Who is Annatar in Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is the next huge series from Amazon Prime Video, set to expand the lore of the LOTR universe and explore stories from the Second Age of Middle-earth. While there are certainly many familiar faces, such as those depicted in the Last Alliance of Elves and Men for the Fellowship of the Ring prologue, many characters have not been fully fleshed-out. This includes some characters who don’t appear to be special but turn out to be vital to the entire series lore, one such example being Annatar. But Who is Annatar in Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power? Read on to find out!

Who is Annatar in Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?

Before you read any further, consider this next portion to be spoilers for the series.

Annatar is an assumed second identity of Sauron, the primary antagonist of the Lord of the Rings as well as The Rings of Power. He takes this identity in year 1500 of the Second Age (SA 1500), taking on the image of a fair and more attractive individual. He takes this form, “The Lord of Gifts,” as a bid to influence the elves, including Celebrimbor, to craft the Rings of Power. Despite his shapeshifting and attempted disguise, he is not universally trusted, particularly by the warrior elves Galadriel, Elrond, or Gil-Galad. This, of course, would also end in the forging of the One Ring to which Sauron would bind most of his power, and would dominate the other Rings of Power.

While fans were quick to believe the mysterious, bleached blonde in the San Diego Comic Con trailer as Sauron’s assumed form of Annatar, they wrongly claimed they were being portrayed by Anson Boon. The mysterious character is yet to be confirmed, aside from the fact that they are portrayed by Bridie Sisson, who was recently on Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop adaptation. Rings of Power executive producer Lindsey Weber recently cleared this up, however, did tease Sisson’s character origins,  We also thought fans might like to know that her character is traveling from far to the east—from the lands of Rhûn…” This could mean anything, but does indicate a possible connection to Sauron, who brought that region under his dominion.

Sauron is one of the Maiar, primordial beings created to help the Valar shape the world, characteristically being immortal, powerful, fair, and wise, collectively being a part of the Ainur. His original name was Mairon before assuming his infamous identity, and he was among the Maiar corrupted by Melkor, this group being dubbed the “Umaiar.” Other members of this group include the Balrogs, such as Durin’s Bane, who fought Gandalf the Grey at the end of The Fellowship of the Ring and beginning of The Two Towers, and Gandalf was one of the Maiar as well, albeit of the good ones. These individuals were incredibly powerful, so conflicts that emerge between them have had deadly consequences.

One thing is for sure, however: Sauron will be featured heavily in The Rings of Power, regardless of who portrays him and in what forms. He is a fearsome menace in the series, able to force even the violent, cruel orcs to bow in his presence, and acts as a deceiver, almost an antichrist figure. His presence is known and feared by the time of the show’s events, and it’s exciting that we finally get to see more exposure to this powerful villain. This concludes our guide on Who Annatar Is in Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power! For more stories like this, be sure to check out our entertainment column!

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will premiere on September 1, 2022, on Amazon Prime Video.