s true identity. The show has offered us insight into the one-time elf, his origins, and why the otherwise hateful orcs adore Adar as they do. As we delve into season two of The Rings of Power, here’s what we know about Adar, the Lord-Father of Orcs/Uruk.
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Jump to: Who Are the Orcs? // The Orcs’ Tolkien History // Adar as the First Orc Created by Morgoth // The Meaning of the Word Adar // Why Did Adar Turn on Sauron? // Adar and Sauron’s History // Adar Recast on Rings of Power Season 2 // Adar’s Future
Who Are Lord of the Rings’ Orcs?
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On The Rings of Power, the orcs follow Adar. And so, first understanding these creatures helps us to understand their leader. Orcs, called goblins in The Hobbit, have loomed large in J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy world since the beginning. The Lord of the Rings‘ orcs served Morgoth during the Years of the Trees before the First Age. And they continued as soldiers of evil until the end of Middle-earth’s Third Age.
Ugly, violent creatures, orcs hate almost everyone and everything. That includes themselves. This is why it’s so interesting that The Rings of Power‘s orcs do not hate Adar. They also abhor natural beauty and handcrafted works. But that doesn’t prevent them from making things themselves. From weapons and tools, to torture devices and machines of war, Lord of the Rings‘ orcs are crafty.
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Orcs live in darkness, most notably deep inside mountains. They are excellent tunnel builders who shun the sun whenever possible because the light burns them. That’s why on The Rings of Power, Adar and the orcs had elves and humans digging for that missing sword hilt. And why the orcs wear robes if forced to go out during the day. They cannot go into the light.
While it’s unclear exactly how long orcs live, one infamous orc was at least 150 years old. And though they lack anything resembling culture, orcs are also much smarter than they look and have great stamina and strength. We know we’ll be seeing nearly 1,500 Orcs in season two of The Rings of Power.
The History and Origins of Middle-earth’s Orcs and The Rings of Power‘s Adar
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J.R.R. Tolkien himself changed the origin story of orcs during his lifetime. At one point, he said Morgoth created orcs through sorcery from “the heats and slimes of the earth.” But the author later wrote that only the supreme being Eru Ilúvatar could create life. (Well, minus when the Valar Aulë created dwarves.)
Morgoth’s inability to make life was one of the things that made him jealous of Ilúvatar in the first place. That’s why he needed one of the supreme being’s own “children” to bring orcs to the world. So if Morgoth didn’t create orcs, where did they come from? From Ilúvatar, just not the way he made them. And it is that very The Lord of the Rings tale from which The Rings of Power draws Adar’s origins.
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The accepted origin of The Lord of the Rings orcs is the one found in The Silmarillion. It says Morgoth kidnapped some elves when they first awoke in Middle-earth, before the Valar could find the first “children” of Ilúvatar. He then used dark magic to transform them into horrible creatures who served him, just as they would eventually serve the next Dark Lord, Sauron.
The Rings of Power confirms that this history is actually Adar’s own. The truth comes out in a scene between Galadriel and Adar in The Rings of Power season one.
Adar as the Elf Who Became the First Orc, Created by Morgoth
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Galadriel more or less reveals exactly who Adar is in The Rings of Power‘s sixth episode. She tells us that she heard stories about elves like Adar. 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.” In The Rings of Power season two, we get a bit more information about this. Adar shares, “Thirteen of us were chosen to be blessed of Morgoth’s hand with the promise of power, a new birth.” That leaves us curious to know the fate of the other 12 Moriondor. Did they go on to create orcs as well?
Regardless of what happened to the other elves, in season one, Adar says his children prefer another name: Uruk. And he defends his children’s right to live and have a home by saying orcs are creations of “The One, Master of the secret fire.” According to Adar, orcs have names and hearts, just the same as Galadriel, and by extension, Adar, who links them all together. In one scene, The Rings of Power confirms both Adar’s identity, an elf turned to evil by Morgoth, and the origins of orcs, once and for all.
Why The Rings of Power‘s Orcs Call Their Leader Adar, The Elvish Word for Father?
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Now we know that Adar is literally the orcs’ father on The Rings of Power. So, it thus makes sense that the elves call him “Adar.” In Sindarin Elvish, “Adar” is the word for “father.” (The Sindar spoke their own version of Elvish because they never made it to the land of the Valar like other elves. After awakening in Middle-earth, they never left, same as the kidnapped Moriondor.) Pretty obvious if you think about it.
