We Dive Into THE RINGS OF POWER’s Saddest Death and Say Namárië to Its Greatest Character

As I delve deeper into the captivating world of The Rings of Power, I am constantly amazed by the incredible talent and creativity displayed by fans like LyBlacktea and others who have breathed life into characters such as Galadriel and Adar. Their dedication and skill are truly remarkable, and it is a testament to their passion for this magical universe that they can take an interview and transform it into something so beautiful and evocative.


One day, perhaps far ahead in a blissful future, there will be a time when the character I deeply care for from a series will reach its conclusion. Perhaps they’ll find love, maybe experience tranquility, and hopefully, I can hope, they’ll even embark on a journey towards the horizon, carrying something incredibly important… THEIR LIFE. However, that moment is not now. With a sense of sadness, I must say goodbye to the most cherished character from ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’, the one who captured my heart – Adar, the powerful Uruk, the elf, the father figure, the magnificent Adar. Sadly, in the last episode of ‘The Rings of Power’ season two, Adar met his end.

For quite some time, I’ve been quietly composing a tribute for Adar in my mind, not because I was certain he would perish in the finale of The Rings of Power season two, but because it seemed inevitable given the storyline. Though I can discern from the plot’s perspective that his role seems to have ended, we watch shows for the rich, vibrant characters who come to life on screen and grow as they unfold in the story.

Despite the good Lord Father seemingly abandoning his specific narrative, Adar’s story remains abundant. His tale, spanning past, present, and future, resides deep within him. Regrettably, with Adar’s passing, this rich narrative has also slipped away, adding to the stack of stories whose premature conclusions I lament.

In a separate discussion on Adar, I mentioned that his tale carries a noble air tinged with darkness. In The Rings of Power, Adar embodied captivating contradictions. He was both victim and oppressor, parent and soldier, delicate and resilient. An Uruk and an Elf, he was a character as intricate, heart-wrenching, and multi-faceted as Adar is seldom crafted, even in tales where he clashes with some of the most iconic figures in literature. However, true to form for Adar, he endured against all expectations.

Leap to: The Simplistic (Yet Complex) Bravery of Adar

The Complicated (and Uncomplicated) Heroism of Adar in The Rings of Power

Surprisingly, one might not anticipate that in the context of “The Lord of the Rings”, the leader of the Uruks, known as Adar, possessed a heart. Despite being abandoned by the gods and facing constant danger, he took the time to plant seeds, hoping for their protection. Tears fell from his eyes when his followers were slain. He affectionately referred to them as his children. It was revealed that beneath the shadows, Adar carried a tender side – he was worn out, scarred by trauma, and suffering from symptoms similar to PTSD. Primarily, he yearned for a refuge, a sanctuary where he and his kin could find tranquility amidst the world’s relentless attempts to annihilate them due to their mere existence and as punishment for nothing more than breathing.

In a unique twist, the character Adar from “The Rings of Power” stood out not only as the protagonist of his own tale but as an undeniably heroic figure, despite being complex and challenging conventional perceptions of heroism. He was a hero who made significant mistakes, yet if we set aside our preconceived notions about orcs in “The Lord of the Rings” and ignore the aesthetic markers often associated with evil, what remains is a compelling portrayal that invites viewers to reconsider their definitions of heroism. Beneath all the layers obscuring his character, Adar emerges as a hero who has committed serious transgressions.

An innocent being is captured by malice and tortured for many ages. At some point, his deep wish for children, for love, is granted cruelly, but he loves that family nonetheless. He cannot stand to watch them be tormented, so he frees them from their captors, only to be hunted by every other group in the world in which he lives, only to know there is no safe haven for them to exist. Desperate for their peace, he fights the armies that pursue him to create the single place where his children can live without fear. When evil again rises to threaten them, he rushes to try to stamp it out once more despite his own great personal pain.

Is the narrative of “The Rings of Power” not a traditional heroic tale without the negative connotations or the presence of villains? It appears that it encourages us to consider Uruk as beings with feelings and names. They strive to safeguard each other, their families, from harm. They claim the right to live and have a home. Indeed, this heroism may not resemble the stereotypical heroism of elves clad in shining armor and brandishing gleaming swords. However, it’s simpler to be a hero under such circumstances than to uphold nobility and any goodness within oneself amidst darkness.

