One of the most unusual aspects of The Lord of the Ringsis that the villain never really appears in the story. Sauron is only able to maintain a stunted and broken form, which means that he spends the entire trilogy in Mordor, fifty-fifty though his presence is felt throughout the story. The absence of the main villain from the story meant that someone else had to pick up the slack and that role savage to Saruman.

Saruman was 1 of the five Istari who was sent to Middle-earth to help the mortals fight Sauron. Saruman would eventually become obsessed with the art of ringcraft and would seek out the One Ring for himself, turning his back on both his former allies and Sauron. Saruman is the nigh visible villain inThe Lord of the Ringsand many fans prefer him to Sauron. Nosotros encounter Saruman bring industrialization to Center-earth, as he transforms nature into an engine through which he tin can breed an ground forces.

The role of Saruman inside the story ofThe Lord of the Ringsis unique, as he is one of the oldest and wisest beings on the planet, yet he uses his knowledge to bring technology to Middle-globe. In many ways, Saruman is worse than Sauron, as Sauron was influenced past Melkor, while Saruman was merely consumed with greed and a lust for power.

We are here today to learn the secrets of the former leader of the wizards of Center-globe - from the terrible fate that awaited him later onReturn of the Kingto the path that may take led to him condign the truthful Lord of the Rings.

Here are the 20 Strange Things About Saruman's Trunk In The Lord Of The Rings !

20 He Was Prevented From Going To The Afterlife

Saruman did not perish until after the destruction of the One Ring, which meant that he managed to outlast Sauron. The fates of Saruman and Sauron were intertwined, as they shared the aforementioned terrible afterlife. Saruman wasn't immune to return to the Halls of Mandos due to the crimes that he committed in his mortal form while on Middle-earth.

This meant that he was forced to remain a wandering spirit that was not permitted to return to Middle-earth.

There are many points in Saruman's story where he is offered a chance at redemption, just he refuses each time due to his pride. Frodo fifty-fifty offers Saruman 1 terminal chance at the cease ofReturn of the King,fifty-fifty though Saruman had been responsible for taking over the Shire, but the quondam magician still refused any forgiveness and thus met his fate at the hands of his former servant.

nineteen He Is Technically Older Than Middle-Earth

Saruman, like all of the wizards who arrived in Middle-earth, was secretly a Maia in a mortal guise. The Maiar were angelic beings who had a mitt in the creation of the earth. Their ability to use the full extent of their powers in Heart-earth was limited, which is partly why Sauron created the One Ring in the kickoff identify, as he too was a Maia and he wished to bring all of his might to bear in the physical realm and so that he could rule the earth.

In the days before his arrival in Middle-earth, Saruman was a Maia named Curumo who was clothed in the skin of a mortal so that he could friction match Sauron without having to reveal his true nature. This was truthful of the other wizards, significant that Gandalf and Radagast were also Maia.

eighteen His Waning Power May Have Had Something To Do With His Mysterious Ring

The power of the I Ring was such that it held dominion over all of the other magical rings in Middle-globe, save for the iii that were made by Celebrimbor'south paw lonely. It's for this reason why the fine art of ringcraft was abandoned in Centre-world.

When Gandalf meets Saruman in Orthanc, he notices that Saruman is wearing a ring. Saruman subsequently describes himself every bit "Ring-maker" when taunting Gandalf.

By the end ofRender of the King,Saruman has lost his powers and has resorted to becoming a lowly criminal. It has been suggested that the reason why Saruman lost access to magic later on the destruction of the Ane Ring was that he had placed his magical powers into a ring and they were lost when the I Ring was destroyed, along with the other Rings of Ability.

17 His Spirit Was Shown To Physically Exit His Body (Which Mirrored What Happened To Sauron)

When the One Band cruel into Mount Doom, the power of Sauron was stripped from him forever. He could never create some other physical grade and was brought downwardly to the level of a lowly spirit that could never influence Center-earth again. Those inside Mordor saw Sauron'southward dark spirit in the sky when the One Ring was destroyed... but for the wind to blow him abroad.

