Was Sauron in Love With Galadriel in ‘The Rings of Power’?
Few pairings in ‘The Rings of Power’ have sparked as much debate as the one between Sauron and Galadriel. When Halbrand revealed himself to be Sauron in the first season, he offered to make her a queen who could rule Middle-earth alongside him, and she refused. That moment left many viewers asking was Sauron in love with Galadriel, or was something colder driving the offer.
The answer depends on whom you ask. The cast, the showrunners, critics and Tolkien’s own writing all point in slightly different directions, and the series has only widened the conversation as it moved into later seasons.
Sauron’s Offer to Galadriel
In the second season, Sauron offered Galadriel a crown and a kingdom, and made clear he wanted her as his Queen. His readiness to believe she would give in to that temptation cost him her elven ring and let her get away. The scene reads as romantic to some viewers, though the offer itself is built around power.
SlashFilm described the exchange as a temptation scene in which Sauron understands that Galadriel, deep down, seeks power. The same piece noted that the two characters bring something good out in each other, even though Sauron indirectly caused the deaths of everyone she loved. That contradiction is what keeps the question of Sauron’s feelings so hard to settle.
The showrunners built a mental link between the characters after Galadriel tells Frodo in Tolkien’s work that she perceives the Dark Lord and knows his mind. Showrunner J.D. Payne said that moment hinted at “some kind of a relationship between Sauron and Galadriel.” That origin suggests the connection was designed as a battle of wills first.
Charlie Vickers on Sauron’s Feelings
The actor who plays Sauron has been fairly direct on the subject. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Charlie Vickers said he does not think the offer came “out of romance, at all,” and that it was based on personal gain. He added that Sauron believes he can rule more effectively with her at his side, and that her refusal would not be the end of the world for him.
Vickers described Sauron as evil and terrible, and said he would eventually be in charge alone whether or not she stood beside him. That framing treats Galadriel as a useful ally rather than a beloved partner.
In a later interview with The Hollywood Reporter after the second season finale, Vickers said he does not think Sauron is in love with her in the human sense. The actor has stayed consistent across seasons, even as the story around the characters has grown more intimate.
What Tolkien Canon Says About Sauron and Galadriel
Writing for The Digital Fix, one outlet answered the question plainly by saying Galadriel is not in love with Sauron, at least not in Tolkien’s writing. The same piece noted that Halbrand, the Dark Lord in disguise, might have some feelings for her in the series. That places the romantic reading firmly on the side of the adaptation rather than the source material.
The outlet also suggested that romantic feelings between the two are unlikely or questionable at best, though Sauron clearly admires her power. Admiration of strength is a more comfortable fit for the character than affection.
Not every viewer welcomed the change. One fan reaction piece argued that suggesting any personal relationship between them, especially one with romantic undertones, significantly departs from Tolkien’s intentions. That tension between adaptation and source remains part of the discussion.
The Love Triangle With Celeborn in Season Three
The conversation took a new turn at San Diego Comic-Con. Speaking with Nerdist, showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay were asked whether Celeborn, Galadriel and Sauron form a love triangle, and they confirmed it, saying “the answer to your question is yes, absolutely.”
Vickers suggested that in Sauron’s mind, Galadriel may not have rejected him at all, and that he simply tried to ignore it. He also said Sauron and Celeborn share their own history, and joked that Sauron has also been hanging out with Celeborn’s wife.
A review of season three argued that Galadriel’s desperation to find Sauron works as an inversion of the love she felt for Celeborn. If that reading holds, the series is treating Sauron’s fixation and Galadriel’s pull toward him as emotionally tangled, even when the Dark Lord himself may not recognize it as love. With Celeborn now sharing the stage with them, does Sauron’s obsession with Galadriel change how you see her bond with her husband?
