Warning: spoilers ahead for The Rings of Power episode 6.Middle-earth's Elves are forced to bear partial responsibility for Sauron's Second Age return. Despite the likes of Galadriel expressing grave concern, Sauron (under the guise of "Annatar") was welcomed into the realm of Eregion. The Elven-smiths were then complicit in crafting the Rings of Power by his design, which flows directly into Sauron's ambitious One Ring plot. Had Eregion simply shown a little more caution letting strangers near their forges, everyone would've been saved a great deal of trouble. The Rings of Power, however, makes Elves even more problematic.
After the Elf's superior eyesight, hearing and senses.
How Lord Of The Rings Changes If The Elves Discover Waldreg's Sword
In an alternate Middle-earth where the Elves don't just assume everyone in the Southlands is a filthy Morgoth er, and the wardens of Ostirith actually discover Waldreg's loyalty to the Enemy, how would transform the Southlands into Mordor instantaneously as he does in The Rings of Power, forcing him into launching an old-fashioned assault which, so long as the Númenóreans still rock up, fails spectacularly.
That means Sauron would need to occupy and transform the Southlands himself in The Rings of Power's canon. There's no reason the villain couldn't succeed where Adar failed, but he'd be starting from scratch rather than taking advantage of pre-laid groundwork. Ultimately, losing the black sword delays Sauron's Second Age assault on Middle-earth - maybe by centuries - but certainly wouldn't derail his schemes or rewrite The Lord of the Rings.
Gil-galad Reveals Another Way The Elves Aided Sauron's Return
The Southlands transforming into Mordor on the Elves' watch represents a major fail for Ostirith's finest - but it's not the first red flag The Rings of Power has thrown up. Although Tolkien's Elves demonstrate a certain degree of arrogance during the Second Age, The Rings of Power pushes their lack of foresight even further, with Galadriel insisting Sauron is still a problem, and Gil-galad (along with every other Elf) telling her she's being ridiculous. Had Lindon and Eregion shown the same level of vigilance and doggedness as Galadriel, Adar's Orcs, maybe even Sauron himself, could've been snuffed out early.
Whatever the Elves may or may not have done - in The Rings of Power or main The Lord of the Rings canon - Sauron plaguing Middle-earth was inevitable. Even in defeat, the villain's Maia spirit would've clung on and resurfaced time and time again. Indeed, it was Sauron's own hubris entwining his existence into the One Ring that finally allowed him to be defeated. In a strange way, the Elves' carelessness in Eregion was actually a first step in bringing peace to Middle-earth. Maybe the same could be said of how they fail the Southlands in The Rings of Power.
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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power continues Thursday/Friday on Prime Video.