But as strange as it sounds for orcs, the love Adar shows for them is reciprocated. The orcs are all Adar’s offspring, and he cares for them, just as he is the only figure orcs truly care for in all of Tolkien’s Middle-earth. The use of the word “Father” when it comes to Adar thus feels more emotional than just a factual title. Through Adar, we get a whole new look at orcs on The Rings of Power.
Are There Female Orcs on Middle-Earth?
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If orcs are made from elves, do they replicate like elves, too? Some believe that Morgoth’s creatures (which include orcs, werewolves, trolls, dragons, and more) self-reproduce. However, we actually get to meet some female orcs on The Rings of Power. Adar confirmed this idea when he spoke of “brothers and sisters” among his orcs in season one. And in season two of The Rings of Power, we actually get to see an orc family, complete with father, mother, and baby. D’awww!
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For now, though, the specifics of orc reproduction is unknown. (Which is almost certainly for the best.) But it’s not unreasonable to think it is a slow one since Sauron sometimes hid for thousands of years while gathering and reinforcing his army. The forces of evil always needed more orcs because, unlike elves, they don’t live forever. And the further removed from their father, Adar, the less like him they become.
Why Are Orcs So Different From Adar on The Rings of Power?
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Adar has lived for thousands of years and remembers Beleriand (a land that went under at the end of the First Age) because he’s an ageless elf. That’s also why, unlike his children, the sun does not burn him. Adar can still feel the warmth from the sun of the Valar, which he says he will miss when it’s gone. But despite Adar and his past, The Rings of Power‘s orcs are not elves.
The orcs get uglier and more twisted the further removed they are from their elf ancestors and Ilúvatar. That’s also why the orcs of the show’s Second Age don’t even look as hideous as their ancestors of the Third Age. Those differences and vulnerabilities are a big reason why Adar turned on Sauron, who saw his children as disposable.
Why Did Adar Turn Against Sauron?
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Adar had his orcs digging for the sword hilt Theo possesses, but he wasn’t doing it for Sauron. In fact, Adar believes he killed Sauron. The one-time elf was doing it for his orc children whom he loves, many of whom Sauron had sacrificed in his quest to rule Middle-earth. Adar wanted to give The Rings of Power‘s orcs a new home, one where they would not only be safe from light but safe from Dark Lords who treat them as disposable. Neither Morgoth nor Sauron ever loved orcs. They were slaves in service of evil.
Adar thinks he not only stopped serving Sauron, but that he also stopped the Dark Lord forever. Adar tells Galadriel that he killed Sauron himself. In a flashback revealed during The Rings of Power season one, episode one, we actually see Adar and the orcs attack Sauron until he appears to disintegrate. But alas, it’s not that easy to kill a Dark Lord.
The history of orcs says his desire to take care of his children guaranteed them another age of servitude. Adar brought Mount Doom from the depths of the earth. It will be orcs’ new home, free from the sunlight that plagues them, as he desires, but Sauron will be the one to rule over it. Sauron needs the fires of Mount Doom to forge the Rings of Power, a fact that Adar could not have known. But in seeking solace, Adar has given Sauron everything he needs to bring his evil down on Middle-earth.
The Rings of Power Season 2 Reveals More About Adar’s Backstory and His History with Sauron
In season two of The Rings of Power, we find out that Adar’s betrayal of Sauron is a bit more intimate than we once thought. In fact, the pair have a deep history that stretches back into the ages of Middle-earth. And this history goes beyond just a bad leader and his angry general.
In the first episodes of The Rings of Power season two, Adar takes Sauron, who is posing as Halbrand, captive. Sauron is, of course, deceiving him, telling him that it’s the elves who are working with Sauron and that Halbrand can help him. Adar eventually agrees to make a deal with Halbrand in order to “stop Sauron,” but not before imprisoning and torturing him.
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When Adar eventually comes to release Sauron from this fate in The Rings of Power season two, episode one, he tells Halbrand a little bit more about his backstory and history with Sauron. He offers, “I was in your place once, in the eldest of the elder days. Thirteen of us were chosen to be blessed of Morgoth’s hand with the promise of power, a new birth. I was led up to a dark and nameless peak, chained and left. And after what seemed endless thirst and hunger, I saw it. His servant’s face, Sauron’s face. And it was beautiful. He offered me wine, red as a blood moon. He offered me wine and on that dark and nameless peak. I drank it, I drank it all.”
