How Powerful is The One Ring?

[@claire2088]

I love the idea the one ring was picked up by sam and was thinking "finally a new owner, lets hope he's a bit easier to control . . . I shall give you your greatest desire!! what? gardening? seriously?? omg fine then, you shall be the greatest gardener in all of middle earth" *sigh*

[@errantwinds-up8uu]

"Sigh really you want a nice wife and kids and a garden... ok I guess..."

[@billbaggins7355]

It's not that hard to imagine that over time the ring could even corrupt that into making Sam evil. Just feed his ego and make him feel like the best gardener who ever lived. Eventually work him up to feeling like Tom Bombadil himself. Then slowly start slipping in hints and suggestions that other people shouldn't garden since they aren't as good as you and anything they do would just damage the majesty of the Garden of Samwise. Eventually I'm sure you could just suggest if he gets rid of all the other gardeners he'd be able to help everyone see the beauty of his garden. Then from there you just have to make him disgusted absolutely in everyone and everything as if the world was his garden and that all those who share it are unworthy and as such tainted it with their presence. Now the only option is to erase it all and start again from scratch like Eru Ilúvatar. How does he do that? Take the ring to Sauron. He'll erase the world and Samwise can be by his side to make the best garden in the history of everything.

[@bruce_just_]

I was there 3000 years ago, when I watched the previous upload of the video 👍 thanks for redoing it in better quality 😊

[@DougVanDorn]

That was the Second Age version of the video. This is the Third Age version. 🤣

[@dromankass8655]

No worries, I'll happily watch the Fourth Age version of this as well. They are always very good.

[@dinoballz]

Lol, I thought it was me. That I confused Tolkien channels 😛

[@openmythirdeye]

Well played💍🔥

[@rmgibsontx]

🤣

[@sauntor]

Samwise: "Power? No thank you, I just want a happy little garden." Ring: "WTF!?"

[@martavdz4972]

That's me. All my life, it's been basically me hoping the Ring doesn't find a way of enslaving me through a happy little garden.

[@alextaunton3099]

Sam will be the Garden Lord

[@SecondSince]

Fair point, and eloquently put!

[@b3games146]

​@@alextaunton3099 Ring: nah f that, give me back to frodo please

[@HeroofSomething]

More like the ring was flipping through the pages in panic thinking "they didn't prepare me for this ahhhh"

[@minibro73]

I like how it was explained it in the LOTR RPG (I think). Basically Sauron was a level 1000 baddy. Then he poured alot of his powers in the Ring and became a level 250 baddy. But when he wears the ring he becomes a 2000 level baddy. When it was destroyed he becomes a level 0 non-combatant.

[@heroicsquirrel3195]

How can wearing the ring he put his own power into raise his power +1000?

[@minibro73]

@@heroicsquirrel3195 Magic ?

[@ksanbahlyngwa1998]

​@@heroicsquirrel3195something about concentrating his spirit

[@djdjdax2253]

If convoluted was a person

[@WilliamCranston-rx7hq]

I would’ve liked to see how powerful he was before his body was destroyed in Neumanor. Being able to shape shift and having the one ring. Like he was diminished pretty bad when his body was destroyed in Neumanor. Like in Baron and Luthien how he was able to switch into a werewolf, Vampire, snake, and he made werewolves. Like I wonder if he would’ve been able to defeat Huan with the one Ring and it wasn’t already claimed that Huan would die in a battle with the strongest werewolf in middle earth. I mean I guess that would still work because maybe Sauron with the ring would be stronger than Carcharoth.

[@JonnyHighTyde]

Why did Sauron buy Hot Topic?... He wanted to be Morgoth. I'm here all week.

[@williamedward1666]

Take my like and scram, you bastard

[@TheAmericanPrometheus]

boo

[@davidcampbell520]

Nerdy Dad joke.

[@RolandoRatas]

I thought he bought the Siters of Mercy instead.

[@XDieKillDieX]

You mean Moremo

[@gmmg8734]

I love that Sauron's weakness is literally meekness. He was so closedminded that he couldn't imagine anyone just enjoying the simplest pleasures of life and not wanting more power.

[@hm09235nd]

the meek shall inherit the earth

[@christianperalta477]

Deep

[@Dr_Do-Little]

We need a Lord of the Ring audiobook narrated by In Deep Geek! Beyond the quality of the production there is a great voice artist. I'm thinking of making a playlist for background sound to go to bed. 😊

[@u.sgrant7526]

The Phil Dragash versio is already amazing. Short of actually procuring all the actors from the movie (some of which are dead), it’s pretty hard to beat. If you haven’t listened to it, I strongly recommend you check it out.

