LOTR Vs Star Wars 5 Reasons Why Sauron Is The Best Fantasy Villain (& 5 Why Its Darth Vader)

LOTR Vs. Star Wars: 5 Reasons Why Sauron Is The Best Fantasy Villain (& 5 Why It’s Darth Vader)

Sauron and Darth Vader are two of the most iconic villains in cinema, but how do these titans stack up against each other?

You Are Reading :[thien_display_title]

For decades, two villains have dominated the collective consciousness of fantasy fans – Darth Vader and Sauron. Vader may exist in a galaxy far, far away and Sauron may dwell in an ancient land from long, long ago, but their memorable personas have become woven into the fabric of pop culture thanks to the Star Wars franchise spearheaded by George Lucas and The Lord of the Rings films by Peter Jackson.

To properly situate these two titans of terror, fans have to draw on more than the films they appear in. Sauron remains mysterious throughout Jackson’s films, but author J.R.R. Tolkien explored his character much further in The Silmarillion. Likewise, Vader has received even more depth in new comic books and media that focus on his inner turmoil. In this Battle of the Dark Lords, the Dark Lord of the Sith is pit against the literal Lord of the Rings to see who is the greatest fantasy villain of all time.

10 SAURON: HE WIELDS POWERFUL MAGIC

Taking the form of a Maia, Sauron helped in the formation of Middle-Earth as it’s seen in The Lord of the Rings, albeit thousands of years prior to the War of the Ring. His magical abilities were truly awe-inspiring when he was in his prime during the War of the Elves, after the creation of the Ring of Power and before the downfall of Numenor.

He had the ability to alter his shape, taking the form of a 14 foot tall warlord as well as a werewolf. After the creation of the One Ring, he used it to corrupt the Races of Elves, Men, and Dwarves through their Rings of Power.

9 DARTH VADER: HE HAS CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

Darth Vader is not simply a rote and mysterious foe – he has a powerful narrative arc, the foundation of which is a tragic fall from grace and a gradual redemption. Sauron is little more than a towering presence and a giant lidless eye.

The best villains aren’t two-dimensional, static bullies, but fully developed antagonists with complexity and their own perspective. It makes them far more engrossing and therefore more compelling.

8 SAURON: HIS ABILITY TO BEND OTHERS TO HIS WILL

A villain is often only as powerful as his minions, and Sauron was capable of bending even some of the most faithful and righteous to his will. He mostly consorted with orcs and uruk-hai, but he was at his most dangerous when applying his powers of manipulation against anyone weak minded.

He was able to enter the heads of Pippin when he peered into the palantir, as well as use his presence through the One Ring to slowly eat away at Frodo Baggins.

7 DARTH VADER: HE’S THE CHOSEN ONE

Prior to becoming Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker was one of the most powerful Force users of all time. The key part of an ancient prophecy, it was said he would bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness.

Though his abilities were limited following his duel with Obi-Wan on Mustafar, he still retained an incredible connection with the Force, which allowed him to perform incredible feats of levitation, as well as remain a powerful duelist (in Darth Vader: Dark Visions, he single-handedly carved up a kaiju that wiped out a planet’s population like it was a Christmas goose).

6 SAURON: HE’S PURELY EVIL

Whether or not a villain is complex usually pertains to how much conflict resides within them, but that aspect may not ensure that they’re compelling villains. The fact that Sauron so assuredly chose to embrace the forces of darkness by allying himself with Morgoth implied he was even more evil than Darth Vader.

Sauron wasn’t forced to join the side of evil, and didn’t begin his life as a heroic person, driven to the pursuit of villainy because he had no one left to turn to. He felt he was the only possible choice to lead the people of Middle-Earth, and as an immortal being couldn’t conceive of why that wouldn’t be desirable.

5 DARTH VADER: HE’S AN ACTIVE CHARACTER

Darth Vader continues to come across as a fully realized individual in all his incarnations, and has a dynamism that comes across whenever he does evil with intent. Vader personally becomes involved in action, turning him into a villain with an investment in the outcome of a narrative.

Sauron, for the extent to which he’s seen in The Lord of the Rings films, is a passive combatant, whose glory days are far behind him. His motivations are never well-rounded, and serve as simply a difficult foil for the heroes in the films.

4 SAURON: HE’S INVINCIBLE

Sauron is an ancient enemy by the time the Fellowship encounters him in The Lord of the Rings films. He’s already been “killed” and regenerated, and the fact that even without the ability to self-incarnate he’s capable of incredible depravity means he’s nearly unstoppable.

Sauron has physically “died” several times, as accounted by J.R.R. Tolkien in The Silmarillion. He was overthrown by Luthien in the First Age on the Isle of Werewolves, and later at the Downfall of Numenor, and then when Isildur stole the One Ring. However, just because his physical “form” is destroyed or abandoned, doesn’t mean the Dark Lord is truly dead.

3 DARTH VADER: HE’S A POP CULTURE ICON

From his intimidating silhouette to the iconic shape of his helmet, Darth Vader has become indelibly imprinted on the zeitgeist of pop culture. He is instantly recognizable to fans for generations, who associate him with not only villainy, but an entire sci-fi fantasy franchise.

His aesthetic isn’t the only memorable aspect of the Dark Lord – he has lines of dialogue that can be recited by people who have never seen a single Star Wars film, made all the more impressive by the brilliance of the vocal performance by James Earl Jones.

2 SAURON: HIS USE OF THE RING

Sauron’s powers of corruption and manipulation extended to anyone in close proximity to the One Ring, where he poured all of his malice and darkness. Therefore, anyone who becomes seduced by the Ring of Power becomes a minion of Sauron.

Even Vader’s telepathic reach couldn’t extend as far as Sauron’s, and he had no means to corrupt from lightyears away. By imbuing himself in the One Ring, Sauron was able to make its wearer an extension of his own villainy.

1 DARTH VADER: HE HAS A TRAGIC BACKSTORY

It’s difficult to comprehend decades later what the effect of having the villain of the story be the hero’s father, as was revealed in The Empire Strikes Back. It struck audiences hard, and added a level of complexity to Vader’s character that instantly made him relatable.

The horrific actions he did couldn’t be excused, but they could be understood, as his fall to the dark side was born of his love for Padme, and his chance for redemption was spurred by his love for his son.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/lord-of-the-rings-star-wars-sauron-vs-darth-vader-best-fantasy-villain/

• Lion King Beyonce May Be Nearing Deal to Voice Nala and Produce Soundtrack

• Pokémon Meme Shows The Worst Problem With Regice Shiny Hunting

• Love Island 10 Things You Didnt Know About Montana And Alex

• Rogue One And The Post Have EXACTLY The Same Ending

• Prometheus 10 BehindTheScenes Facts About The Alien Prequel

• New Handheld Plays All The Game Boy Classics

• Sister Wives Times Christine Brown Talked Openly About Her Love Life