How The Rings Of Power Kept An ‘Elfness’ To The Look Of Adar [Exclusive]

Wilson was asked about how he approached creating the prosthetics for Adar and conveying that there was something not quite right about him. He explained that they worked to keep him from looking like “some sort of beast or be too over the top.” The idea, he said, was that the audience recognizes him as an elf but sees that he’s turned to the darkness. If we do end up seeing Sauron as he first appears to the elves in Tolkien’s work later in the series, it will likely be the opposite of this; Sauron’s deceitful form is beautiful and called Annatar, “Lord of Gifts.” 

Wilson explained that keeping Adar’s elven look “adds more of a story to it, rather than just being some crazy monster:”

“So it was important that we definitely kept the elfness there, but at the same time there is darkness creeping in, be it physical — because obviously, you can see he has been attacked or traumatized at some point — and also probably a mental darkness that has crept into his soul.”

There is something that feels “off” about Adar, aside from his actions. He appears to have not only been hurt, but corrupted. His elven heritage is evident, but there’s a haunted look to him. It’s that sort of otherworldly and greyish appearance to the skin that’s often seen in people who have exceptionally high fevers.