[@boredwithusernames]

@@u.sgrant7526 I never knew this existed until you mentioned it here, thank you, it is a fantastic production and I am listening to it as I write this ;)

[@pastorjerrykliner3162]

Or maybe a LOTR version of "The Hitchhiker's Guide," where IDG does the narration... Don't Panic.

[@boredwithusernames]

@@pastorjerrykliner3162 Now THAT I would definitely listen to 👍😎

[@fjccommish]

That would be awful.

[@TheJaniebear]

My headcanon of why both Isildur and Frodo were unable to throw the ring into Mount Doom is that like you've said before, it is aware to a degree. Like a human about to die, it fights hardest there and managed to overwhelm both of them even with their strong wills. Also, the longer you have it, the more effect it has on you.

[@thanatoes537]

I think the same, I reckon its actually impossible for whoever holds the ring to willingly throw it into Mt. Doom. Not shown in the movies but it was by the literal god of the middle earth universe, Eru's, intervention that gollum fell into the volcano. The only other times Eru actually interfered with Middle Earth was destroying Numenor and bringing back Gandalf as Gandalf the White. The temptation is too strong to willingly drop it into the fire. Though Elroud begged Isildur to destroy it, he didn't stop him from leaving, possibly knowing if he took the ring from Isildur, he would also be unable to destroy it.

[@justthinkingoutloud2538]

In the books Elrond never took Isildur to the Cracks of Mt Doom to destroy the ring, so he never failed to destroy it like he did in the film. Elrond encouraged him to, but Isildur didn't see any danger in it, and while the elves thought it was stupid, no one knew how dangerous it really was, so no one tried too hard to make him destroy it when they had the chance.

[@j2398]

I mean you don't need headcanon Tolkien explains why....

[@arolorn]

​@@justthinkingoutloud2538Yea, no one can willingly destroy it or give it up

[@EstrellaViajeViajero]

It's mentioned in the books that the Ring's power is directly proportional to how far it is from Mount Doom. There's a reason Sauron stayed in Mordor as there he could use his Ring to fullest effect and control other ring wielders that were farther away and whose rings didn't have the distance limitation of the One Ring.

[@davidnewland2461]

Sauron had awesome penmanship to make such small letters legible is amazing just fantastic

[@madams3110]

I think I'm going to get him a calligraphy set for Christmas.

[@HiggiSIX]

Saron could not conceive that someone would want to destroy the ring, because he could only conceive someone would want it for power.

[@JakobIlar]

Remember what Bilbo used to say: "Hraaaaagh!"

[@nobleman9393]

Tells you a lot about his world view and emotions.

[@Spartan-Of-Truth]

Nope, I don’t remember that.

[@theanc316ientone]

Oh my gosh, had me dying...lolol

[@spearofhope2]

One idea that I truly enjoy is that the Ring's properties of increasing the power of its bearer is in part of what caused its destruction - for what greater strength do the Halflings have but their great mercy? After all, it was the pity of Bilbo (and later Frodo and Sam) for Gollum which ruled the fate of many... Could the Ring have been empowering that great sense of mercy? Just a thought ❤

[@BazilYat]

You make a good argument!

[@TheEnergeticPanda]

I always thought something similar with Frodo where the ring enhances his already forgiving and kind nature but only because the ring is aware that if Gollum took the ring it would be stuck in a cave for hundreds of years again and so influenced Frodo to spare Gollum

[@sauntor]

Never thought about that angle. It makes sense and would be the ultimate irony.

[@hoodatdondar2664]

@@sauntor Ring only enhances power. If you do not start your ownership that way, it just takes longer. Remember, it was said that Bilbo began his ownership with pity, so he had longer to go before succumbing. And he was able to give up the ring of his own accord, with help, which had never happened. But if he had kept it long enough, he would not have.

[@rickblaine9670]

That’s a comforting thought, as Gandalf would say, but sadly untrue. The Ring doesn’t understand love and compassion. Metaphorically defining them as a “power” doesn’t make them less alien to it.

[@Nokyyyyy]

Sauron: "my Master Plan is flawless" Also Sauron: "What the f*** is a Hobbit ?"

[@sm0k1nggnu_]

It's not surprising. The "gods" created the Elves, Dwarves and Men and Morgoth and Sauron knew all about it. But where Hobbits come from, nobody knows. The did evolve somehow though there is no evolution in Middle Earth.

[@cognitivedisability9864]

Just what I needed, only stressful stuff was going up on my suggestions, then I found this.

