Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Who is Adar in The Rings of Power? Terrifying villainous orc leader, explained

JRR Tolkien readers will have a hard time remembering him from the ‘Lord of the Rings’ books

Jacob Stolworthy
Thursday 15 September 2022 11:15 BST
Comments
Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power trailer

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power just introduced a terrifying new villain.

Viewers of episode three watched on as the new character, named Adar, entered the fold.

JRR Tolkien readers attempting to remember how Adar fits into the books would have been left stumped – Adar is an original creation, and is set to take centre stage in an storyline that has been devised for the show.

This subplot focuses on elf Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova) who uncovers a circuit of tunnels created by orcs. These tunnels are actually part of a plot by the orcs to make a base for themselves “where evil would not only endure but thrive” – and fans are theorising that this could be what leads to Mordor.

Adar is the leader of the orcs, and is played by Game of Thrones actor Joseph Mawle. Interestingly, Adar is not an orc, but seems to be an elf. This is corroborated by the fact that the orcs refer to Adar using an Elvish word.

He is described by the series as “a villain who can also evoke a deep sense of pathos and wounded / fallen nobility.”

Should Adar be revealed to be an elf, it would certainly be an intriguing twist for The Rings of Power to embark on, and ones that Tolkien fans might take some time adjusting to.

Find The Independent’s recap of episode three here.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in