{"id":21276,"date":"2022-09-02T03:00:36","date_gmt":"2022-09-02T01:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1700966"},"modified":"2022-09-02T03:39:51","modified_gmt":"2022-09-02T01:39:51","slug":"who-is-morgoth-in-lord-of-the-rings-the-rings-of-power","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/who-is-morgoth-in-lord-of-the-rings-the-rings-of-power\/","title":{"rendered":"Who is Morgoth in Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Olivia Garrett\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Friday, 02 September 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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The opening episode of Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power<\/a> has thrown fans straight back into the fantasy world of Middle-earth.<\/p>\n

Yet despite some familiar faces, the series has also followed the Tolkien tradition of piling huge levels of lore onto its unsuspecting viewers.<\/p>\n

Just minutes into the first of eight episodes, the prequel treats viewers to a monologue from the Elf Galadriel; a character originally played by Cate Blanchett but now taken up by His Dark Materials\u2019 Morfydd Clark.<\/p>\n

From the get-go, Galadriel recounts the recent(ish) battles Middle-earth has faced and brings up one evil power in particular: Morgoth. For the non-Silmarillion obsessed, this name should be pretty unfamiliar, but it\u2019s well-worth knowing a bit more about this beastie before going on with the series.<\/p>

Who is Morgoth?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Morgoth, also known as Melkor, is an ancient being from the beginning of creation that became primary source of evil on Middle-earth.<\/p>\n

As the main antagonist of several of Tolkien\u2019s books, including The Silmarillion and The Children of H\u00farin, Morgoth is the precursor to Sauron. His primary goal was to bring evil and corruption to the world and destroy the Valar (the other ancient beings).<\/p>\n

During the First Age of Middle-earth, he committed many evils. As briefly referenced in The Rings of Power, he stole the Silmarils \u2013 powerful jewels created by the Elves \u2013 and destroyed the two trees of Valinor, which were the source of light in Middle-earth.<\/p>\n

He also captured Elves and transformed them into the infamous orcs that would be the grunts of Tolkien\u2019s stories for years to come.<\/p>\n

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Sauron in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring<\/span><\/figcaption> New Line Cinema<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

After ruling over Middle-earth for thousands of years, with the help of his servant Sauron, Morgoth was eventually confronted by the Valar. Using Elves, eagles and their armies, the Valar managed to recapture the Silmarils and banished Morgoth into the void \u2013 although Tolkien prophesied that Morgoth would one day return.<\/p>\n

After he disappeared, Sauron was the next dark lord and kept the memory of his master alive. Once the Second Age of Middle-earth began, he corrupted men into worshipping evil and soon became just as powerful.<\/p>\n

Does Morgoth appear in the Rings of Power?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s inevitable that Sauron will at some point appear in The Rings of Power, although he\u2019ll probably go under the pseudonym Annatar, but what we don\u2019t know is when.<\/p>\n

As it stands in the series, the Elven smith Celebrimbor is looking to forge something important with the help of Elrond, which could definitely lead to some sneaky Sauron intervention.<\/p>\n

Yet when it comes to Morgoth, it\u2019s unlikely he\u2019ll be mentioned in anything but name and influence.<\/p>\n

As the first great evil, his power is sewn into the fabric of Middle-earth, so we\u2019ll be sure to see his handiwork in the form of orcs, Balrogs and more. But while he\u2019s trapped in the void, there\u2019s always a chance he might return\u2026<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n