[@GrannySoupLadle]

Imagine a full length film of Silmarillion done in the format of the intro in Fellowship of The Ring. I’d pay $199.98 to see that

[@kazmark_gl8652]

Look, I'm a huge fan of the whole Legendarium, but that would become unwatchable REALLY fast, especially if you did it in the order the book presents. it would fit better in a dozen or so smaller shorts like the World of Ice and Fire trailers they ran for Game of Thrones.

[@DavidEllis94]

Look, this isn't your fault, but its becoming a pet peeve of mine to see people suggest that a Silmarillion film could ever be good--I see it suggested a, frankly, staggering number of times, ie more than a couple times. It's essentially a bible.... so, are we prepared to say the Bible, as a whole, would make a good narrative for a film? Fuck no. The Silmarillion would do just as poorly. And in the format of the Fellowship intro? You want a feature length film of... what, Galadriel monologuing at us while things happen? My guy....

[@Skuggan84]

The reason he couldnt control the dwarves could possibly be the fact that they where not made by Eru during the singing of the song of creation..

[@NicholasHEADSHOT]

Aule the Smith made them specifically, apart from wanting to teach them the crafts, to counter Melkor's corruption

[@Pfhorrest]

It's interesting though that the Dwarves were made by Aule and so likely thought in ways like him, mechanical and crafting ways; and Sauron was also a Maia of Aule waaay back in the day, who also loves order and machines and construction, so it seems like he if anyone would be able to understand the way that Dwarves think.

[@Tyresio12]

@@Pfhorrest The question is - did the Mahal himself understood his creation?

[@JackHankeAnd]

@@Pfhorrest This is a very good point! I'd never made the connection that both the dwarves and Sauron were, in a sense, students of Aule. I suspect that it isn't so much that Sauron found the dwarves unusually difficult to understand, but that they were too difficult to subdue and dominate by other powers, regardless of how well that power understood them.

[@littlekong7685]

@@JackHankeAnd I remember one theory that his attempts to dominate the Dwarves only enhanced their greed and isolationism, thus making them dig deeper, become less worldly, and more paranoid of control, thus making it that the more he tried, the more they resisted and the less chaos he could cause with them. In that sense they were in fact quite like him, the more he lost control, the more he fought to hold onto it.

[@oguzhanenescetin5702]

We have a pretty deliberate showcase of its powers ( as texted below ) when we see the effects of its destruction. To simply put, Sauron was using his Ring ( Tolkien says even while he is far away he still was able to use its power ) to corrupt, dominate and manipulate the minds and wills of his servants. He basically acts as the hive-mind for his servants. Thousands of hundreds of them even while he was away from them ( something Tolkien says makes ones ability to dominate the minds of others harder ) and even when he was pretty much diminished to this point. Tolkien even says that Sauron achieved level of domination and control over the orcs and men that even Morgoth couldn’t achieve. All of this powers can be attributed to the ring. So yes it is pretty powerful “As when death smites the swollen brooding thing that inhabits their crawling hill and holds them all in sway, ants will wander witless and purposeless and then feebly die, so the creatures of Sauron, orc or troll or beast spell-enslaved, ran hither and thither mindless; and some slew themselves, or cast themselves in pits, or fled wailing back to hide in holes and dark lightless places far from hope.” Return of the King

[@LOSTKILLERDRAENEI]

I've never seen anyone talk about that before, its pretty interesting.

[@Reddotzebra]

He did dump a lot of his own power and even parts of his own self into that ring in order to make it powerful enough though, so it was a gambit. And it eventually led to his destruction.

[@bustinarant]

That includes everything from shapeshifters to the not-dragon things the Nazgul rode right?

[@oguzhanenescetin5702]

@@bustinarant Yup. Beasts, Men, sorcerer, wraith alike were all dominated by his will

[@hoodatdondar2664]

@@oguzhanenescetin5702 I guess he had not fully mastered its power when Isildur beat him, and cut the Ring from his hand. If he ever got it back, the plan would likely be : “I sit here, my minions do the fighting. No more of this silly personal combat nonsense.”

[@lucasblauw4394]

Though sauron did not create the 3 elven rings, it was because of his knowledge that those rings were made. Those 3 rings (major thanks to sauron) were used against sauron (galadriel used it to defend lothlorien, elrond healed important characters and gandalf inspired everyone around him in the most dire moments in the fight against sauron. All effects that contributed majorly to his eventual defeat) These powers would be lost if sauron reclamed his ring, but he didn't. So, would it be reasonable to say that sauron's sharing of his knowledge of Craftsmanship played a major role in his own defeat? Maybe even more than it helped him, in the end?

