English high fantasy inventor J.R.R. Tolkien named The Lord of the Rings, his three-volume 1954 novel, after Sauron, but Sauron was actually not the story’s biggest threat. Lord of the Rings’ Sauron was corrupted by Morgoth, the fifteenth Vala and the only evil one. These demigods were second only to Eru Ilúvatar – LotR’s God – in power. But “Nothing is evil in the beginning,” as Morfydd Clark’s Galadriel stated in Amazon Prime Video’s controversial The Rings of Power. Pride corrupted Morgoth, Morgoth corrupted Sauron, and Sauron never quite reached the depths of depravity or power that his leader did.
One thing that can be said for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is its thrilling dive into the lore of The Lord of the Rings’ Second Age, and even its First. The most Peter Jackson’s LotR movies really dived into this was in the trilogy’s prologue, but it wasn’t enough to demonstrate that Morgoth was actually the far worse villain. While Morgoth’s return in the Dagor Dagorath was certain, Sauron’s was far from it, so it is Morgoth that LotR’s future heroes were destined to face. But also, Morgoth succeeded in ways Sauron never did.
Sauron’s Attempt To Corrupt The Elves & Dwarves With Rings Of Power Wasn’t Successful
Only The Rings Of Men Worked Out For Sauron In Lord Of The Rings
Sauron’s Rings of Power in Lord of the Rings were meant to corrupt Men, Elves, and Dwarves, but they only worked on the Men. Morgoth did a far better job of influencing Elves and Dwarves. Sauron, of course, was able to use his fair form in the Second Age to manipulate the Elves into helping him forge the rings in the first place. But his end game wasn’t fully realized, as Sauron accidentally broke his cover to the Elves when he put on the One Ring, which he had just forged.
Sauron underestimated the power of the Elvish rings. They revealed Sauron’s real idenтιтy as soon as he put on his own ring through the mental link that all the ring-wearers shared. So, the Elves took off their rings and hid them, minimizing Sauron’s ability to influence them further. These rings were created without Sauron’s physical touch, which also limited Sauron’s hold over them. The Dwarvish ring-wearers were simply too hardy to be taken over by the rings, like Men were, as Sauron intended, although they did become greedier. Sauron never found favor with Dwarves or Elves.
Morgoth Did A Much Better Job Of Corrupting Elves & Dwarves
Morgoth Sowed Seeds Of Dissent Among All Species
While very few Elves or Dwarves followed Sauron, Morgoth was successful in influencing both species. As one of Lord of the Rings’ 15 Valar, Morgoth was given immense power and privilege, even while serving what was essentially a suspended sentence in Valinor. Controlled, confined, and observed, Morgoth was free to roam and talk to Elves in Valinor, even after committing major crimes. The Valar learned their lesson the hard way, with Morgoth spreading lies that divided the Elves and poisoned them against the Valar. This political sabotage was highly effective.
While Morgoth’s return in the Dagor Dagorath was certain, Sauron’s was far from it, so it is Morgoth that LotR’s future heroes were destined to face.
The divide-and-conquer campaign of Lord of the Rings’ Morgoth resulted in Fëanor’s catastrophic decision to pursue Morgoth over the Sundering Seas to Middle-earth after Morgoth stole his Silmarils. Fëanor slew any kindred Elves that stood in his way, leading Mandos, the Vala, to curse the Noldor Elves and exile them from Valinor.
Naturally, this had far-reaching consequences. The Dwarves, in turn, were impacted by Morgoth’s age-old political sabotage, embracing some of his lies, causing further chaos further down the line. Overall, Morgoth employed a more long-term vision than Sauron to control Elves and Dwarves in The Lord of the Rings.
