Sauron is famous for his deceitful tongue, but Sauron in The Rings of Power tastes a double dose of defeat after first watching his master, Morgoth, get dragged back to Valinor in disgrace, then being double-crossed and killed by his own orc henchman Adar. Predictably, the Dark Lord doesn't stay down for long, and returns to Middle-earth under the guise of "Halbrand" - a human from the Southlands with a knack for smithery.
Using his rugged good looks and charming words, Halbrand worms his way into Galadriel's heart, earning her trust enough to gain access to Eregion, Celebrimbor, and the giant forge capable of bringing his sinister designs into reality. After Galadriel eventually realizes she just made a mistake that could doom Middle-earth forever, Sauron boldly claims he never actually lied to his new Elf-friend. Here is every example of Halbrand distorting or bending the truth to Galadriel in The Rings of Power season 1.
Sauron Lied About His True Name
Sauron is adamant he never lied to Galadriel, but their first meeting in The Rings of Power episode 2 suggests otherwise. Brought aboard the remains of a boat savaged by a wyrm, Galadriel offers her name. The stranger (not that one) replies, "I'm Halbrand," which is absolutely a lie, since The Rings of Power later reveals him as Sauron. The Dark Lord does have one plausible get-out clause here. When Sauron adopts aliases such as "Halbrand" and "Annatar," one can argue these aren't merely fake names, but separate alternate identities. With his human face on, therefore, Sauron introducing himself as Halbrand is deceptive, but not necessarily lying outright.
Halbrand Describes His Homeland
After swapping names, Galadriel's next point of inquiry is where Halbrand came from, and the disguised villain is careful not to directly claim any connection to the Southlands, cunningly allowing the Elf to make that inference of her own accord. Indeed, Halbrand only answers "the Southlands" after Galadriel asks, "Are you going to tell me where the enemy is or not?" Halbrand does, however, describe his homeland as "ashes," which would fit some unnamed village in the Southlands perfectly, but becomes murky when considering this is actually Sauron talking.
The land where Sauron originally dwelled as a Maia isn't ashes, nor is his frozen former base of Forodwaith. Although this line could represent a lie slipping from Halbrand's lips, he may be referring to Tol-in-Gaurhoth, better known by its friendlier moniker, the Isle of Werewolves. This is where Sauron lived during Middle-earth's First Age, and the fortress was indeed brought down. Incidentally, The Rings of Power episode 3 does see Halbrand introduce himself in Númenor as "Halbrand... of the Southlands," so his honest streak isn't entirely intact.
Halbrand Says His People Have No King
During their first encounter in The Rings of Power episode 2, an irked Halbrand tells Galadriel, "My people have no king." Again, this makes perfect sense for a man of the Southlands, but not so much for the dark forces of Middle-earth, who were very much subjects of a dictatorship under Morgoth. By "have no king," Halbrand possibly means because Morgoth was banished beyond the Door of Night. Another technicality is that Morgoth was never actually a king, but more of a deity to his followers. Menacingly, Halbrand's line could also allude toward how Morgoth's minions currently have no king simply because Sauron has not yet returned to lead them.
Sauron Hints At His Secret Mission (But Lies)
After a testy audience with Queen Regent Míriel in The Rings of Power episode 3, Halbrand and Galadriel argue over their next steps. Halbrand drops the line, "I have been searching for my peace for longer than you know." This remark hides a hidden meaning, since "longer than you know" actually means the many thousands of years Sauron has existed. As later revealed in The Rings of Power episode 8, Sauron believes uniting Middle-earth under one single banner and ruling over all with an iron fist will bring peace, so his episode 3 plea to Galadriel is mostly honest. However, Halbrand does actively argue for staying in Númenor, arguably constituting an untruth because his real intention must surely be returning to Middle-earth.
