Sauron's master was Morgoth (originally named Melkor), the first Dark Lord and the primary source of evil in Middle-earth, whom Sauron served as his chief lieutenant during the First Age before rising as the Dark Lord in his own right during the Second and Third Ages.
Sauron was once the chief servant of Morgoth in the first age of Arda. They are a ton of villains with a unique relation with their right hand. Some like Dracula and Isaac from Castlevania ( Netflix) are friends and trusted confidant to one another.
Morgoth was taken to Aman by the Valar and tried for his crimes. In the end, the Valar un-housed Morgoth by beheading him and "thrust him through the Door of Night", beyond the Walls of the World and into the Timeless Void. The Door is forever guarded by Eärendil. Morgoth's final defeat marked the end of the First Age.
The Rings of Power season 2 answers these questions in episode 1. Season 1 revealed that Sauron seized the Southlands' crest from its last known king, who died 1000 years before the events of the show, and then assumed the identity of Halbrand.
Tolkien stated that Sauron at his greatest (fully incarnated and with The Ring) was mightier than Morgoth at his lowest (the end of the War of Wrath). But for the vast majority of their existences, yeah, Morgoth was far more powerful than Sauron.
It was a lengthy battle where Gandalf put up a good fight. Gandalf the White has a stand-off with the Witch King at the siege of Minas Tirith and he is disarmed within seconds and would most likely be killed, before being saved. Why?
In the Days before days, Sauron was corrupted by Melkor (later named Morgoth) to betray the Valar and serve him. He served as Morgoth's chief lieutenant throughout the First Age.
Given Aragorn already wrested control of a Palantir from him, Sauron would probably be nervous of him having the Ring for too long. Aragorn as the new claimant of the Ring would gain considerable power from it. Though mortal, his lineage and own gifts made him a person of considerable stature.
Instead, we have to consider that Sauron, the original owner, is not human, but has a quasi-divine status. Therefore ownership of the Ring is subject to Divine Law. With this precedent in mind, many of the ambiguities clear up nicely. After numerous transfers by violence and trickery, Frodo is the true owner.
He is a Sindar Elf of the Woodland Realm and son of its king, Thranduil, becoming one of the nine members of the Fellowship who set out to destroy the One Ring. Though Dwarves and Elves are traditionally rivals, he and the Dwarf Gimli form a close friendship during their travels together.
But at the Council of Elrond, Gandalf very specifically says he fought all nine. He drew four of them off when he fled northward at dawn; "This helped, a little, for there were only five, not nine, when your camp was attacked."
Tolkien's description of Gollum conforms to a Catholic – and Thomistic – account of envy, which is a “sadness of the soul”; and it is Gollum's unbearable sadness and his unquenchable desire for the one Ring that marks his character.
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 .
1. Eru Ilúvatar Note: The ever-encompassing swirly light is Eru, not the black figure. Anyways this should be a no-brainer. Eru Ilúvatar is the definitive supreme being of all Tolkien's Legendarium.
Also, there are archives at least in Gondor and Rivendell that contain information about Morgoth. So, Gandalf knew, and if Saruman didn't when he arrived at the Grey Havens, he most likely was informed by elves like Galadriel, Elrond (a loremaster), or even Cirdan.
As a Maia, Gandalf was an angelic being in human form, in service to the Creator (Eru Ilúvatar) and the Creator's 'Secret Fire'.
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.
In 2023, Post Malone made headlines by purchasing a rare Magic: The Gathering card called "The One Ring" for $2 million. This limited edition card is unique because it is the only one featuring text in the Black Speech of Sauron, making it the most expensive Magic card ever sold and a collector's dream.
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.
Sauron (/ˈsaʊərɒn/) is the title character and the main antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, where he rules the land of Mordor.
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.
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.