Sauron was originally a Maia called Mairon, but he could take on a fair visage and call himself Annatar or Halbrand. He is not an elf or human, but an extremely powerful being and the main antagonist of J.R.R.
We know from The Silmarillion that Sauron does appear during the Second Age disguised as an Elf, one who shows Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) how to accurately forge the Rings of Power. Though he's known as "Annatar" in Tolkien's work, maybe that's not a name he's willing to use just yet.
Is Sauron an elf? No Sauron is not an elf, elves are the firstborn children of iluvatar but Sauron is a maia an angelic being that has existed before the universe was even created.
It was only thanks to Celebrimbor's own secret rings that the elves manage to avoid the same calamitous fate, because although the rings are still linked to Sauron, they were not filled with his malice and hate, but they did still present a channel through which the elves could hear Sauron whispering (similar to how ...
Sauron began his days as Mairon (“the admirable”), a powerful Maia—spirits who came to Arda to help the Valar shape the world. (Other Maia include Gandalf and Saruman.) He was a pure and orderly being in the beginning, who studied the craft of forging. But he grew selfish, and eventually aligned himself with Morgoth.
Gandalf, like all the five wizards of Middle-earth, was a Maia, an angelic spirit of the same order as Sauron.
As soon as the Mystics realize the Stranger isn't Sauron, they label him an "Istar." With this label, and several other hints throughout the episode and the season, The Rings of Power has all but confirmed that the Stranger is everyone's favorite wizard: Gandalf the Grey.
She already feels an outcast after Gil-galad tried to send her back to the Undying Lands, and she fears that if she reveals what she has done, it will be the final nail in the coffin. Instead, when Elrond pulls her from the river Glanduin, and she races back inside to Celebrimbor's forge, she chooses to stay silent.
To win the elves over, Sauron goes to Eregion disguised as Annatar, the Lord of Gifts. He helps Celebrimbor and the other smiths gain an even higher mastery of their crafts, but he leaves once they begin crafting the Rings of Power.
He does look similar to Aragorn when we first meet him: His appearance is also "weather-beaten" because he is shipwrecked. Like Aragorn, he has "a shaggy head of dark hair" (well, not that dark, but darker than RoP's Elrond).
He is of the same kind as Gandalf, a spirit of creation called a "Maia". He is, however, not a wizard. You can think of the Maiar as lesser angels. They, together with the the 14 Valar ("archangels" in this analogy) and other unnamed spirits form the Ainur.
Before the Creation of Arda
Sauron was originally a Maia of Aulë the Smith; his name then was Mairon, meaning "the admirable." He learned much from Aulë in the ways of forging and crafting, becoming a great craftsman, and mighty in the lore of Aulë's people.
He wasn't truly omnipotent, but his great power allowed him knowledge of many things within the realm. Sauron insisted that the Orcs refer to him as the “Eye” because he did not allow his name to be written or spoken. So when the novels describe the “Eye,” it very well may be a description of Sauron himself.
Balrogs, also called Valaraukar, were originally Ainur created by Ilúvatar, probably those who joined Melkor during his discordance in the Music of the Ainur. After entering into Eä, they were Maiar, lesser spirits at the service of the Valar.
Nevertheless, Tolkien left clues that Bombadil is a Vala, a god of Middle-Earth, specifically Aulë, the archangelic demigod who created the dwarves. Robert Foster suggested in 1978 that Bombadil is one of the Maiar, angelic beings sent from Valinor.
Saruman, jealous and afraid of Gandalf, set spies to watch all his movements; thus he discovered the existence of the Shire and noted Gandalf's interest in it, and started sending agents in Bree and the Southfarthing. As Lord of Isengard, Saruman began to bring trouble to Rohan by aiding its enemies.
During the end of Lord of the Rings, it's likely that Sauron was well-aware of Frodo's presence in Mordor. So why didn't he do anything about it? When Frodo finally arrived at the lands of Mordor, Sauron likely knew about his presence.
Saruman. Saruman, also known as Saruman the White, is the one Istari Sauron was able to lure into his service. While Saruman was Sauron's ally, the Wizard had the ultimate goal of taking the Ring and wielding its powers for himself.
Alarmed, Gandalf tells Bilbo that is foolish. Coming to his senses, Bilbo admits that the ring has been troubling him, and leaves it behind for Frodo as he departs for Rivendell. Over the next 17 years, Gandalf travels extensively, searching for answers on the ring.
Sauron had every reason to fear Aragorn, but his doom came from the strangest of places. Much of the story of Lord of the Rings is about the little guy finding a way to become a hero. Sauron could never have imagined a Hobbit would oppose him. He never imagined a mortal would willingly throw the power away.
The death of the white wizard Saruman differs slightly from Tolkien's original book Return of the King to Peter Jackson's film adaptation of the same name. But although the whereabouts and the circumstances change between the two, both versions agree that Saruman is killed by Grima Wormtongue.
Morgoth Was Originally More Powerful Than Sauron
When he couldn't accomplish that, he began to war against the other Valar and rule over Middle-earth with his fires and evil creations. With this turn to darkness, Melkor became known as Morgoth. While at war, Morgoth lured many beings to his cause.