[@wanderhillen2435]

I think it's interesting that Tolkien wrote in his letter that he considers the power of *all* rings to be "conservation" of some sort. The three elven rings definitely have this, but I hadn't considered the One ring in that light tbh. In hindsight it is clear that it is meant to preserve Saurons power, but since him losing it starts the story it cannot preserve anything so much as try and nudge the world back into a stable state again. If it weren't for that meddling Eru, the ring would probably have found itself back into Saurons posession again.

[@mateuszslawinski1990]

In Tolkien's world evil harms itself.

[@akiramasashi9317]

@@mateuszslawinski1990 It's less that and more that only god (eru) can destroy true evil.

[@mateuszslawinski1990]

@@akiramasashi9317 Given how Sauron, Saruman and Morgoth often handicapped themselves (covering the world with clouds so you can't scan it or dispersing power into minions and corruption)...

[@Pfhorrest]

@@mateuszslawinski1990 Also in the real world, viz the tendency of parasites to evolve into mutualist symbionts over evolutionary scales, because it turns out to be to your own evolutionary advantage to not kill the things you depend upon. Cf cooperation as the winning strategy in game theory.

[@kineticstar]

Its a philactory that permanent buffs for the dark lord. It enhances his powers and prevents him from passing on as long as the ring survives. Also the first half of the ring peom is continuously cast by the spirit in the ring to control the other rings. Well that's my opinion.

[@vksasdgaming9472]

It was not phylactery and it did not make Sauron any more powerful than he already was. It unintentionally allowed Sauron's spirit to linger and command, but it was not intended purpose.

[@dreamcream3738]

​@@vksasdgaming9472 Sauron+Ring was more powerful than Pre-Ring Sauron, it just came with the caveats that should the ring be taken by someone else, he'd lose access to the bulk of his power, and should it be destroyed he'd be crippled

[@vksasdgaming9472]

@@dreamcream3738 Sauron only became weaker over the time. Ring did not make him more powerful than he already was. Loss of Ring did weaken him more, but with caveat of making him impossible to permanently destroy. Destroying The Ring did destroy him as well.

[@richardb4665]

Robert: love your channel, and the work you do here.

[@ShawnHCorey]

The Ring also had the power to influence the minds of those nearby, not just those who wore the other rings. “For what it saw was not a small frightened hobbit trying to hold a steady sword: it saw a great silent shape, cloaked in a grey shadow, looming against the wavering light behind; in one hand it held a sword, the very light of which was a bitter pain, the other was clutched at its breast, but held concealed some nameless menace of power and doom.” @111:05 "When Sauron saw Aragorn..." Sauron assumed it was the Ring's influence on others nearby. Clearly the Ring has more power than just controlling the other rings wearers.

[@fanpiresam482]

I like the theory that Frodo cursed Smeagol and the Ring enforced that curse and caused Smeagol to fall and die. It's power was it's own undoing.

[@boomer150]

I have said this for years. I have brought it up to my friends who have enjoyed LOTR. Bilbo Baggins was the only character to surrender the ring of his own free will. That moment in the movie where he drops it, is a hugely underrated moment. He held it for decades and was actually able to let it go. All others either lose it or have it taken from them. However Bilbo dropped it willfully. Later he did want it back, it still had a hold on him. But that moment was HUGE. That Bilbo's will was able to overpower the ring, even just for an instant.

[@vksasdgaming9472]

Perhaps it was case of Bilbo having everything he had wanted AND more.

[@logantravis2084]

Impressive writing on this. Very well done. This subject has been endlessly discussed but you elegantly, passionately and thoroughly explained it in a refreshing new way

[@krystoffer2804]

This is simply the best channel on KZbin.

[@jeffmoore9915]

Def one of if not by favorite

[@vylerdurden2615]

Wait, the best on all of KZbin?

[@MycketTuff]

Are you The One Viewer - the one to watch them all?

[@MycketTuff]

"This channel is great because X, I enjoy listening because Y and I particularly enjoy your personal flavor of Z" is far less bland and more useful to the recipient than your lukewarm hyperbole found on every other KZbin channel. If you truly appreciated his content you'd make an effort.

[@monsieurwhite337]

@@MycketTuffdamn, dude, you’re insufferable

[@Reddotzebra]

I feel like the main power of all the rings of slowing undesirable change probably ties into the ability of the One Ring to make its wearer invisible and to see things that are invisible. The reason the Nine were turned into wraiths is that their rings, in order to slow their decay, basically pulled them into a sort of phase shifted state between life and death, and I'm guessing that the One Ring draws on this power to provide those other two powers, by pulling the wearer bodily into this same phase shift, just a little deeper so they vanish from view entirely, but not so far as to become intangible. Thus the wearer would also be able to see the spirit world, since he'd be part spirit himself.

