While audiences know next to nothing about the mysterious new villain in The Rings of Power who goes by the name of Adar, and the revered general only appeared onscreen for a brief few moments, even that has been enough to give Tolkien fans something to speculate about, and it seems that they even have an answer as to who the Orc-father could be.
Adar being Sauron is absolutely out of the question, since the real Dark Lord couldn’t care less about one of his Orcs dying. Adar, on the other hand, seemed to almost sympathize with them, even moved to tears when one died. What’s more, the character has pointy ears, which means that he’s an Elf. In this time period, Sauron is capable of changing his physical form as he sees fit, of course, but there’s no reason for him to be impersonating an Elf.
Which brings us to the next question: Who is this Elf, and is it someone we know from the legendarium?
Well, the fandom certainly seems to think so, putting two and two together and coming to the conclusion that Adar is none other than Maglor, one of Fëanor’s sons who shared his father’s dark fate.
The reasoning is pretty obvious when you think about it, with all the clues hidden in plain sight. But does that mean Adar is really Maglor?
If that ends up being the case, then Galadriel will be able to recognize Adar when she sets eyes on him soon. As for Elrond, the Elven diplomat is going to be in for a rude awakening when he realizes that his adoptive father has sided with the Orcs. Some fans might see this as a lore-breaking development, but it could also be ripe with dramatic potential.