Wonderful, ‘The Rings of Power’ finale has just left people stanning the worst person in Middle-earth

This article contains spoilers for the season finale of The Rings of Power

Many viewers have accused The Rings of Power of being slow-paced and dull, with too much time spent with characters whose stories don’t appear to be going anywhere interesting. Well, the season finale is now out, and it’s safe to say that at least one character has a fascinating arc ahead of him.

This is Charlie Vickers’ Halbrand, who we first met floating in the middle of the ocean early in the season. Galadriel saved him from almost certain death and established him as the new King of the Southlands, though it’s safe to say she’s going to end up regretting not leaving him to drown. That’s because… *drumroll* Halbrand is Sauron.

Fans are understandably blown away, though dedicated Halbrand supporters are already resigning themselves to becoming Sauron stans:

Too hot to be evil?

Yup, you’re in the Sauron fandom now:

Others say the show’s Sauron needs to be sexier:

We may have a problem going forward…

The power of thirst corrupts the hearts of fans:

Tolkien would probably have done this too. Maybe.

With Halbrand/Sauron definitely set to be a major player going forward, expect his and Galadriel’s relationship to deepen (what with her vowing to eradicate him from the face of Middle-earth and all). Either way, after a somewhat underwhelming first season, it’s great that The Rings of Power has gone out on a high.

Now we just have to wait two years to find out what happens next.