[@davidlewis8814]

“… a world-conquering gardener, bless him.” Ha ha ha! Oh Samwise Gamgee…

[@Larisa_Baker]

Have been waiting for this video. Thanks Robert.

[@rafaelgustavo7786]

In my headcannon, the One Ring accessed a power disseminated by Melkor: Morgoth's Ingredient. An evil energy present in the physical matter of Arda. In this way, Sauron could control certain natural phenomena (storms, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions) and the creatures of Melkor: Orcs, Trolls, Wargs. In addition to tempting (and corrupting) humanity. It reminds me of that biblical concept that the prince of the world is the devil. And the flesh is corrupt.

[@d00mf00d]

" Canon " is the word you're looking for.

[@akiramasashi9317]

That's canon though.

[@moritamikamikara3879]

Idk that sounds kinda gnostic...

[@Kian2002]

This is what I thought; the sixteen rings were antennas to harness Morgoth's remnant power in Arda. The Elven Rings created afterwards were emblematic of the most power of the Valar to combat that lasting pernicious influence?

[@migarsormrapophis2755]

I appreciate the fact that he entirely ignores the non-canon profferings of Amazon.

[@mattclark3459]

Yea they suck

[@nickmcdonald3083]

The own the ip. Its cannon. Cope harder.

[@migarsormrapophis2755]

@@nickmcdonald3083 "The own the ip. Its cannon." 1) *They 2) *It's 3) *Canon, with one 'n' - the one with two 'n's is the one you fire a cannonball out of 4) Nobody owns Lovecraft's work, or Shakespeare's work, or the Odyssey, or the Bible: they're all in the public domain. Does this fact mean that these stories have no canon? Canon has absolutely nothing to do with intellectual property ownership (a legal concept that was invented several _thousand_ years _after_ the literary concept of canon). Canon is simply an amalgamation of what people _generally_ accept to be the true interpretation of a work.

[@hectorhernandezaleman3836]

​​@@nickmcdonald3083They do not, not wholy at least as the rights are fragmented. In fact, proportionally speaking, Warner has more rights that Amazon. And besides, ROP it's a (poor) adaptation of preexisting lore, it's existence doesn't rewrite the Silmarillion. That would be like saying that the Peter Jackson movies also rewrited the cannon of LOTR by just adapting the books to film. Or that GOT is now the cannon of ASOIAF. It doesn't make sense. But, please, do keep coping.

[@dteachout147]

They were refused the rights lol do they dont. ​@@nickmcdonald3083

[@istari0]

At the time, Sauron viewed the Elves as the greatest threat to his plan to rule Middle-Earth; that's why he targeted the Elves with the Rings of Power. My personal theory is that Sauron did not make a mistake with the first 16 Rings of Power and that it was only the initial wearers of the 3, which were created without Sauron's direct involvement, that detected Sauron when he used the One Ring for the first time. They then warned the others.

[@truthseeker6532]

Elves? Just more to be made into orcs and used against the Elves later by. It's more about Elrond, than anything else. The One Elf (The Nexus of them all) that would be at the right place, at the right time............always.

[@hoodatdondar2664]

The Seven just did not work. Tolkien says because they were made stubborn by Aulë. ( first time I ever heard of Aulë). Sauron miscalculated, gave all that power, got nothing. No wonder he wanted them back. The Nine worked all right, he controlled the Men, just as planned.

[@rolstonholas333]

Thank you. In your video asking if the one ring was sentient, I ask a question in the comments to try to find out what were the powers of the one ring & whether there were any beings in ME who could have turned it to their bidding. I have a much better understanding of the power of the one ring & how it works now.

[@YTUser27]

This is such a thoughtful exposition

[@emythatsenough5016]

❤thank you Robert! Powerful reading❤❤❤

[@EdwardWilliams-lv3cb]

I think people miss the point of the ring turning Frodo and Bilbo invisible. It’s not a “ring of invisibility,” it’s a conduit for the will of the user. In Bilbo’s role as a burglar and Frodo’s task of sneaking the ring across Middle Earth, they’re both in situations where their will is to not be found. Wearing the ring makes them very good at that. If an aspiring tennis pro wore the ring, they wouldn’t become invisible, they would become unimaginably good at tennis.

[@-JazzHands-]

The ring is partially pulling them into a spirit world. That is why they cannot be seen by other mortals, or elves who have never lived in the Undying Lands. That is also why Frodo sees the Black Riders in their true form, and why he sticks out more to them while he is wearing it.

[@seyerus]

It doesn’t just make you ