There is little doubt that The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power had a shocking revelation as Halbrand ultimately admitted that he is Sauron. Most viewers were just as shocked as Galadriel when the truth was finally revealed but showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay say Halbrand's true identity was teased in his very first scene.
In The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Halbrand is one of the survivors of a shipwreck who comes across Galadriel after she jumped into the Sundering Seas. The two end up working together to survive, finding their way to Numenor and back to Middle-Earth. Through it all, Galadriel believes Halbrand to be a Southland king who will unite the people of Middle-Earth but it is revealed that he is actually Sauron.
So where were the clues to Halbrand's true identity? Showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay confirm that viewers should have realized the truth in the character's very first appearance in Episode 2.
"Yes, in his very first shot, he's looking over his shoulder with one eye," Payne confirmed with Vanity Fair. He further explained that Halbrand's first words, which are spoken to Galadriel, were also a dead giveaway.
"In Episode two, he says, 'The tides of fate are flowing. Yours may be heading out,'" Payne explains. "That’s the line that Galadriel says to Frodo when the ring comes into her orbit. She’s repeating the first thing he ever said to her."
It's certainly an interesting way to introduce a character who would end up being the most evil being in Middle-Earth. Now that the truth has been revealed, we can't wait to see Sauron in action in the second season.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 has not yet been given an official release date.
Related: The Rings of Power Star Says The Stranger's Identity Was Teased Early in Lord of the Rings Series
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