"Who is Sauron?" has been the question on millions of Tolkien fans' lips over the last few weeks and with The Rings of Power finale almost upon us, we're so close to finally getting an answer.
Set thousands of years before the events in The Lord of the Rings, Prime Video's new series has been teasing this big reveal for a while now. There are plenty of theories doing the rounds about which character might actually be the Dark Lord and we've covered many of them during the series.
So let's sum up where we are...
Last week we saw the Southlands burned to a crisp and made into Mordor under Adar's stewardship, while Elrond and Durin released the Balrog from its prison deep beneath Khazad-dûm when they were searching for mithril.
Elsewhere, Galadriel set off for Lindon with Halbrand — the new King of the Southlanders — in a bid to find treatment for the injury he suffered in battle, and the harfoots have set off in pursuit of The Stranger, in the hope of saving him from The Dweller.
But which of these characters — new or from Tolkien's original writings — is Sauron? Or is it someone else altogether? We weigh up the evidence...
1. Who is Sauron? Is it Halbrand?
Halbrand has been a mysterious figure ever since Galadriel first washed up on his raft back in the second episode and the more we look at his journey, the more likely it seems that he is the Dark Lord of Mordor.
He's already shown great ruthlessness by getting rid of the other survivors on that raft and beating up a group of men in Numenor, yet it's his most recent deeds that make us most suspicious.
Earlier in the series, Adar talked to Galadriel 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 in two, killing him. When Halbrand and Galadriel caught up with Adar in the forest a few weeks back, Halbrand seemed to have an issue with Adar — could this be why? Also, Adar fails to recognize Halbrand, which would fit in with Sauron's reputation as "The Deceiver."
The fact that Halbrand's now off to Lindon is also highly suggestive. In Tolkien's writings, Sauron convinced Celebrimbor to create the rings of power while disguising himself as Annatar — the "Lord of Gifts."
It would be a devilish twist if, after all her efforts to track him down, Sauron was under Galadriel's nose all along. Halbrand is definitely our prime suspect, although some have wondered if he might become the Witch-King of Angmar instead.
2. Is The Dweller Sauron?
The Dweller is certainly a malevolent presence in Middle-Earth, as she proved when she burned down the harfoots' houses in the seventh episode but is she the Dark Lord?
Played by Bridie Sisson, The Dweller and her two companions — The Ascetic and The Nomad — are clearly pursuing The Stranger, whom many believe to be Gandalf. It stands to reason that Sauron would want Gandalf out of the way before beginning whatever dark deeds he has planned and many theories are swirling about The Dweller as the finale approaches.
Some Tolkien aficionados believe all three members of the cult group, known as The Mystics, are the three parts that will eventually combine to make a whole Sauron and that, at this moment in time, they represent his threefold nature.
Another theory has also posited that The Dweller's immunity to the fire of the harfoots' torch is a nod to a comment Galadriel made in the first episode when she talked of the Elves' torches giving no warmth in Sauron's old stronghold.
The Rings of Power's executive producer Lindsey Weber also added fuel to the online rumor mill by refusing to deny The Dweller and the Dark Lord were one and the same when she spoke to TIME recently.
“We are enjoying all the speculation online and can tell you Bridie Sisson is an incredible actor,” she said. “We also thought fans might like to know that her character is traveling from far to the east — from the lands of Rhûn…”
With Rhûn lying very close to where Mordor now stands, it's certainly possible that The Dweller is Sauron...
3. Is Adar Sauron in The Rings of Power?
We thought Adar might be the Dark Lord when he first arrived in our story and while he's certainly fallen down the list of suspects, we're certainly not ruling him out yet.
He's already shown a knack for marshaling orcs and played a pivotal role in the creation of Mordor from the ashes of the Southlands. Many viewers presume he's taking orders from Sauron but is he actually Middle-Earth's most infamous villain?
One small clue many viewers have seized upon is his angry outburst in episode five when Waldreg called him Sauron and Adar reacted with fury. Some saw this as evidence that he isn't the Dark Lord. However, in Tolkien's writings, he describes Sauron forbidding anyone from using his name...
What's more, Adar never actually denies the accusation and in the below trailer, we hear him say "I am no god. At least, not yet" which sounds very ominous.
4. Is the Stranger Sauron?
We've grown to love The Stranger in recent weeks as he befriended Nori and helped the harfoots on their journey, so what a twist it would be if he was actually the Dark Lord all along!
In the trailer for the eighth episode (above), we appear to see The Mystics telling someone... "You will be known at last for who you truly are, for you are Lord Sauron."
Given that the terrible trio has been searching for The Stranger for the last three episodes, it seems a safe bet that they catch up with him in this week's finale. So could he be the dark master to whom they are pledging their allegiance?
We think it's more likely The Stranger is Gandalf, but you can read some of our other theories on The Stranger here.
The final episode of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power arrives on Amazon on Friday 14th October
