From the very beginning of the Rings of Power series, fans had several questions surrounding the identity of Halbrand. Who was this stranger that so easily abandoned his shipmates to the monster in the water, and why was he in the Sundering Seas in the first place? It felt almost too good to be true: a seemingly chance encounter between the most powerful she-elf of the Second Age, and the maiar who would later reveal himself to be Sauron.

Knowing what they know now, after the closing of the show, fans have come up with several theories about the characters, particularly Halbrand (AKA Sauron). And among these, several involve why the all-powerful being would be in the middle of nowhere, on a raft in an ocean halfway between Valinor and Numenor.

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The first possible reason is that he was on his way back to Valinor, to seek an audience with the Valar who have the power to grant both judgment and forgiveness. If Sauron actually wants to heal the world, as he tried to convince Galadriel when she discovered his secret, there is a (very slight) chance that he is approaching Valinor to try to repent for the terrible things he has done. His intention may have been to ask to be re-admitted into the Valar’s care so that he can begin anew, away from Morgoth and the devastation of the past. This very much falls in line with the words that come out of his mouth in the courtyard when he tells Galadriel:

“I’d all but given up. But you believed in me.”

ship-wreck in the sundering seas

If he had indeed given up on his plans to reform Middle Earth in his image, then it makes sense that the only place left for him to go would be back to the land that he had forsaken long ago. But this does contradict what he later says to Galadriel. He demands that she joins him to rule Middle Earth, and tells her she has no choice, or he will spread his terrible darkness all over the lands. The idea that he truly wants salvation, and isn’t using it as just another manipulative tool to gain what he actually wants (power), goes fundamentally against everything that is known of his character. This seems especially true when considering that he was on a ship full of other people. What was the ship, and where was its voyage bound?

However, several people believe that there were no others in the sea with them, and that it was all an illusion in order to ensnare Galadriel. Sauron is the master of illusions, after all. It could be plausible that he had known that Galadriel was pursuing him all this time. Perhaps he had followed her journey from his tower in the north, right back to the moment when the high king Gil-galad was trying to send the elves back to the Undying Lands. He therefore could have anticipated that Galadriel still felt that she had unfinished business with protecting Middle Earth, and would choose not to go back to Valinor when she had the chance. There was no better way to ensnare her than to be in the right place at the right time, just when she is alone in a dark ocean, and really needs a friend in order to survive.

the sundering seas

Sauron at this moment conveniently saves Galadriel's life and earns her trust. This allows him to insert himself into every aspect of her life, including being the reason that the Numenorians award the ships, mysteriously disappearing in the crucial moments just as the orcs brought Mordor to Middle Earth, and finally ending up in Eregion in order to convince Celebrimbor to create the three elven rings of power.

The final reason that he may be there is that he was planning a jailbreak of sorts for Morgoth. Depending on where the evil enemy fits during the compressed timeline of the Amazon series, Morgoth could either already be in the ‘void,’ where he is cast out by Eru as punishment for all the pain and suffering he causes. Or he could be being held in the Halls of Mandos, bound by a magical chain that keeps him immobile and imprisoned. According to Tolkien’s lore, this is where he was kept after his defeat during the War of Wrath, the war that Galadriel survived and lasted for centuries. However, it is unclear in the new timeline of the show whether Morgoth is kept in Mandos after extinguishing the light of the trees of Valinor, or if he is cast straight into the void, never to return

If the former is true, then perhaps Halbrand was on his way to Mandos to try to release his master, whom he is known to be incredibly loyal to. However, his path changes when he spots his opportunity within Galadriel. That way, he could rise to power, dominate Middle Earth, and then free Morgoth, and present the corrupted world at his feet.

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