When Saruman passed away, his mist-like spirit was also seen to leave his body. This is another link between the shared fates of Sauron and Saruman, equally we see both of their spirits linger on in the physical world for a brief moment earlier they fade abroad, never to return.

xvi He Wore Rainbow Colored Robes To Reflect His New Status As "Saruman Of Many Colors"

The five wizards who arrived in Middle-world were all defined by a color that they used as role of their proper noun, with their system fabricated up of Gandalf the Grayness, Radagast the Brownish, Alatar the Blue, Pallando the Blueish, and Saruman the White.

In The Lord of the Rings novels, Saruman willingly gave upwardly his colour and became "Saruman of Many Colors," which was meant to reflect his new condition every bit someone who used all of the resources available to him in order to attain his goals.

Saruman changing his color was left out of the Peter Jackson movies and was only touched upon in the Ralph Bakshi movie. The reason for this was probable due to the modify in Saruman's outfit, every bit he was described as wearing a robe whose hue was constantly shifting. This would have fabricated Saruman wait like he was wearing tie-dye robes, so it was probably for the best that this idea was shelved.

15 His Most Powerful Magic Involved His Voice

The wizards in Center-globe aren't similar the ones fromDungeons & Dragonsor video games, as they used their magic sparingly and in subtle ways. Information technology seems that they cannot use the total extent of their power without being faced with a foe who is deserving of such a show of strength, like when Gandalf faced the Balrog or the Nazgul.

Saruman possessed knowledge of many different spells and was a master of alchemy and engineering, which would go on to form the basis of his ability. The about powerful ability Saruman possessed was his vox, as he had an unearthly ability to bend the wills of others to his with only his spoken language. Saruman was so persuasive that he even managed to trick the Witch-rex of Angmar into leaving him be.

fourteen Christopher Lee Made Sure That Saruman'southward Passing Was Every bit Authentic As Possible

Christopher Lee had a falling out with Peter Jackson when he discovered that he had been cut out ofReturn of the King,with the fate of Saruman being relegated to the extended edition of the moving-picture show. The motion-picture show version of Saruman's demise involves Grima shanking him in the dorsum with a dagger.

Peter Jackson had originally wanted Saruman to scream when the blade struck him, but Christopher Lee refused to do so.

The reason for this is that people don't yell when they have a knife in the back - they don't make any sound at all. The reason Christopher Lee knew this was considering he was involved in World War II as a fellow member of the Special Operations Executive. Christopher Lee had offset-paw experience of what Saruman endured, which is why he knew the most realistic fashion to play the scene.

13 He Became Addicted To Pipe Weed Because He Was Imitating Gandalf

Saruman had long been jealous of Gandalf, due to the fact that their peers held Gandalf in college regard. Saruman was furious that Gandalf had been given 1 of the three Elven Rings and that other members of the White Council trusted Gandalf over him.

Saruman had been investigating the Shire in underground for a long time and had even managed to secure trade with some of the more unreputable residents of the region. This was how he came into possession of piping-weed, which was later institute past Merry and Pippin. The reason why Saruman had gained a taste for pipe-weed was due to the fact that he was imitating Gandalf, whom he was jealous of. Saruman didn't want anyone to think that he was copying Gandalf, so he maintained his bad habit in secret.

12 The Ralph Bakshi Version Of Him Performed Ane Of The Well-nigh Powerful Spells In The Lord Of The Rings

The Rohirrim were vastly outnumbered during the Boxing of the Hornburg, simply they had the reward confronting Saruman'southward Uruk-hai due to the thick stone walls of Helm's Deep. Saruman'south regular army was able to gain the advantage during the Battle of the Hornburg when they used the Burn of Orthanc to blast a hole through the walls. The books aren't clear on what the Fire of Orthanc exactly is, but the movies showed it to be a kind of bomb that needed to exist ignited in society to work.

In Ralph Bakshi's animated version of The Lord of the Rings, the Fire of Orthanc is actually a spell bandage by Saruman that takes the course of a mobile meteor swarm that crashes into the walls of Captain's Deep and devastates the defenders within the fortress.

This is 1 of the most powerful uses of magic ever seen in whatsoever adaptation ofThe Lord of the Rings.

