Who is Halbrand in Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power? Charlie Vickers’ Rings of Power Halbrand character has been a bit of mystery since the Lord of the Rings Amazon Prime Video series debuted. With the Rings of Power season finale now out and Sauron revealed, it turns out that a popular fan theory was right after all.
SPOILERS FOR THE LORD OF THE RINGS: RINGS OF POWER EPISODE 8 FOLLOW!
Who is Halbrand in the Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power?
The Rings of Power episode 8 confirms that Halbrand (Charlie Vickers) is indeed the Dark Lord Sauron after all, confirming the major fan theory.
However, the Lord of the Rings show actually handled this in a clever way, misdirecting viewers into believing that another Sauron fan theory was true — that the Stranger (Daniel Weyman) was actually the Dark Lord, as stated by the mysterious Sauron-worshipping White Cloaks. Instead, the Stranger is actually revealed to be one of the Ishtari and is basically confirmed to be Gandalf.
In Eregion, Halbrand is suspiciously familiar with the works of Celebrimbor and works closely with him to craft what would become the first titular Rings of Power. A suspicious Galadriel investigates the lineage of the Kings of the Southlands, of which Halbrand is supposed to be the current King. Tolkien fans already know that Halbrand is not a character mentioned in any Middle-Earth stories or lore, and even Lord of the Rings movie fans should know that Elendil is supposed to be the King around this time.
Galadriel discovers that Halbrand is a fake and confronts him, after which he uses magic and illusion to persuade her to his cause — even referencing Galadriel’s lines in The Fellowship of the Ring where she is tempted by the One Ring. However, she doesn’t fall for it, and Halbrand confirms that he is Sauron. Halbrand/Sauron then leaves before Celebrimbor finishes the three Elven Rings, and is finally seen heading to Mount Doom — where the One Ring is to be forged. Presumably, Halbrand/Sauron will become a major force in Rings of Power season 2.