Without a doubt, this “rescue” deeply resonated with Adar, enough that he still thinks of it now. We’ll have to see if The Rings of Power season two shines a light on how that seeming gratitude turns into resentment and hate enough to attempt to kill Sauron.
Adar and Galadriel Could Team Up Against Sauron
Of course, Sauron isn’t dead. Adar can’t be certain if that’s true, but he is marching on Eregion now to make try and find out. On the way, he encounters Galadriel in the woods and seems to successfully trap her. The pair have had a stormy relationship so far on The Rings of Power, but it’s possible the threat of Sauron will trump all. Teasers from the series seem to hint that the pair might team up against their mutual foe as The Rings of Power season two progresses. We’re certainly hoping for that.
In the latest episode of The Rings of Power, Adar suggests to Galadriel that they could be allies, but though Galadriel seems to come to an agreement with him on this point. Adar turns away from her in the end, noting that she’s given him everything he needs. He intends to march against Sauron and Eregion, hoping to destroy Sauron with his very own iron crown, which has pieces of Morgoth’s helm in it. Instead, of an alliance, Adar tries to barter Galadriel for her Ring of Power, but Elrond will not make a deal. The orcs and elves descend into battle as Adar lays siege to Eregion. But eventually, Adar ends up successful and he manages to get his hands on Galadriel’s elven ring, Nenya.
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To us, it seems like the wiser play would have been to join with the elves instead. But we’ll have to wait and see what befalls Adar and his children as The Rings of Power draws to an end.
Adar Recast on The Rings of Power Season 2—Sam Hazeldine Replaces Joseph Mawle
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In bittersweet news, in 2023, we learned that Sam Hazeldine would replace Joseph Mawle as Adar in season two of The Rings of Power. Recasts can be tricky, but we hope that the character will continue his journey and evolution into this next season of the show. It certainly sounds like there will be a lot in store for Adar. In June 2024, we got our first look at the newly recast Adar, and we felt pretty good about what we saw.
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Sam Hazeldine previously acted in Peaky Blinders and appears on The Sandman. While we have no doubt he will do a great job in the role, we will miss Mawle’s version of Adar. We’re glad that Hazeldine appears to capture the same balance of tragic and antagonistic that Mawle did so far into season two of The Rings of Power.
The Rings of Power season two will likely continue to delve into this duality in Adar. Showrunner JD Payne recently noted to Vanity Fair, “You’ve got Sauron, who is not cloaked behind the guise of [the human refugee] Halbrand anymore. The audience knows he’s Sauron, so now we’re watching him maneuver as he’s manipulating [the burn-scar covered dark elf] Adar, who’s another big villain of the season.”
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You can see Sam Hazeldine in action as Adar in some of The Rings of Power season two’s sneak peek clips.
Adar’s Future on Season Two of The Rings of Power
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It would seem that on The Rings of Power Adar even christened the new land with the name Sauron will use, Mordor. But there’s unlikely to be a place in Mordor for an Adar that orcs will love more than they fear Sauron. In the final episode of The Rings of Power season one, Halbrand, who we now know to be Sauron, seems to refer to Adar as his enemy. And with Sauron already manipulating Adar to his ends, it feels like trouble ahead.
Charlie Vickers who plays Sauron, has given us some insight into what will transpire between Adar and Sauron in season two of The Rings of Power. In an interview Vickers offers more about the interaction between himself and Joseph Mawle, who originally played Adar:
Joseph and I worked really hard in creating that story and it’s something we see more of in the second season. We see Adar and Sauron’s time and how they first connected. Adar’s going to have to do some saying sorry at some point though [for what he did in season one].
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It sounds like Vickers is already alluding to Sauron threatening Adar’s existence. A newly released description of Adar’s journey this season on The Rings of Power season two seems to echo this, noting:
Having secured a home in Mordor for the orcs, in Season 2, Adar faces an unexpected threat when he learns that Sauron, the former master he betrayed and murdered, is alive and well – and scheming to take back everything Adar has taken from him.
Well, we know who Adar is now, but he also may have just sealed his fate on The Rings of Power. We’ll have to continue to tune into The Rings of Power season two as it airs this fall.
Originally published on September 12, 2022.
Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.
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Nermeen Nabil Khear