Adar’s actions in “The Rings of Power” can’t be denied as violent. However, his violence is tied to his unique objectives, confined to what he believes necessary for his goals, rather than the violence directed against him, which threatens the destruction of his kin on a larger scale. As Sauron explains in the first episode of season two, “You have no other choice. The Valar will never forgive you; the Elves will never accept you; Men will only regard you with fear and disgust, a debased and disgraced race – fit for nothing but to be hunted and exterminated.

If the Uruk are indeed beings with feelings, identities, and spirits, created by the mysterious fire like any other creature, isn’t it a cruel injustice for others to treat them as nothing more than prey to hunt and kill? If that’s the case, supporting their survival becomes an honorable choice. And Adar’s loyalty towards them is not just heroic from his point of view on ‘The Rings of Power’, but heroic in its essence. In other words, it’s a noble act, no matter how you look at it.

If any of these races had chosen to help rather than fight against the Uruk at some point, perhaps the conflict could have been avoided or at least reduced significantly. It appears that if the elves or men had shown kindness instead of aggression towards Adar and his people after Morgoth’s defeat, the events in Middle-earth would have unfolded quite differently. The story suggests that the Uruk were victims of prolonged abuse, as we witness Morgoth’s oppression of Sauron, Sauron’s mistreatment of Adar, and Adar’s struggle to escape this vicious cycle. Breaking such ancient patterns of violence could certainly be considered a heroic act. Moreover, in his attempts to free himself from the chain, Adar was able to thwart Sauron with only a few of his kin, an achievement unmatched by any other character in the world of The Lord of the Rings. Unfortunately, despite this crucial contribution, Adar has never received the recognition he deserved for sparing Middle-earth from Sauron’s tyranny for a considerable period.

There’s a question about whether Adar performed regrettable or even evil actions throughout his story, and the answer is yes. However, understanding what he could have done differently is an important point to consider. For instance, allowing men, elves, and dwarves to harm his children without a second thought seems harsh. But perhaps he felt empathy for them that they didn’t reciprocate. In extreme circumstances, such as when the entire world seems against you, simply surviving can be seen as brave. Creating a sanctuary for those you care about is noble.

Among the most intriguing thoughts sparked by “The Rings of Power” are the ones that don’t merely adapt J.R.R. Tolkien’s works, but elevate them. It’s through Adar that such profound reflections emerged, compelling us to reconsider our long-held beliefs about good and evil. Few fictional characters have managed to provoke such introspection as Adar has in making this show exceptional.

The Narrative Potential Adar Still Holds

Adar’s life added all these elements to the story, but what does his demise contribute? Mainly, a gradual disappearance of unrealized possibilities. It seems that Adar may have reached the end of his role as the antagonist against elves and humans in the narrative. However, the rich tales that The Rings of Power infused within him could have persisted well beyond this perception of his function.

Following Adar’s demise, Galadriel stands alone as the one who knows the truth about the Uruks. She is now privy to their capacity for emotion, their individual identities, and the fact that they were once deeply loved. However, will she recall this truth in the future? Will it hold significance for her? Will she continue to acknowledge this truth as the Uruks are drawn back into Sauron’s control and ultimately succumb to the enslavement of the One Ring? Or will this aspect of the story disappear along with the Uruks’ freedom from Sauron?

If Adar had survived, I would have been a witness to the heart-wrenching spectacle of Uruk slipping back into oppression, cruelty, and darkness – a tragedy reminiscent of what we’ve seen unfold in The Rings of Power. Adar could have stood guard for the Uruk we’ve grown fond of, perhaps even attempting to rescue them from their current state. With his absence, it seems no one will now strive to liberate them. Yet, I believe there is no race more deserving of the opportunity to stand against Sauron alongside elves and men during the Last Alliance, as depicted by Tolkien, than the Uruk.

If Adar had survived, his mere existence would have ensured that the harsh reality and sorrow of the Uruk’s depth and their struggles stayed vivid for both viewers in Middle-earth and other races. As previously stated, Adar offers us thought-provoking ideas about the Uruks, such as their victimhood and the challenge of their lives not being solely defined by evil. To dismiss the Uruks as mere cannon fodder again, to treat them merely as a faceless group whose demise we celebrate without pausing to consider the implications… That would be truly unfortunate.

