Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy is best remembered as having one of the greatest cinematic runs of the early 2000s, garnering mᴀssive acclaim at the box office and cleaning up award ceremonies with hundreds of nominations and a record-breaking total of 17 Oscars.

Neither critic nor casual fan failed to be engrossed in the director’s sweeping vision of Middle-earth, which brought Tolkien’s fantastical world to life against the backdrop of New Zealand’s breathtaking vistas, pitting the daring Fellowship against harrowing depictions of Sauron and his evil armies of Mordor.

Nevertheless, what even eagle-eyed viewers might not realize is how close Sauron came to victory without even recognizing the very masterstroke he’d put in motion. It’s a tale as old as time itself—dismissal spelling one’s downfall, even as triumph hangs within reach. For Sauron, however, that unheeded figure who would secure his defeat was an ancient creature known as “Gollum.”

By Letting Gollum Go, Sauron Almost Avoided Defeat In The Lord Of The Rings

In The Fellowship of the Ring, Gandalf (Ian McKellen) recounts to Frodo (Elijah Wood) how Gollum (Andy Serkis) was captured by the forces of Mordor and tortured as to the location of the One Ring. However, after Gollum revealed that the Ring had been stolen from him by Bilbo Baggins, Sauron did not then order his execution—he ordered his release.

By letting Gollum go, Sauron unknowingly employed a dark agent who very nearly foiled the Fellowship’s quest to destroy the One Ring, setting into motion a series of events that would see Gollum team up with Frodo and Sam (Sean Astin) as they trekked toward Mordor, ready at any moment to betray his companions and take the Ring for himself.

Sauron Couldn’t Have Predicted That Gollum Would Almost Save His Life

Of course, upon receiving the One Ring, Gollum wouldn’t have stood a chance against The Dark Lord and his armies, particularly with the Ringwraiths and the Eye of Sauron watching his every move. Indeed, if things had gone just slightly south, the entirety of Mordor would be victorious with Gollum and the One Ring brought directly to Sauron’s feet.

However, Sauron couldn’t have foreseen the threat a creature as insignificant in his eyes as Gollum poised—his arrogance and drive for power held no room for such precautions. Thus, what would have been the instrument of his victory became the instrument of his defeat, with Gollum, sinking into the fires of Mount Doom, finally at peace with his one and only “Precious.”