What Did Sauron Do to Galadriel? Why Didn’t He Kill Her?
The season 1 finale of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power allowed us to see the Sauron revelation we have all been waiting for, as Halbrand was actually the dark lord the entire time. This happened during a confrontation scene involving Galadriel and Halbrand, as the dark lord didn’t even give the Elf enough time to fight him or, at the very least, call for help. So, what did Sauron do to Galadriel, and why didn’t he kill her?
Sauron used his powers to conjure up an illusion that allowed him to enter Galadriel’s mind and talk to her there. Meanwhile, the reason why he didn’t kill her was the fact that he wanted her to join him and become his queen. And Sauron will most likely still pursue this goal in the future.
There were some fans that were surprised by the reveal that Halbrand was actually Sauron all along, but the more surprising part was that he was willing to offer Galadriel a place by his side. In that regard, it became clear that Sauron admired her because he even wanted her to be his queen while they ruled the world. With that said, let’s look at what Sauron did to Galadriel.
What Did Sauron Do To Galadriel?
Fans were happy about the fact that The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power didn’t have to make us wait for season 2 before revealing who Sauron was. That’s because, in the finale, Galadriel was able to put together a few puzzle pieces to realize that Halbrand probably wasn’t who he said he was. This was something that came about as a result of when Celebrimbor said something that Galadriel had only heard from Adar, who used to be one of Sauron’s minions.
As such, Galadriel confronted Halbrand to learn more about who he really is, as that was when he told her that he has had many names. This was the confirmation that we all needed to hear, as it was clear that Halbrand and Sauron were one and the same person. Of course, Galadriel was quick to attack him after learning that he had been deceiving her the entire time.
This was a normal response from her as she had spent half of her life searching for Sauron s so that she could get rid of his darkness from the world once and for all. But before Galadriel was successful in her attack, Sauron quickly responded to her aggression in a passive manner. So, what did Sauron do to Galadriel?
After Sauron blocked Galadriel’s attack, she was quickly transported back to the time when she was still in Valinor. However, instead of being a little girl, she was in her adult form as her brother Finrod was there to help her up when she stumbled. She was able to relive the time when Finrod was still alive, but was still in disbelief because of the things that her brother was telling her. It was clear that this was not the same Finrod she remembered, as the one that she was talking to was seemingly telling her that the only thing that Sauron wanted was peace—the same thing that the Elves wanted.
As she realized that this was not her brother, she was once again transported back to another memory. This time, she was with Halbrand on the raft that they were on when they first met. However, Halbrand was speaking to her as Sauron, as he told her that all that he wanted was to heal the world and correct the mistakes that he committed back when he was still one of Morgoth’s most trusted allies. He even offered her a chance to be his queen so that they could rule Middle-Earth together.
This was clearly an illusion that Sauron was able to conjure up so that he could speak to her in private. Despite the fact that he was no longer as strong and powerful as he was before Adar “killed” him, he still had enough power to conjure up an illusion that allowed him to enter Galadriel’s mind.
Of course, the fact that he entered Galadriel’s mind meant that he wanted to speak to her plainly and without any outside interference. Had they spoken back in Eregion instead, there was a good chance that the other Elves would overhear them, and that would have made it difficult for Sauron to make his escape and keep himself concealed from the eyes of the other Elves.
By using his powers of illusion, he was able to not only speak with Galadriel without outside interference but also convince her to join him and become his queen. The Finrod illusion that he used was the first step, as this allowed Galadriel to drop her guard down. And that made it easier for Sauron to talk to her in a manner wherein she wasn’t too aggressive and apprehensive, as that would have allowed him to try to convince her to become his queen.
Why Didn’t Sauron Kill Galadriel?
Of course, while Sauron used his powers of illusion to try to trick Galadriel into joining his cause and becoming his queen, the problem was that the Elf was still too wise. She knew that joining Sauron would mean that she would also become a tyrant that would not only rule Middle-Earth but put the entire world under her control, with Sauron by her side. But if that was the case, why didn’t Sauron kill Galadriel?
It is possible that Sauron didn’t kill Galadriel right then and there because he hasn’t given up on the possibility that he might still be able to convince her to join him in the future. We all know that Halbrand is now looking to regain his place as the leader of the Orcs, as he was last seen overlooking Mordor. Of course, after he regains his place in Mordor, he might still want to find a way to get into Galadriel’s head and convince her to join him. After all, he knows how strong and powerful she is, and that’s why she would make a powerful ally and an even stronger queen.
Then again, it is also possible that Sauron spared Galadriel because he knows that she can still be useful to him. Halbrand said it himself that everything that happened was all because of Galadriel, as it was she who saved him out on the sea, convinced him to return to Middle-Earth, and asked him to fight for the people of the Southlands. As such, he knows that Galadriel is a headstrong character that he could still probably manipulate in the future, similar to how he was able to manipulate her into bringing him back to Middle-Earth and even taking him to Eregion.
This version of Galadriel that we have in The Rings of Power is yet to become the incredibly wise version in The Lord of the Rings, as it is quite possible that she was reckless and too headstrong for her own good in the past. Sauron knows that and is probably looking to use it to his advantage. And that will probably become a character development opportunity for Galadriel, who is certainly going to become wiser than before so that Sauron or anyone else would never be able to manipulate her ever again.
