So I’m rereading LotR and reminding myself of various issues. I vaguely recalled that only folks like Galadriel, Gandalf, Saruman, and Elrond were threats to Sauron (of course, they’d become dark lords themselves, but let’s not worry about that for the moment). But as I read the book again, I see signs of some other potential dark lords - Sauron seems pretty concerned about Aragorn when Aragorn seizes control of the Palantir, and even more strangely, when Frodo is held captive by Orcs in Shelob’s tower, the Orcs report urgent orders from Sauron that all personal effects of Frodo were to be sent immediately to the Dark Tower, suggesting that Sauron had reason to worry that even a Orc-Captain might be able to keep the Ring away from Sauron for some time.
Note, even without the Ring, Sauron is able to turn Saruman into a servant who reports in regularly (even though Saruman was conniving to get out from under Sauron’s grasp) and to tempt Denethor into despair. The rules of Middle-Earth seem to respect authority as well as actual power - since Aragorn is the heir of Isilduir, he had authority over the Palantir, and inherited right of conquest to the Ring. But did Sauron really have reason to fear that Gorbag with the Ring could be a problem (or was Sauron’s own obsession misleading him)?
One on one? Probably only Gandalf. A fellow Maia, he got his upgrade from Eru to White status so he could continue to fight Sauron more effectively.
By building a military with it? Gandalf, Aragorn, Elrond.
That’s according to Tolkien’s own notes. This analysis also dismisses the possibility of the ringwraiths or an orc chieftain being able to do so. See the link for their discussion on why.
Me? I think Galadriel and Cirdan might also have had a shot at it. Cirdan was accounted the most wise person in ME per JRRT. And Galadriel was schooled at the feet of the Valar themselves back in Valinor, and spent a lot of one on one time with Melian the Maia.
Thank you. Just the thing. Then Sauron’s desperate orders to the Tower probably reflect urgency to have back what is his, rather than worry that it might be lost.
Wasn’t the stated reason Galadriel’s exile was lifted by the Valar that she resisted the temptation of the ring? That seems pretty good evidence that her having the ring would be a major threat.
Random orc getting the ring is probably not so much a direct threat to Sauron, but a threat that the orc would go out on his own thinking he was a big shot, and risk drawing the attention of Sauron’s enemies.
Yeah, the refusal of the One Ring was part of Galadriel’s redemption arc.
However, when he died, JRRT was busy re-writing her history so that she wasn’t an exile who disobeyed the Valar, but had been faithful all along. Not sure how that would have been retconned to fit the LOTR scenes, though.
Random orc captain with the Ring probably wouldn’t be an actual threat to Sauron, but he could still make himself quite the inconvenience before he was defeated. And any time the Ring wasn’t directly under Sauron’s control, there was the risk that it would make its way to someone like Galadriel or Saruman who could be a real threat.
I think we would need to define defeat. Isn’t part of the problem that A) You can’t fully kill Sauron without destroying the Ring and B) The Ring ultimately wants to get back to Sauron.
So even if Galadriel took the Ring and rose to power, eventually the Ring would betray her and work it’s way towards Sauron. At best it’s a stall.
I believe that’s incorrect. Gandalf and Galadriel both seem to think that they can destroy Sauron and rule in his place; otherwise it wouldn’t be a temptation to try.
Tolkien’s letter (quoted in this link) http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ringfaq.htm#Q1-BeatSauron says that defeat by Gandalf using the Ring would be “for Sauron the same as the destruction of the Ring” (i.e. complete destruction of the Ring). The Ring would then corrupt Gandalf from its innate evil, but that doesn’t do Sauron any good.
did obtain a movie copy of the Ring - and was last seen grappling with Leonard for it…