Saurons

Saurons is a term sometimes used in discussions of J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium to refer to the various guises or incarnations through which the Dark Lord Sauron sought to extend his power. In the primary narrative, Sauron is a single Maia who served Morgoth in the First Age and later became the principal antagonist in the Second and Third Ages. The name Sauron designates the same being, but it is associated with different forms he adopted to conceal his identity and broaden his influence.

Among the principal personae linked to Saurons are Annatar, the "Lord of Gifts," who deceived the Elves of Eregion and aided in the forging of the Rings of Power; the Necromancer, the shadowy presence inhabiting Dol Guldur during the early Second Age; and the Dark Lord whose eye presided over Mordor in the later Second and Third Ages. Each guise served Sauron's overarching aim of domination, the spread of his rule, and the enforcement of his will over Middle-earth. He forged the One Ring to bind the other Rings to his power, thereby amplifying his reach and control.

In Tolkien's canon, these disguises are not treated as separate beings but as successive manifestations of the same entity. Scholarly and fan discussions sometimes use the plural form to emphasize the differing appearances Sauron took across ages. The concept remains central to themes of power, deception, and the persistence of evil in Tolkien's works, including The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings.