The Rings of Power showrunners discuss the identity of Sauron
"Sauron is a deceiver, Sauron can be anyone"
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Every Friday
GamesRadar+
Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.
Every Thursday
GTA 6 O'clock
Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.
Every Friday
Knowledge
From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.
Every Thursday
The Setup
Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.
Every Wednesday
Switch 2 Spotlight
Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.
Every Saturday
The Watchlist
Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.
Once a month
SFX
Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!
Warning: The following contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power episode 7! Turn back now if you have not seen the latest installment in Amazon's epic series.
Who is Sauron in The Rings of Power? That's the question of everyone's lips as the Lord of the Rings show continues. The seventh episode, unfortunately, offered no answer, though almost everyone's theorizing that Halbrand is Sauron. Could the fated leader of the now cursed Southlands be the Dark Lord?
Speaking to an audience including Total Film following a cinema screening of the seventh episode, The Rings of Power showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay discussed the theory. And while they refused to offer a definitive answer, they did talk about their thought process behind Sauron in the series.
"Sauron is a deceiver, Sauron can be anyone," McKay says. "We always felt like it would be a waste to just have him out in front from the beginning, and that if there was a story, that would engage people and let them lean in and let them read into things and have ideas and theories that would be delightful and wonderful.
"And if you think it's Halbrand, it's one version of the show. If you think it's somebody else, that's another version of the show and I just hope the next episode is exciting for you."
At the end there, McKay's talking about the upcoming final episode, in which we will hopefully (finally) learn the true identity of Sauron. Previously talking to Total Film, Payne said of Sauron: "We can say that when he appears, it might be in a way people aren’t expecting."
In other words, Sauron's coming soon – if he's not already here. For some speculation on what's to come in Rings of Power, here's our piece on The Stranger.
Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox

Jack Shepherd is the former Senior Entertainment Editor of GamesRadar. Jack used to work at The Independent as a general culture writer before specializing in TV and film for the likes of GR+, Total Film, SFX, and others. You can now find Jack working as a freelance journalist and editor.