Adar’s personality serves to highlight the profound flaws and numerous mistakes of the elves, making us question if they aren’t, in some sense, evil. In his encounters with them, it becomes clear that the elves prefer to fight supposedly heartless monsters in Uruk rather than showing kindness. And isn’t that a form of cruelty? Their indifference and lack of empathy towards beings considered “impure” by them have long clouded their vision, making it hard for us to see this without Adar’s presence. Moreover, no elf portrayed in The Rings of Power has ever shown even the slightest hint of compassion by acknowledging that Adar and the Uruk were victims of severe torment at Sauron’s hands (and their own), let alone considering the truth before them – that Adar was essentially a prisoner of war.

In the second season of The Rings of Power, it appears only Galadriel begins to rectify her past errors. She learns to distinguish Uruk from orcs and acknowledges Adar has children, not slaves. However, will she hold herself and others accountable for these realizations following Adar’s demise? Had Adar lived, his presence would have challenged the elves directly, potentially pushing them to overcome their biases and outdated perspectives. This confrontation could have facilitated their transformation into a genuinely benevolent force.

I can’t help but express my thoughts on this: I firmly believe there’s nothing more intriguing than observing characters who were initially at odds finding harmony. In my eyes, it would have been captivating to observe the unique struggle Adar faced as he grappled with accepting (or rejecting) elven ways of life and the deep-rooted conflicts between him and his own kind. If only there had been more episodes for us to witness this, I believe Arondir and Adar would have had a more profound confrontation. To me, that’s a tale worth exploring further.

Apart from what we already know, there remains a wealth of unexplored mysteries surrounding Adar. Many intriguing questions remain unanswered such as why Adar desired children, why he couldn’t conceive them without Sauron, and the fate that awaited him under Sauron’s control. We are curious to know what it signifies that Adar is the father of Orcs, what became of the other Moriondor, when did Adar first see the blooming sage in Beleriend, at which point did he learn Galadirel’s Telerin name, and how did he come to know Melian? We wonder about his studies in Rumil, the meaning behind his statement that many falsehoods must be disentangled in Middle-earth, if the song of Valinor still resonates within him, and much more. The series The Rings of Power hinted at a rich tapestry of depth for Adar, suggesting that there could have been numerous episodes to further delve into his backstory.

In my opinion, there’s an inherent sense of injustice regarding Adar’s demise. I understand that characters’ fates are seldom determined by fairness, but given all the suffering he endured, it feels wrong for his life to be extinguished under Sauron’s feet, at the hands of his tormentors. The symmetry of death as a plot device may have served the narrative or been vengeance in Sauron’s eyes, but for a character who experienced so much pain, it seems an unsuitable conclusion. If we couldn’t preserve Adar’s life, I would have preferred to see him lying peacefully under the sun after the battle, rather than suffering even in death. It would have been comforting if sage blossoms grew beside him, symbolizing tranquility and wisdom amidst the chaos.

In conclusion, I found Adar from The Rings of Power to be an extraordinary character unlike any other. He bore an unparalleled burden – a lifetime without seeing his children in peace, never experiencing the melodies of Valinor within his heart. Indeed, he was a survivor of unspeakable tragedies that left him alone in his world. Yet, amidst all the pain, there remained a glimmer of goodness within him, fueled by an unwavering love. In our world, though he may have been solitary, he touched many hearts, provoking thought and earning affection from countless fans like myself.

And so we say, namárië. In our hearts, Adar will always find new life, in defiance of death. 

10th day of #Tolkientober + #TolkienTrewsday #TolkienTuesday – Kindness / Mind🌥️

— Ly (@LyBlacktea) October 10, 2023

— 𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗼𝘀𝗮 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝘀 🦕♥️🧪𝗔𝗺𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗶𝘀 (@DinosaLabs) July 26, 2024

You told us… you loved us.

– With all that is left of my heart. #Adar #RingsOfPower

— • Niku30 @ 🔜 MCM London • (@niku30_) September 27, 2024

I created a short animation featuring Adar, for the #2hTolkien series! 🧍
Greetings from Germany! #TheRingsOfPower | @TheRingsofPower | @samuelhazeldine

— Adarable 💍 art account in Rings of Power era (@macchiavato) September 28, 2024

It’s fashion, darling! #TheRingsOfPower

— Rotem Rusak 🔜 NYCC (@Moondancer1626) September 10, 2024

adar & mairon: mary on a cross 🗡️ #saurdar | #theringsofpower

— kaylen🦇💍 (@HOBBlTS) September 15, 2024

Adar the best Uruk Dad 🖤

— MGCoco★ (@mgcoco_art) September 1, 2024

The promise made to him regarding the Rings of Power, as indicated by #Adar, has been fulfilled (in case you were curious, it turned out to be a baby Glûg).