11 He Was Able To Buff The Endurance Of His Soldiers & Weaken The Resolve Of His Enemies

The bulk of Sauron's forces were made up of orcs, which meant that his army was severely weakened during the mean solar day, as orcs hated sunlight and mainly lived hole-and-corner. The Uruk-hai were far superior as a fighting force, as they weren't every bit agin to operating in the day, which is why Saruman used them in his army.

Saruman was also able to eternalize the volition of his soldiers with the apply of magic, every bit it was suggested inThe 2 Towersthat it was Saruman'south influence that kept the visitor of Uruk-hai alee of Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas. This was because his magic provided them with the endurance and force to go along going, and also weakened the resolve of their pursuers.

10 His Weather condition Controlling Spell Was Originally Performed By Sauron

The Fellowship of the Band was forced to enter the Mines of Moria due to the harsh weather that plagued its journey as it attempted to cantankerous the Redhorn Pass. The film version ofFellowship of the Bandrevealed that it was Saruman who was responsible for the weather turning on them, as he was using his magic to awaken the mountain of Caradhras.

Saruman'due south enkindling of the mount was an invention of the movies, as it was suggested that Sauron himself was responsible for awakening Caradhras in the books.

It actually makes more than sense for Saruman to have performed this magical feat instead of Sauron, as Sauron never knew the location of the Ane Ring, nor that a company of adventurers was trying to sneak it across the land.

9 The Fear Of Becoming Similar The Nazgul Near Made Saruman Seek Redemption

The story of Saruman is one of succumbing to pride, as he was given many different chances to atone for his crimes, yet he refused each fourth dimension due to his inability to admit that he was wrong and needed to seek redemption. The closest that Saruman came to turning his back on evil was detailed in Unfinished Tales and happened during the imprisonment of Gandalf on peak of Orthanc. The Nazgul came to Isengard in order to seek information about the 1 Ring, but they came in peace as they lacked the force to overcome Saruman in his domain.

The appearance of the Nazgul filled Saruman with fear over what would become of him if he became a retainer of Sauron. Saruman rushed to the top of Orthanc to seek Gandalf'southward assistance and so that he could repent for what he had washed. It was also late, however, as Gandalf had already been carried off by Gwaihir.

8 He Created Rings Of Power For His Servants In The Lord Of The Rings Online

Saruman was able to breed an army of fighting Uruk-hai in a short menses of time, but he yet lacked the power to face Sauron, as he couldn't muster a fraction of the forces that Sauron kept in Mordor, nor had elite warriors that could face up the might of the Nazgul on the battlefield.

In The Lord of the Rings Online, Saruman was able to forge five lesser rings that he gave to prominent servants so that they could gain magical powers of their own.

The actor has to face these five servants and claim their rings, earlier facing Saruman himself in battle. Those who are successful tin earn a powerful ring called Aradhrin and wearable information technology to earn a major stat boost.

seven He Possessed The Queen Of The Nurn Tribes Equally Part Of His Plan To Weaken Sauron

Saruman had been playing on both sides for a long fourth dimension, every bit he didn't want Sauron to exist totally removed from the equation, since he felt that the One Ring would nowadays itself when Sauron emerged from Mordor. Yet, he as well had to aid his allies and make sure that Sauron didn't go too powerful too soon.

InMiddle-earth: Shadow of Mordor,information technology was revealed that Saruman had been possessing Queen Marwen of the Tribesmen of Nurn in guild to lure out Celebrimbor, equally Saruman had hoped to use the spirit of the ancient elf to learn the whereabouts of the One Ring or apply Celebrimbor'southward knowledge to forge his own. Saruman used the same method of possession that he would later use on Rex Theoden and information technology was only due to the intervention of Queen Marwen's daughter that he was foiled.

6 He Performed Magical Spells That Combined Humans & Orcs Together

The movie version ofThe Fellowship of the Ringshowed Saruman breeding Uruk-hai in underground pits, which is a reference to Tolkien's early on assertion that orcs were bred like maggots in the Earth.

The Lord of the Rings novels were less articulate on the affair, however, every bit Treebeard speculated that Saruman was using black magic to crossbreed humans and orcs to create the Uruk-hai.

