Who is Adar in The Rings of Power? Joseph Mawle character theories

The one they call Adar has emerged as a dangerous threat to life in the Southlands and has already resulted in many dead Elves and Men.

So, who just is this Adar character and who portrays him?

Here's everything you need to know about Adar in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

Who is Adar in The Rings of Power?

Adar is a corrupted Elf who is leading a band of Orcs in the Southlands, where they are destroying the natural environment to build tunnels to exist in and are using prisoner labour.

In the sixth episode, Adar reveals to Galadriel that he is an Uruk - one of the Elves who was corrupted by Morgoth into becoming the first of a new kind, the Orcs.

The character is not seen until the end of the third episode and even then, is shown out of focus as we learn Arondir is being brought to him by the Orcs.

Adar means "father" in the Elvish language of Sindarin, so the Orcs are referring to him as this due to his standing among the community.

The Watchwarden Revion speculated that Adar may be the latest form of the Dark Lord, Sauron, himself.

In the fourth episode, Arondir witnesses Adar hold a dying Orc before ending its life. Adar also recalls his own life as an Elf. Arondir asks Adar why the Orcs call him "Father", but Adar tells Arondir that he has been fed many lies throughout his life.

Adar reveals that he is no God - not yet. He then frees Arondir to go to his old Watchtower with a message.

When Arondir arrives at the Watchtower, he tells the human Bronwyn that Adar has offered the Southlanders the chance to swear fealty to him and follow him or he will destroy them.

Adar was seeking the mysterious Hilt that was was then possessed by Bronwyn's son Theo.

In the sixth episode, Adar's army attacked the Watchtower but fell foul of a trap set by Arondir. In response, Adar's remaining Orcs went on to launch an all-out assault on the Southlanders.

Eventually, the third wave of Orcs overwhelmed the Southlanders and threatening Brownyn saw Theo give up the Hilt to Adar.

However, the arrival of an army from Numenor prompted Adar to hand the Hilt of Sauron to the treacherous human Waldreg (Geoff Morrell) who fled with it.

As Adar tried to escape he was stopped by Galadriel and Halbrand - the latter of whom wished to kill him in vengeance for mysterious reasons.

Galadriel captured Adar and interrogated him, where he revealed his origins and plans to transform the Southlands into a home for the Orcs. Adar also called out the darkness that exists in Galadriel.

Ultimately, Waldreg turned the Hilt at the Watchtower, sparking a great flood which travelled down tunnels built by Adar's Orcs, flowing towards a volcano and triggering a terrible volcanic eruption.

As this occurred, Adar escaped his chains and fled.

Who plays Adar in The Rings of Power?

Adar is portrayed by Joseph Mawle in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

Fantasy ans will know Mawle for his role as Benjen Stark in the first, sixth and seventh seasons of Game of Thrones.

Mawle is also known for his roles in The Passion, Ripper Street, Birdsong, and Troy: Fall of a City.

Adar theories for The Rings of Power

Of course, the first major theory was that Adar is indeed Sauron himself.

The casting for the Dark Lord has yet to be confirmed and there are many theories over who will be portraying Sauron in the series.

Watchwarden Revion notes that Adar could be a new form taken by Sauron, but is this really the case? In Tolkien lore, Sauron does take on multiple forms, including the fair Elf named Annatar.

However, the sixth episode appears to rule this out as Adar claimed to have killed Sauron himself.

The Elven identity of Adar also appears to rule him out as one of the Nazgul (or Ringwraiths) who go on to follow Sauron in the Lord of the Rings saga, as these were Kings of Men.

Some had wondered if Adar would be the Witch-King of Angmar, but his Elven ears make this less likely.

In this case, it is also possible that Adar is actually an entirely original character created for the series to give us another antagonist for our heroes to face before Sauron shows up.

Alternatively, Adar could be a villain with his own plans and motivations and is actually working independently of Sauron.

Does he seek his evil power for himself? Adar ultimately seems driven by a desire to protect the Orcs.

Also, why did Adar turn against the Elves? Did he fight in the war against Morgoth and was left unhappy with the results of his fight there? Did he yearn for his home in Valinor?

Time will tell.

Read more on The Rings of Power:

• Rings of Power release schedule: When are Lord of the Rings episodes out?
• How to watch The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies in order
• Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power review – Dazzling prequel doesn't let Tolkien fans down
• Meet the cast of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
• What is Valinor in Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?
• Who is Halbrand in The Rings of Power? Theories for Charlie Vickers’s character
• Who is Morgoth in Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?
• Who is The Stranger in The Rings of Power? Daniel Weyman role theories
• Who is Galadriel’s brother? Meet Finrod actor Will Fletcher
• Who is Galadriel actress Morfydd Clark in The Rings of Power?
• Who is Elrond actor Robert Aramayo in The Rings of Power?
• What is the Second Age of Middle-earth? Rings of Power timeline explained

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power episodes 1-3 are available now on Amazon Prime Video – you can sign up now for a free 30-day Prime Video trial.

If you’re looking for something else to watch in the meantime, check out our TV Guide or visit our dedicated Fantasy hub.

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