Halbrand's "Found On A Dead Man" Lie
The example of honesty Halbrand gives Galadriel after she finally uncovers his secret in Amazon's The Rings of Power season 1 finale is purporting to have found the crest of the Southlands' king on a "dead man," rather than directly announcing himself King of the Southlands. Galadriel takes these words as Halbrand's standard sarcastic deflection, but they're most likely literal. If the King of the Southlands died sometime around the War of Wrath, Sauron would have been there to pick the bones, seizing anything that may prove useful further down the line.
Halbrand Tells Galadriel He Lost The War - Hidden Meaning Explained
Locked in a cell for street brawling, The Rings of Power episode 3 sees Halbrand tell Galadriel, "For it was my family that lost the war." Naturally, Galadriel believes Halbrand is referring to his ancestors in the Southlands who fought for Morgoth and perished, but this line is actually Sauron acknowledging how his "family" (Morgoth's followers) were defeated by the Valar and their allies. This particular lie is a perfect example of how often in The Rings of Power Sauron takes a grain of truth from his past and distorts it, encouraging Galadriel to draw a completely different meaning from his words.
Halbrand Accuses Galadriel Of Using Him
Making their preparations for defending the Southlands in The Rings of Power episode 5, Halbrand accuses Galadriel of using him as a pawn to advance her ongoing quest for revenge. Galadriel retorts by suggesting many would assume Halbrand used her, since he will be the one wearing a crown when the mission is over. Little does Galadriel know, her lighthearted accusation is completely true - Halbrand has taken advantage of her anger to strike back at Adar and create Mordor as evil's new Middle-earth HQ. Arguably, Halbrand accusing Galadriel of using him is a lie in this scene, since he knows the opposite is true. Despite being manipulated herself, however, Galadriel does undeniably exploit Halbrand for her own ends, meaning Sauron once again tells the truth on a technicality.
Did Sauron Swear Never To Return To The Southlands?
One of Halbrand's more curious dishonest moments comes in The Rings of Power episode 5, as he complains to Galadriel, "You are asking me to go to the one place that I swore never to return." The exact place Halbrand is referring to here isn't clear. The Rings of Power provides no suggestion that Sauron previously spent time in the Southlands, nor teases any reason he would swear to never return. Perhaps the "place" Halbrand speaks of is Middle-earth in general, rather than the Southlands alone, but surely if the Dark Lord's grand plan is to fix Middle-earth by dominating it, he would need to be physically present.
Sauron Proclaims Himself King Of The Southlands
In the dying moments of The Rings of Power episode 6, a stunned Bronwyn asks if Halbrand is "the king we were promised," to which Sauron replies positively. Although this lie is not spoken to Galadriel directly, she stands within earshot as Halbrand is addressing the entire assembled crowd. Halbrand knows Bronwyn is referring to the Southlands' lost heir, so his answer is undoubtedly dishonest. On the other hand, if the Southlands previously sided with the original Dark Lord Morgoth, their last king would have bent the knee to Middle-earth's villain. In a sense, then, maybe Sauron is the ruler Bronwyn's ancestors were promised long ago - albeit not the one she meant.
Sauron Thanks Galadriel For Saving His Life
Since The Rings of Power episode 6 is mostly filled with fighting and episode 7 mostly with crying, Sauron gets little opportunity to spin his web of lies. Upon recovering in Eregion, he returns to form in The Rings of Power season 1's finale, thanking Galadriel for saving his life. Literally speaking, this statement must be untrue. The Rings of Power heavily implies that Halbrand's wound was self-inflicted to gain access to Eregion, but even if the injury was genuine, Sauron would survive it - just as he survived after Adar's assassination attempt.
One might argue that Sauron is speaking figuratively here, and that Galadriel "saved" him only in a metaphorical sense. The line must hold some double meaning, because even if Galadriel had left Halbrand to rot in a medical tent near the Southlands, Sauron would've been just fine. The Rings of Power works to establish a romantic connection between Halbrand and Galadriel, and this emotional epiphany is possibly what Sauron believes saved his life.
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