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The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Powerhas introduced some new characters that were never in the books to bring the second age of Middle-earth to the screen. One of these characters is Adar, a corrupted Elf or Uruk who is uncharacteristically attached to the orcs, thinking of them as his children. His name, Adar, means father in Elvish.
Adar’s presence brings a layer of complexity to the depiction of orcs in the Lord of the Rings, painting them as victims of Morgoth instead of the corrupted beings that they have been forever known as. Adar is the main villain besides Sauron, and the role he plays in Amazon Prime’s Rings of Power is incredibly important.
Who Is Adar? Adar’s Origin Explained
Adar is one of the first elves corrupted by Morgothto create the orcs during the First Age.According to the Silmarillion, Morgoth captured and twisted many elves into a cruel mockery of their former selves,creating the orcs. Adar is one of these elves, Uruks,elves who were mutilated early in Middle-earth’s history.
This would explainhis elven featuresand his role as a father to the orcs, ashe would be among the oldest and most experienced of them,having existed since the First Age. His loyalty is not to the Dark Lord, as soon after Morgoth’s fall,Sauron took over, andhe took the first chance he had to dispose of him.
Although Maia can’t be killed, and Sauron is effectively immortal until the destruction of the one ring,Adar still manages to destroy his physical formalongside the other orcs. As a TV show exclusive figure, it’s nice to see some sort ofsympathetic layer to the orcsthat have been the villains of the series since the writing of The Hobbit.
Adar’s Goal In Rings Of Power
Adar’s motivations in The Rings of Powerare slowly revealed throughout the series, and his character addsmoral ambiguity to the race of orcs. Adar appears to genuinely care for the orcs under his command,referring to them as his children.
In a stark departure from thetypical depiction of orcs as mindless, evil creatures, Adar treats them with compassion and protects them. This suggests that his primary goal isto create a homeland for the orcs, a place where they can live freely. To this end,he converts the Southlandsby using the magical swordto create Mordor. By covering the sky with smoke,orcs could now roam the land during the dayas well.
My children, we have endured much. We cast off our shackles. Crossed mountain, field, frost, and fallow ‘til our feet bloodied the dirt. From Ered Mithrin to the Ephel Arnen, we have endured. Yet tonight, one more trial awaits us. Our enemy may be weak, their numbers meager, yet before this night is through, some of us will fall. But for the first time, you do so not as unnamed slaves in far-away lands, but as brothers. As brothers and sisters in our home! This is the night we reach out the iron hand of the Uruk and close our fist around these lands!
Adar’s relationshipwith Sauron is complicated. He harboredincredible resentment towards the dark lord, so much so that he killed him,possibly because Sauron sees orcs as mere tools, while Adar sees them as beings worth protecting.
Though he served the forces of darkness under Morgoth, he saw the Uruks and orcs being heavily mistreated, and when Sauron presented himself as the only salvation for the race,he decided to kill him and assume the role for himself.
All because his love for his race goes beyond conquering Middle-earthbut to provide a home for his people. His character is multi-faceted andhas layers of development still to come,and with the Ring of Power, Nenya, he’s bound to go even further in his plans for the orcs.
