# How Powerful Do You Think The One Ring Is?



## Úlairi (Feb 19, 2002)

We all know that the ring's will could only be controlled by Sauron himself. For he was the rings master. Now put your mind around this. If the ring had a will of its own and only one could control it i.e. Sauron, then Sauron MUST be more powerful than the ring itself, correct? Gandalf did not want to wear the ring for he knew that it would control him also. That means the ring was most probably more powerful than Gandalf and that means that Sauron was way, way, way too powerful for Gandalf. We know that Saruman was corrupted by it (and he didn't even see it!!!). SO that makes Sauron way, way, way, way, way more powerful than Saruman and the ring also. Radaghast is a wimp so we'll leave him outta this. This makes the ring more powerful than the wisest of all the Maiar and Sauron probably the most powerful Maia of all save Eonwe and we don't even know if Eonwe was more powerful than Sauron. (Aule must have been a happy camper when a Maia as powerful as Sauron was in his service. I could imagine how annoyed Aule was when Sauron left.) So if Sauron is so powerful, and the ring is more powerful than a Maia, then how powerful do you thinkn the One Ring is? It must've been preeeeeeetty powerful, huh?

C'mon, lets hear some opinions!


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## Beleg Strongbow (Feb 19, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Ulairi _
> *   We all know that the ring's will could only be controlled by Sauron himself. For he was the rings master. Now put your mind around this. If the ring had a will of its own and only one could control it i.e. Sauron, then Sauron MUST be more powerful than the ring itself, correct? Gandalf did not want to wear the ring for he knew that it would control him also. That means the ring was most probably more powerful than Gandalf and that means that Sauron was way, way, way too powerful for Gandalf. We know that Saruman was corrupted by it (and he didn't even see it!!!). SO that makes Sauron way, way, way, way, way more powerful than Saruman and the ring also. Radaghast is a wimp so we'll leave him outta this. This makes the ring more powerful than the wisest of all the Maiar and Sauron probably the most powerful Maia of all save Eonwe and we don't even know if Eonwe was more powerful than Sauron. (Aule must have been a happy camper when a Maia as powerful as Sauron was in his service. I could imagine how annoyed Aule was when Sauron left.) So if Sauron is so powerful, and the ring is more powerful than a Maia, then how powerful do you thinkn the One Ring is? It must've been preeeeeeetty powerful, huh?
> 
> C'mon, lets hear some opinions! *





I disagree 
Gandalf didn't want the ring because with his own power and saurons evilness he would be way to powerful a lot more powerful then sauron. People had to have the own power to use it. Enough power to use the power sauron already put into it. Who was more powerful gandalf or sauron well look who died. Sauron could have had more power but gandalf was smarter and ended up winning like the sil states that olorin was the wisest. I beleive that sauron was only good at things with his own hands and scaring people. He couldn't even beat gil-galad and elendil with the 1,3 7, 9 all ruled by him 1 ring to rule them all.... etc. I think that Aule was fine when he left. Sauron probably got all he had from him.The ring had all of sauron's lust, greedyness in it that was the only thing that stopped gandalf taking it. It was made for evil purpoeses so could only be used that way. Rem Boromir. That's why gandald didn't take it cause no matter how powerful he was he could only do bad with it. So the ring wasn't more powerful. The ring draws on the power one must have to use it. It also draws on the power of the 3,7 and 9. Thats the only thing it was powerful with a little of sauron's pwer would take that person a long way. Sauron was nothing without the ring. If Gandalf used it he would have been killed, even if Elrond or even boromir used it he would be destroyed. Gandalf was a lot wises and that eneded up keeping him alive and sauron dead.What matters now that it doesn't matter how powerful you are if you are dead you can't use it eh. lol


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## Greenwood (Feb 19, 2002)

It is not really a question of who is more powerful. When Sauron created the One Ring he invested it with a large amount of his power, but he also invested it with his evil will. Someone like Gandalf (or Saruman or Galadriel or some others of the "Wise") who was quite powerful in their own right could wield the power of the Ring, but they could not change its evil nature. In the end they would essentially become another Sauron, after first destroying the original Sauron. That is what Sauron feared. Gandalf (and Galadriel) were wise enough to recognize that the Ring would turn them into a new Sauron and did not want to risk this by taking the Ring. Saruman, on the other hand, had already been corrupted by a wish for more power (and probably Sauron's subtle influence via the palantir) and wanted the Ring for himself so that he would become the new Sauron. Basically a variant of the saying "power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely".


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## Úlairi (Feb 20, 2002)

Perhaps Gandalf was wiser. But I do believe that Sauron was an extremely powerful Maia. 
As it says in the Sil, Sauron's power had been great under the power of Morgoth. And Sauron killed three great warriors. Finrod Felagund, Gil-Galad and Elendil. As Saruman says (who is even more powerful than Gandalf), none can contend with the will of Sauron meaning he and Gandalf. I firmly believe that if Sauron and Gandalf came to a showdown, Sauron would quite easily eliminate him, with or without the ring. Sauron depended upon the ring for life. But Saruman clearly states that Sauron had enough power to cover Middle-earth in darkness with or without the ring. Gandalf may prove the wiser, but Sauron would definitely prove the stronger. And Aule would have been disappointed for I have read in HOME that Sauron was Aule's greatest Maiar!


