When it comes to the most feared supervillains in fiction, there are certainly many contenders for the top spot. Some of the most notorious and chilling villains include the likes of Darth Vader from Star Wars, the Joker from Batman, Voldemort from Harry Potter, and Hannibal Lecter from The Silence of the Lambs. But one villain stands out for inspiring sheer dread and terror like no other – Sauron from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.
Why is Sauron so feared?
There are several key reasons why Sauron is considered the most feared fictional supervillain:
- His powers are immense and formidable. As a near-supernatural being, he possesses incredible dark magical abilities to dominate, corrupt, and destroy. He is able to exert his will over minds and bind beings to his service through fear and manipulation.
- He is unrelenting in his evil. Sauron desires only power and conquest, and he will stop at nothing to achieve total domination of Middle Earth. Unlike some villains who possess nuance, Sauron is thoroughly and unambiguously evil.
- He is mysterious and unseen. While other villains have clear physical forms and presences, Sauron hides his true being behind armor, armies and his Great Eye. This makes him an unknowable, ominous threat that inspires tremendous dread.
- He corrupted the powerful Nine Ringwraiths. The fact that Sauron was able to ensnare and bend to his will these once-great kings of men shows how formidable his corruption and powers of mental domination are.
- He created the One Ring as an instrument of control. Sauron’s forging of the sinister Ruling Ring shows his cunning and strategic abilities. It allowed him to spread his influence and manipulate events across Middle Earth.
In short, Sauron combines immense power, relentless evil, mysteriousness, mental domination, strategic intelligence, and an unwavering drive for conquest and destruction. This is what makes him a uniquely and profoundly feared villain in all of fiction.
Sauron’s history and origins
To fully understand why Sauron is so feared, it’s important to examine his history and origins in Middle Earth.
Sauron began as a Maia, an angelic celestial spirit serving the Valar (godlike beings). He was initially named Mairon and was associated with the Vala Aulë, the master craftsman and smith. But Mairon was soon corrupted by the supreme dark Valar called Melkor, later known as Morgoth. Mairon’s skills made him extremely useful to Morgoth, and he became one of Morgoth’s most trusted and high-ranking servants.
Under Morgoth, Mairon was responsible for many terrible deeds during the First Age, such as the destruction of the island kingdom of Númenor. Eventually, after betraying and deserting Morgoth, Mairon set himself up as the Dark Lord of Mordor during the Second Age, openly declaring his evil intentions. He took on the name Sauron, the Abhorred Dread in the Elvish language.
During the Second Age, Sauron deceitfully helped the Elven smiths of Eregion create the Rings of Power. Secretly, he then forged the One Ring in the volcanic Mount Doom to control all the other Rings. This allowed him to ensnare the human ring-bearers, eventually transforming them into the dreaded Nazgûl wraiths. In the War of the Last Alliance, Sauron was defeated by Isildur, who cut the One Ring from Sauron’s hand. But as long as the Ring existed, Sauron’s spirit endured.
Sauron’s return and growing power
Sauron returned during the Third Age, gathering strength again in Mordor. He spread his shadow outwards, eventually seizing the fortress of Dol Guldur. Disguised as the dreaded Necromancer, he amassed vast Orc armies. Gandalf grew suspicious and eventually forced Sauron to abandon Dol Guldur and declare himself openly. Sauron returned to Mordor and marshalled his full strength for conquest.
By the end of the Third Age, Sauron’s power had grown immensely. He had rebuilt the dark tower of Barad-dûr in Mordor, raised massive armies and bred fighting Uruk-hai. Allied with Saruman, he unleashed his forces across Middle Earth in search of the One Ring. His Great Eye, perched atop Barad-dûr, ceaselessly watched the lands for any sign of the Ring. Only once the Ring was destroyed in Mount Doom did Sauron’s spirit dissipate once and for all.
Sauron’s corruption of minds and wills
One key aspect of what makes Sauron so formidable and feared is his ability to corrupt, ensnare and dominate the minds and wills of his enemies.
As a master of deception, Sauron uses lies, false promises and manipulation to bend weaker beings to his will. His corrupted the great wizard Saruman, who foolishly thought he could make an alliance with Sauron. In reality, Saruman became no more than a useful servant to the Dark Lord.
Sauron uses the Nine Rings he helped forge to ensnare the race of Men, eventually transforming them into the terrifying Nazgûl. The Nazgûl’s minds and wills belonged utterly to Sauron, and they followed his orders without question or hesitation.
Even a powerful being like Isildur, who defeated Sauron, was unable to resist the Ring’s corrupting influence for long. Such is the insidiousness and potency of Sauron’s evil will.
