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Sauron wasn't an evil being from the start. His original name was Mairon, and he was a Maia (basically a lower-tier god or angel).

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He studied under the Smith Vala (high-tier god) Aulë along with Curumo (Saruman), learning how to craft intricate objects and how to establish order.

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Mairon's specific quirk was his obsession with 'Order.' He absolutely loathed chaos and was fixated on plans, coordination, and structure.

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In his obsession with order, he became fascinated by Morgoth (Melkor)—the first Dark Lord who wanted to reshape the world through sheer power—and became his right-hand man.

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During the First Age, Sauron was considered the most dangerous of Morgoth's lieutenants. He was especially cracked at deception, shapeshifting, and torture.

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He led the war against the Elves and conquered Minas Tirith (not the Gondor city we know) on the island of Tol Sirion.

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Lúthien (the ultimate beauty of the lore) came there with the hound Huan to rescue her lover Beren. Sauron turned into a werewolf to fight Huan, but the dog bit him by the throat and pinned him down. Sauron took the L and fled in the form of a giant vampire bat, which remained a total humiliation for him.

After Morgoth's defeat in the War of Wrath at the end of the First Age, Sauron faked repentance in the Second Age and started building his power again. This was the peak of his big-brain plays.

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Calling himself 'Annatar' (Lord of Gifts), he took on a beautiful form and approached the Elves, lying that he was an emissary of the Valar. He taught the Elven smiths how to make the 'Rings of Power.'

Once the Elves finished the rings, Sauron secretly forged the One Ring in Mount Doom to rule them all.

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However, the moment Sauron put on the One Ring, the Elves sensed his presence and intentions and took off their Three Rings immediately. Pissed off, Sauron declared war on the Elves.

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But his plans failed due to support from Númenor, the strongest kingdom of Men. Sauron then fortified Mordor and finished the dark tower, Barad-dûr.

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He handed out seven rings to Dwarf lords and nine to human kings.

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The Dwarves didn't submit, but the nine humans were corrupted, became slaves, and turned into the terrifying Nazgûl.

In the middle of all this, he was taken prisoner by King Ar-Pharazôn of Númenor, the strongest human nation. But he used his silver tongue to corrupt the king and trick him into invading Valinor, leading the entire country to its doom.

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During the sinking of Númenor, Sauron lost his physical body and could never shapeshift into a beautiful form again. (Legend says he was laughing because he didn't think the Creator would actually intervene, and then he drowned lol).

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Sauron later resurrected in the terrifying form we're familiar with and waged war against Gondor and Arnor, the successor states of Númenor.

Isildur, son of Elendil, cut the One Ring from Sauron's hand using his fallen father's sword during the Battle of the Last Alliance. Sauron then spent over a thousand years as a bodiless spirit before eventually returning.