The Lord of the Rings - The Villains

SAURON THE ABHORRED ━

Sauron was a highly gifted Maia. He was a student of Aulë and became skilled at crafting and making. He was named Mairon. Coveting the power through which he would coordinate all things according to his own will, he joined with Melkor. As "Gorthaur" he became the most trusted lieutenant of Morgoth, being reckoned as the greatest of his allies and servants in the Wars of Beleriand. From his fortress of Tol-in-Gaurhoth, Sauron was directly responsible for the death of Barahir and later the Noldorin king Finrod during the Quest for the Silmaril. He demonstrated the ability to take the form of a wolf, a serpent, and a vampire. After the downfall of Morgoth, Sauron continually strove to conquer Middle-earth throughout the Second and Third Ages. In the Second Age, under the guise of Annatar, he deceived the Elves of Eregion, who under his guidance had created the Rings of Power, whilst he secretly forged the One Ring in Mount Doom. Thus Sauron became "the Lord of the Rings". Failing to corrupt the Elves, he assaulted the Westlands, beginning a period called the Dark Years, the first time he became known as the Dark Lord. His influence corrupted the Númenóreans - leading to the destruction of Númenor - which led to Elendil founding the Realms in Exile of Arnor and Gondor. Elves and the Dúnedain, the descendants of the Númenóreans, formed the Last Alliance and, in S.A. 3441, Elendil and Elven High King Gil-galad died destroying Sauron's body. Following Sauron's defeat, Elendil's son Isildur took the One Ring. In the Third Age, Sauron returned to Middle-earth and, as the Necromancer, took the hill of Amon Lanc as his fortress of Dol Guldur; one of his chief servants, the Witch-king, formed the realm of Angmar in the north of Eriador. Following an attack by the White Council in T.A. 2941, Sauron returned to his fortress of Barad-dûr in Mordor, marshalling his armies and using his two-faced vassal, Saruman. By T.A. 3018 Frodo Baggins was in possession of the Ring, and he was led by Gandalf as a member of the Fellowship of the Ring in the Quest of the Ring. Whilst Sauron waged the War of the Ring against the Free peoples of Middle-earth, Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee and Gollum reached Mount Doom on 25 March T.A. 3019, and the Ring was destroyed. The breaking of the Ring caused Sauron's fall, and his stepping on Morgoth's path down into the Void, resulting in the start of the Fourth Age and the Dominion of Men.

━ THE WITCH KING OF ANGMAR

The Witch-king of Angmar was the chief of the Nazgûl, King of Angmar and Sauron's great captain in his wars. A wraith, the Witch-king of Angmar was nearly indestructible, a terrifying warrior, and a cunning strategist.

SARUMAN THE WISE ━

Saruman the White was the first of the order of Wizards (or Istari) who came to Middle-earth as Emissaries of the Valar in the Third Age. For a time he was the chief of the Heren Istarion, as well as the head of the White Council. However, through his appreciation of Sauron's innate strength, his envy of Gandalf and his overbearing hubris, the White Wizard fell into mimicry of the Dark Lord as his capable yet faithless servant, plotting to share in his power or to two-facedly seize the One Ring first. Both at his master's whim and for his own ambitions, Saruman coordinated assaults from his Orthanc tower in Isengard fortress against the realm of Rohan during the War of the Ring, while sapping the kingdom through his agent Gríma. However, the corrupted Wizard's legions were vanquished and he was forced to remain a prisoner in his own tower, though not for long: allowed to leave Orthanc, he travelled to the Shire, which his outlaw pawns had gained control over, and became the hidden local thug lord. Saruman was again defeated by the rallied oppressed Hobbits and he himself was backstabbed by Gríma for his mistreatment; his unbodied spirit was denied the West and left naked and impotent, a fate not unlike that of Sauron, his master.

━ THE NINE NAZGUL, RINGWRAITHS OF SAURON

The Nazgûl (Black Speech: Ringwraiths, sometimes written Ring-wraiths), 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.

SMÉAGOL/GOLLUM ━

Gollum, also known as Sméagol, was a creature (originally a Stoorish Hobbit) who bore the One Ring. He lived in the Misty Mountains for most of his life. In T.A. 2941 he lost the Ring to Bilbo Baggins. For the rest of his life he sought to recover his "precious" "birthday present". In T.A. 3019 he followed the Fellowship of the Ring and met Frodo Baggins. After leading Frodo into Mordor and betraying him to Shelob he finally seized the Ring in Sammath Naur. In his euphoria he died and destroyed the Ring after falling into the fires of Mount Doom.