— Maeglin Lómion (@MaeglinJealousy) September 22, 2024

Adar study 🌹 #LOTR

— ✦Alienprotein✦ COMMS OPEN! (@Alienproteinnn) October 13, 2022

Uncorrupted Adar, prior to his corruption. #RingsOfPower #Adar #TheRingsOfPower #Sauron #Mordor #Illustration #TROP

— Clefchan ✨️💍 (@Clefchan0604) September 29, 2024

愛しい我が子#2hTolkien#TheRingsOfPower #Adar

(トールキンワンツードロライ、お題「アダル」で参加させていただきました)

— 茶 (@lotri_ng) September 28, 2024

So yeee, this is where my mind was at#TheRingsOfPower #galadriel #adar #glug

— Suzy (@smittensy) September 19, 2024

adar & sauron | am I making you feel sick?

rings of power adar sauron mairon #IDrankItAll

— 𝖆𝖒𝖆𝖚𝖗𝖊𝖆 ⚔️ (@amaureacosplay) September 14, 2024

episode 8 idk #haladriel #saurondriel #adariel #adar

— brych ✦ (@itsbrych) September 24, 2024

As a solo parent, facing the one you have a crush on, it’s not about her being a natural fit for motherhood, definitely not! 😅

— nyx 🌱 commissions open ✨️ (@nikinikori) September 20, 2024

#2hTolkien お題「アダル」
手甲と剣がタイムアウトで塗れませんでしたが参加させていただきます。
尊父とさよならしたくない😭#Adar#TheRingsOfPower

— はね (@hane12oto) September 29, 2024

Wowza! I can hardly contain my excitement! It’s mind-blowing to see how the exceptionally gifted @LyBlacktea transformed my Nerdist interview with Morfydd and Sam into Galadriel and Adar! This work has touched me deeply. It’s simply stunning and beautiful! #TheRingsOfPower

— Rotem Rusak 🔜 NYCC (@Moondancer1626) September 20, 2024

#Adariel #TheRingsOfPower

I made a new drawing 😇

— Lefty (@uruk_art) September 18, 2024

Adar? More like Mairon’s bane 🌑 ||
i am growing more and more attached to him 🕯⛓️

— vivi 𖣂💍|| Mirkwood’s Princess 🍂 (@justfairyvi) September 15, 2024

I’m still developing this artwork, and I thought it would be nice to give you a sneak peek. There’s plenty more polishing needed, but the creative journey has been quite engaging so far. Here’s where it stands at the moment: #workinprogress #art #digitalart #procreate #darkart #elf #TheRingsofPower #SamHazeldine #Adar

— iranasaty (@iranasaty) September 13, 2024

Ocean of Color #saurdar #mairon

— Kneekooh 💍 (@_kneekooh_) September 22, 2024

This ship is gonna be the death of me 🤷‍♀️#adariel #TheRingsOfPower

— Margaux Mara (@MargauxKindhau1) October 2, 2024

“Have you forgotten your Rúmil?”

— Lou 🌿 Galadriel’s wife (@lialiii07) September 27, 2024

In my plan, I intended for Adar to put on something relaxed, snug, and far more comfortable than his armor ❤️.

— Ly (@LyBlacktea) April 30, 2024

Sauron/Adar | Look What You Made Me Do 😁 #TheRingsOfPower #SaurDar

— Rotem Rusak 🔜 NYCC (@Moondancer1626) September 7, 2024

Episode 5 🔪 / adar & galadriel

— Magda Kacalak (@likatnes) September 16, 2024

adar the single mom who took a day off to have fun with his kids @Imbelaris

— Malevolent Swag (@coquettesauron) September 11, 2024

Maiden Crowned with Radiant Garland#adariel

— nyx 🌱 commissions open ✨️ (@nikinikori) September 23, 2024

Life.#TheRingsOfPower #Adar

— Adarable 💍 art account in Rings of Power era (@macchiavato) August 25, 2024

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2024-10-03 11:04