This was due to the fact that Uruk-hai are closer to the size of humans than orcs are and they aren't as afflicted by sunlight. Saruman as well used one-half-orcs equally servants, every bit they were more hands able to pass for humans when performing secret tasks for their master. It'due south not stated whether the one-half-orcs were created using regular breeding methods, with the Uruk-hai existence made through magical means.

5 His Fate In The Movies Was An Intentional Homage To Dracula

Christopher Lee played many famous roles throughout his long career, but his most iconic function was Dracula, which he played in many different movies.

In the extended edition ofReturn of the King,Saruman falls from the top of Orthanc and slams into one of the water wheels well-nigh the base of the tower. Saruman's chest is pierced by i of the spikes on the bicycle, which and then rolls under the weight of the fallen wizard. Peter Jackson intentionally added the spiked water wheel in order to give Saruman the same fate as Dracula, who ended most movies with a wooden pale through his center.

4 His Parasitic Possession Of Male monarch Theoden Was An Invention Of The Movies

Saruman controlled the realm of Isengard, which mainly consisted of empty lands and the tower of Orthanc. When Saruman roughshod to evil and began his plan to take control of the region, he realized that the Kingdom of Rohan was the biggest threat to his schemes, so he turned his focus to destabilizing their ground forces from inside. In the movie version ofThe Two Towers,it'due south revealed that Saruman was controlling King Theoden with the power of magic, which took the form of possession that drained the vitality from Theoden's body.

Saruman lacked the power to possess the bodies and minds of mortals in the books.

Information technology was due to the conniving oral communication of Grima Wormtongue that Rex Theoden lost his eye and was content to lookout his realm crumble effectually him.

3 His Longevity Was Cleaved During The Last Moments Of His Life

The Maia are meant to exist immortal in both body and spirit, which is why Saruman and Sauron were unable to laissez passer on after their physical forms had been destroyed. The wizards of Center-earth were given powerful bodies that anile at a much slower rate than mortals, but they nevertheless physically aged. When Saruman arrived in Centre-earth, he was described as having blackness hair, but this turned white over time.

When Saruman was slain by Grima Wormtongue in the book version ofReturn of the King,his body apace ages in a matter of seconds, suggesting that the magic that was extending his life had been broken and all of the wasted years defenseless up to him in a few moments.

2 Christopher Lee Was Never On The Same Gear up As The Other Actors In The Hobbit Movies

Saruman never appeared during the events ofThe Hobbit,though Tolkien'south other writings confirmed that he was involved in the events surrounding the Necromancer that occurred during the same period of fourth dimension.The Hobbitmotion-picture show trilogy covered the events of the White Council facing Sauron (in the guise of the Necromancer), which meant that nosotros were given a hazard to come across Saruman before he turned evil.

Christopher Lee was approaching ninety when An Unexpected Journey entered production, which meant that he wasn't able to travel to New Zealand to picture.

All of the scenes involving Saruman were shot separately from the main cast, with Christopher Lee performing close-up scenes from a studio in London, while his physical presence was filmed using a stunt double in other scenes.

1 Tolkien Confirmed That Saruman Had The Power To Create His Own Ane Ring

There are many people who believe that the events ofThe Lord of the Ringswere meant to mirror those of the two world wars, with the One Ring reflecting the nuclear bomb. J. R. R. Tolkien denied that the 2 world wars influenced the outcome of the War of the Ring every bit if they did, then the Ane Ring would accept been used to enslave Sauron and Mordor would take been occupied.

Tolkien also claimed that Saruman would have learned the secret of ringcraft within Mordor and would have forged his own version of the 1 Ring with the ability to challenge the original. A version of Tolkien'south idea was actually used every bit the ground for theMiddle-world: Shadow of MordorandShadow of Wargames, with Celebrimbor taking Saruman's role as the one who created a new band to claiming Sauron.

---

Are there any other interesting facts virtually Saruman's torso in The Lord of the Rings ? Let u.s. know in the comments!

Next 10 Brief Pic Performances That Made A Huge Touch, According To Reddit

About The Writer