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## Beleg Strongbow (Feb 20, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Ulairi _
> *Perhaps Gandalf was wiser. But I do believe that Sauron was an extremely powerful Maia.
> As it says in the Sil, Sauron's power had been great under the power of Morgoth. And Sauron killed three great warriors. Finrod Felagund, Gil-Galad and Elendil. As Saruman says (who is even more powerful than Gandalf), none can contend with the will of Sauron meaning he and Gandalf. I firmly believe that if Sauron and Gandalf came to a showdown, Sauron would quite easily eliminate him, with or without the ring. Sauron depended upon the ring for life. But Saruman clearly states that Sauron had enough power to cover Middle-earth in darkness with or without the ring. Gandalf may prove the wiser, but Sauron would definitely prove the stronger. And Aule would have been disappointed for I have read in HOME that Sauron was Aule's greatest Maiar!     *





That could well be true but how do you define power? Gandalf used his power of his mind to kill sauron. It doesn't really matter how powerful he was if he didn't stay alive. But gandalf wouldn't have let it come down to a showdown that would be dumb. He used his wits and killed him a smart way. Gandalf also defeated a balrog and i would fear himmore then sauron. He also has the flame of udun. Gandalf would be hard 2 kill since he is a maia but so is sauron so he finds out a way to kill him. As for Saruman well look at him. He wasn't as strong as gandalf he tried 2 measure up against him and he fell short. Gandalf had 3 maia against him balrog, sauron and saruman he still won though. Saruman was never stronger manwe and varda new it, galadriel, cirdan, celeborn and elrond new it. As for the killing of the elves and man. Look finrod had slayed all the other wolves without use of his hands and still held his own against sauron but he couldn't do it for ever. Gil- Galad and Elendil he killed with the power of 3-7-9-1 and they stilled beat him in the war. He still failed utterly. Sure these deeds were great but he is dsefinitley sly and cunning but does that define power?
P.S I haven't read HOME.


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## Snaga (Feb 20, 2002)

I think it says in the Silmarillion that Sauron was the most powerful Maia. Someone might be able to back that up? 

How do you measure power? Sauron wanted the power to dominate and enslave and had it in abundance. Gandalf didn't want to compete with that did he? In fact the Istari were forbidden from try to compete on those terms. Saruman tried, and got his staff broken as a result.

Sauron's will to dominate was ultimately his undoing. He put too much of his power into the ring, and it became his achilles heel. The ring gave only a little power to Gollum, Bilbo and Frodo. But it gave a shed load to Sauron. Clearly a very powerful tool/weapon in the right (or wrong!) hands. But it did nothing while lying on the river bed in the Gladden Fields for years. So you can't really measure it against a person IMO.

NB Gandalf was wielder of the flame of Anor, not Udun. The balrog was flame of udun.


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## Eonwe (Feb 20, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Variag of Khand _
> *I think it says in the Silmarillion that Sauron was the most powerful Maia. Someone might be able to back that up?
> *



Nope. Eonwe was mightiest in arms of all in Arda. Olorin was wisest, etc. No quote that says he was the most powerful, he was "one of" the most powerful of Aule's Maiar.


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## Nazgul Officer (Jan 21, 2005)

Does anyone think that the rings power is more of a psychological power, that when the ring is brought into the hands of someone, they will be corrupted psycologically. Before sauron has created the ring, he wasn't at all powerful , neither was Malkor, as in the Silmirilion, that elf woman put them all to sleep in the castle, so she was quite powerful over them all. Maybe Sauron made out that the ring was powerful and everyone thinks if they touch it or wear it thats it? what ya all think?


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## Ingwë (Jan 24, 2005)

Really Sauron wasn`t very powerful before creating th One Ring. When we was wearing the Ring he became very powerful. But when Isildur cut Sauron`s finger Sauron lost his power. He can`t do anything without the ring. His own power is in the ring.


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## Arvedui (Jan 25, 2005)

At the time when _The Lord of the Rings_ take place, Sauron is quite powerful enough to take control of Middle-earth by use of force alone. To claim that Sauron is not very powerful is wrong, IMO.

Sauron is the lieutenant of Morgoth, and only second to Morgoth in that he served him, and not himself, for ages. As Tolkien himself wrote:


> Sauron was 'greater' , effectively, in the Second Age than Morgoth at the end of the First. Why? Because, though he was far smaller by natural stature, he had not yet fallen so low.
> [...] In this way Sauron was also wiser than Melkor-Morgoth. Sauron was not a beginner of discord; and he probably knew more of the 'Music' than did Melkor,...


 _From HoME 10, Morgoth's Ring/Myths Transformed._ 
There is a quote somewhere, where Tolkien states that Sauron was lesser than Morgoth only in that he served Morgoth for a while. I am unfortunately unable to find it at the moment. I'll come up with it when I have found it.


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## Manwe (Jan 25, 2005)

Are we talking about Sauron being powerful or the Ring???
Anyway on the case of Sauron's strength versus Gandalf and others, Sauron may have brute strength but I agree with Beleg Strongbow in that Gandalf was smarter in the end. To take a scene from the controversial movies, a few well placed arrows can take down an Oliphaunt. But the Ring, it had Saurons brute strength and his greed in it when Sauron weilded it, but it also used Saurons greed to corrupt mentally and physically those who took it. So even if Sauron might not be as smart some, the Ring makes up for it and together...well we all no what would happen then


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## Arvedui (Jan 25, 2005)

The chief part Power of the Ring comes from the powers and the large portions of his malice that Sauron put into it. The Ring itself is no more than an enhancing-tool.


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## Barliman Butterbur (Jan 25, 2005)

It'll knock yew on yore _butt,_ boy!

Barley


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