Some may know that Adar was my favorite character on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season one. So I experienced a bit of a bittersweet moment when I learned that The Rings of Power season two had recast the character of Adar, with Sam Hazeldine replacing Joseph Mawle. On the one hand, I loved The Rings of Power‘s original Adar so much, but on the other hand, season two will bring a whole new Adar to enjoy. Perhaps the orcs/Uruk can fondly refer to Hazeldine’s version of Adar as Lord Step-Father. Happily, The Rings of Power didn’t keep me and other Adar fans waiting very long to find out what recast Adar will look like. In the first trailer for The Rings of Power season two, we see an unquestionable glimpse of Sam Hazeldine’s version of Adar, the long-suffering father of the Uruk.
Now, the show has also released a couple more clearer looks at Sam Hazeldine as the recast Adar. We also recently learned just a little bit more about what Adar’s journey will be like in season two of The Rings of Power. Let’s dive in.
As I wrote previously, the beauty of Adar’s character in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season one was his tragic inability to quite fit in on the side of good or evil. Hopefully, though Adar has been recast in The Rings of Power season two, Sam Hazeldine will understand the delicate balance of the character. And with any luck, we will continue to see Adar do evil things for aims that might seem noble with a different polish. Every show needs a good anti-hero, after all. Happily, The Rings of Power season two’s Adar still seems to have that balance of elf and orc in his appearance, hinting at the duality of his character. So we’re crossing our fingers this recast brings only more depth to Adar’s character in season two.
Sam Hazeldine recently shared of Adar, “For me, the appeal was that he’s a dark character, but he doesn’t see himself as a villain. He’s just trying to protect his children, the Uruk. So he’s doing what he feels he has to do to save them from the genocide, whether that would be from Sauron, who sees them as cannon fodder, or from the elves.”
Additionally, Hazeldine notes of Adar in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season two, “At the beginning of the season, Adar is kind of in an existential crisis because he doesn’t really know what to do next. Sure, they’re going to have to deal with various attacks, but he’s finished what he set out to do. He took on the responsibility of caring for these children of his and finding them a home, and now he’s done that. This sets up his call to adventure in season 2.”
When we last saw Adar on The Rings of Power before the recast, he was celebrating his victory in creating a home for his children. (Read: Blowing up Mount Doom and creating Mordor.) Unfortunately, Sauron, whom Adar believed he had slain, was on a collision course to the very same place. And something tells us Sauron probably does not feel very kindly toward Adar when The Rings of Power‘s second season begins. What will season two of The Rings of Power bring for Sam Hazeldine’s recast Adar and Charlie Vickers’ newly unleashed Sauron? Hopefully not death for the former!
The interview with Hazeldine notes, “Viewers will also see how previous confrontations between Adar and Sauron unfolded.” And the actor shares, “There was an offer for power and for something else, which you’ll find out later on in the show, and Adar willingly took the deal. It’s kind of like he took a red pill and was duped. He was horrifically tortured and maimed.”
On top of all of this, one thing viewers can get excited about for is more Black Speech from Adar in The Rings of Power season two. Hazeldine shares that “he actually had the show’s Tolkien lore experts rewrite some of his lines from English into Black Speech, in order to give Adar the proper gravitas.” We love to hear it.
The Rings of Power season two and our new Adar will reveal themselves on August 29. You can also watch Joseph Mawle’s turn as Adar in The Rings of Power season one on Prime Video.
Originally published on May 14, 2024.