This ability to dominate minds is a fearful power, as it turns Sauron’s enemies into his most feared servants. It inspires dread in all who oppose him.
Sauron’s armies and forces
Sauron also commands vast armies and forces that he unleashes upon Middle Earth. These include:
- Orcs – These snarling, brutal foot soldiers make up Sauron’s main forces. Born and bred for battle and conquest, the Orcs carry out Sauron’s plans without pity or mercy.
- Trolls – Hulking and powerful, these horned beasts are used as shock troops and siege engines.
- Wargs – Evil wolf-like creatures that Orcs ride into battle, Wargs are savage hunters with razor-sharp teeth.
- Nazgûl – The nine undead Ringwraiths who lead Sauron’s forces and inspire abject terror in their enemies. Their piercing cries chill the blood.
- Fellbeasts – The winged creatures ridden by the Nazgûl, used for aerial assault and reconnaissance.
- Uruk-hai – A powerful advanced breed of Orc created by Sauron’s sorcery, larger and more cunning than ordinary Orcs.
This hideous horde sweeps across Middle Earth at Sauron’s command, destroying, killing, and spreading chaos and fear. The sheer size and might of Sauron’s forces make him a tremendous threat.
Sauron’s deceit and cunning
Despite his overwhelming power, Sauron often uses deceit and cunning rather than brute strength alone to accomplish his goals. This cleverness makes him an especially crafty and dangerous villain.
Throughout the Second Age, he disguises his evil intentions when working with the Elven-smiths of Eregion, pretending to help them create the Rings of Power. Later he secretly forges the One Ring under Mount Doom to control all the other Rings and seduce their wearers.
He tricks Ar-Pharazôn, the last king of Númenor, into worshipping Melkor as a false god. This corruption leads to Númenor’s downfall, removing a powerful rival to Sauron’s power.
During the Third Age, Sauron disguises himself as the Necromancer while gathering strength in Dol Guldur. This deception concealed his return from Gandalf and the White Council for centuries.
This combination of raw might and cunning deception makes Sauron a complex villain who pursues his evil goals through diverse means. This flexibility only increases his deadliness.
Sauron’s supernatural nature and powers
As one of the Maiar spirits, Sauron possesses a long list of supernatural powers that enhance his abilities as a Dark Lord:
- Shape-shifting – Sauron can take any physical form he chooses, though he lost this ability after the Downfall of Númenor.
- Invisibility – He can make himself invisible to normal sight.
- Dark magical arts – Sauron has extraordinary command over evil spells, illusions and sorcery.
- Necromancy – He can speak with and raise the spirits of the dead.
- Creation of monsters – Sauron bred many of the fell beasts and demons that serve him, like Shelob the spider.
- Enhanced strength and durability – He is physically much mightier than any Man or Elf.
- Domination and mental corruption – As noted above, Sauron can ensnare minds with his will.
These powers make Sauron no ordinary villain. He has supernatural abilities and spiritual origins that enhance his position as a terrifying Dark Lord. Very few in Middle Earth can contend with him on that level.
Sauron’s influence across Middle Earth
At the peak of his power, Sauron’s malign influence extends across much of Middle Earth. While centered in Mordor, his shadow stretches westward to taint other lands:
- Mordor – Sauron rules directly here from his Dark Tower of Barad-dûr, breeding armies of Orcs and fouling the land.
- Mirkwood – The nearby forest of Mirkwood falls under the shadow of Dol Guldur, Sauron’s fortress.
- Isengard – Saruman’s domain becomes an outpost for Sauron once the White Wizard allied with him.
- Misty Mountains – Orcs populate Moria and other mountain holds, harassing the lands north and south.
- Angmar – Sauron once raised this cold northern kingdom as a stronghold during the Second Age.
- Harad – Men from this southern realm serve as allies and tributaries to Sauron’s armies.
- Rhûn – These eastern lands provide additional allied warriors and service to Sauron.
This vast span of Middle Earth falling under Sauron’s shadow shows the immense reach and presence he wields at the height of his power. His evil influence is far-reaching and difficult to escape.
Conclusion
In the end, Sauron stands apart as the most dreaded and feared villain in fantasy literature. His combination of supernatural power, relentless evil, deceit, domination and conquest make him a uniquely threatening force across Tolkien’s Middle Earth. There are few fictional villains that can inspire such utter dread in readers. Even after the Ring’s destruction, Sauron’s prior evil lingers like a shadow over Middle Earth. For invoking such lasting terror in so many, Sauron is rightly named the most feared supervillain.
