The Rings Of Power Season 3 Rewrites The Reason Sauron Creates The One Ring

Published Nov 14, 2026, 3:00 PM EST Cathal Gunning has been writing about movies, television, culture, and politics online and in print since 2017. He worked as a Senior Editor in Adbusters Media Foundation from 2018-2019 and wrote for WhatCulture in early 2020. He has been a Senior Features Writer for ScreenRant since 2020. Although Prime Video’s Lord of the Rings prequel series, The Rings of Power, has maintained a lot of lore from Tolkien’s original texts, the decision to change Sauron’s motivations for creating the One Ring make a massive alteration to the show’s story. Whenever an iconic fantasy franchise gets a screen adaptation there are always awkward questions to be answered about what elements of the lore will remain the same and what will be changed. When SyFy’s The Magicians altered the original book trilogy of the same name throughout the show’s acclaimed five-season run, this was viewed as a triumph. Like many book to screen adaptations, the series was lauded for improving on its source material while also gaining an identity of its own that felt distinct from the novels. In contrast, there are innumerable instances where even minor changes to fantasy books led to viewers swearing off the adaptation entirely. 2022’s Vampire Academy was a perfect case in point, as many fans of the books declared their intention online to ignore the series entirely, since it had seemingly ignored the books it was based on. Somewhere in the middle of these two extreme reactions lies the reception of Prime Video’s Lord of the Rings prequel series, The Rings of Power. The show has changed plenty about Tolkien’s world, but changes like Sauron’s new motivation for creating the One Ring prove this isn’t always well received. The Rings Of Power Makes Sauron's Attraction To Galadriel A Reason Behind The One Ring's Creation In The Rings Of Power season 3, episode 1's opening scene, it is said that Sauron wants to not just master the races of Middle-earth, but "master her." The "her" in question is, of course, The Rings Of Power’s heroine Galadriel, who was the show’s original protagonist before Sauron himself arguably took over that role late in season 2. While season 1 saw Galadriel hunt for Sauron, the show’s big twist radically changed the story of Morfydd Clark’s character. While the author’s version of Galadriel never fell for Sauron’s disguise as Annatar, the Lord of Gifts, The Rings Of Power’s version of the character inadvertently leads the villain into Eregion by falling for this persona. Furthermore, where Tolkien never problematizes Galadriel’s marriage to Celeborn, in The Rings Of Power, her missing husband is sidelined to facilitate a potential romantic spark between her and the villain. Although this gives Sauron a more personal vendetta against Galadriel, as he wants to consume and control her rather than all of Middle-earth more broadly, opinion is split over whether this is a winning change. The twist feels more like something from HBO’s Game of Thrones than the Lord of the Rings novels, where characters like Sauron tend to be surprisingly forthright about their plans for world domination. Why Sauron & Galadriel's Romance Story Is So Controversial In any retelling of a story with clearly defined heroes and villains, there is always a temptation to introduce more moral murkiness. However, there is an argument to be made, and it is one that a lot of viewers of The Rings Of Power have articulated, that says this motivation change ultimately cheapens both Sauron’s villainy and Galadriel’s heroism. By reducing their relationship to straightforward romantic tension, the prequel loses the archetypical, epic scope that made both characters memorable in the first place. Making The Rings Of Power’s Sauron a character driven by romantic yearning, no matter how twisted, simply isn’t as chilling as a villain who is existentially determined to rule over everything and everyone. Unfortunately, The Rings Of Power season 3, episode 1, seems to set this change in stone with this line about Sauron’s motivations. Only time will tell how much this shapes the story of Prime Video’s Lord of the Rings prequel going forward but, for now, The Rings Of Power is doubling down on this controversial plot. Release Date September 1, 2022 Network Amazon Prime Video Showrunner John D. Payne, Patrick McKay Cast Ismael Cruz Cordova Arondir Directors J.A. Bayona, Sanaa Hamri Writers Patrick McKay, John D. Payne, J.R.R. Tolkien, Justin Doble, Jason Cahill, Gennifer Hutchison, Stephany Folsom, Nicholas Adams Franchise(s) The Lord of the Rings Creator(s) Patrick McKay, John D. Payne