Before he was Sauron, he was Mairon, a powerful spirit (Maia) who served the Vala Aulë the Smith, learning craftsmanship; he was initially good, seeking order, but fell to evil by joining Melkor (Morgoth), becoming his chief lieutenant and the dark lord known as Sauron, "the Abhorred". He was a master of deceit and shapeshifting, serving Morgoth and later ruling Middle-earth himself through the One Ring.
Melkor is the most powerful of the Valar but he turns to darkness and is renamed Morgoth, the primary antagonist of Arda. All evil in the world of Middle-earth ultimately stems from him. One of the Maiar of Aulë betrays his kind and becomes Morgoth's principal lieutenant and successor, Sauron.
As one of the most powerful Maiar, Sauron was created by Ilúvatar before the Music of the Ainur. At the beginning of Time, he was amongst the Ainur who entered into Eä. Here he became one of the Maiar of Aulë, among whose people he was deemed mighty and surpassed only by the Smith himself, and was known as Mairon.
In layman's terms - Gandalf is an angel in the form of a human, sent by the gods to help people. He is of the same 'race' as Sauron, Balrogs, and the other Wizards. As for the in-universe explanation, here's a brief history: There exists a supreme being, called Eru.
No, Sauron was never a human, nor was he an elf. He was one of the Maia, the lesser divine beings that participated in the design and construction of Arda. In particular he was a servant of Aule, but he chose to desert the side of Aule and become the servant (and slave) of Morgoth.
Halbrand is Sauron
The answer came at the end of Season 1, when he revealed his true identity as Sauron to Galadriel and offered her a chance to join him in his quest to rule Middle-earth. Galadriel is now aware of Halbrand's true identity, and the two have developed a close bond.
while Sauron was more powerful than Gandalf in a direct comparison, their roles and methods were fundamentally different. Gandalf's strength was in enabling others to resist evil, while Sauron sought to dominate and enslave.
Why was Sauron afraid of Aragorn potentially possessing the Ring? Gandalf explains it in the Return of the King (during the council after the battle of the Pelennor fields) that Sauron would never think somebody would want to destroy the One Ring.
His task was to do the bidding of his masters and so when he proved unfaithful in doing that task his masters stripped him of his robes and gave them to one who would do their bidding. Gandalf is now the White, Saruman as he should have been.
The Wizard clad in brown was Radagast and the one clad in grey was Gandalf, seemingly the oldest and the least of the Order. The other two who travelled to the East and South were sometimes said to clad themselves in robes of sea-blue and were known as the Blue Wizards.
The Ring's effects
Inversely, the hobbits' good-naturedness and lack of ambition makes them less susceptible to the Ring's promises of power, as in Frodo and Samwise Gamgee, who are able to handle the Ring for extended periods of time.
Sauron needed Gandalf out of the picture permanently, as he was the only enemy with the knowledge, leadership and determination to thwart him. His biggest mistake was ego. He succeeded by trickery, by his ability to deceive others. He conquered so much land that his ability to control became out of reach .
It tells you why right in the book, Sauron releases him because he knows Gollum will go after the ring, and can be watched, leading Sauron to the ring.
Biography. Very little is known of Smaug before he attacked, in TA 2770, the Lonely Mountain and the town of Dale. What information exists dictates that he was created by Morgoth at some point after Nírnaeth Arnoediad for use in his fleet of winged Fire-drakes.
The Nazgûl (Black Speech for "Ringwraiths"), also known as the Nine Riders or Black Riders (or simply the Nine), were Sauron's "most terrible servants" in Middle-earth. They were mortal Men who had been turned into wraiths by their Nine Rings of power.
As a Maia, Gandalf was an angelic being in human form, in service to the Creator (Eru Ilúvatar) and the Creator's 'Secret Fire'. He took on the specific form of an old man as a sign of his humility. His role was to advise but never to attempt to match Sauron's strength.
Tolkien wrote about five wizards: Gandalf the Gray, Saruman the White, Radagast the Brown, and two unnamed Blue Wizards. You probably already know about Gandalf the Gray, the wise and kind wizard, friend to hobbits, who was among the fellowship of the ring. He defeated a Balrog.
Gandalf does not WANT to touch the ring. Just as Galadriel resists the temptation to take it when Frodo offers it to her willingly. And all this because "Power Corrupts". Sauron and the Ring are allegories for the corruption that inevitably arises when too much power is concentrated in one place.
Elrond chose the fate of the Elves and therefore the choice was presented to his children. The reason why Eldarion and his sisters (the children of Aragorn and Arwen) were born mortal was because Arwen chose mortality and therefore that fate was passed on to the rest of their line.
He did not trust Gollum, for he divined something indomitable in him, which could not be overcome, even by the Shadow of Fear, except by destroying him.
Saruman first appeared during a fourth phase of writing in a rough narrative outline dated August 1940. Intended to account for Gandalf's absence, it describes how a wizard titled "Saramond the White" or "Saramund the Grey", who has fallen under the influence of Sauron, lures Gandalf to his stronghold and traps him.
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.
Gandalf is not permitted to use his full power during the 3rd Age (some exception apply). He has been sent to guide humans to the 4th age, the age of mortals. He can perform minor magic as needed, but he cannot "bust out."
Sauron vs Thanos | Fandom. Not only is Thanos way superior in stats and haxes, but Sauron really has no way to permakill Thanos. Still its unfair because it's like comparing an ant to a tank.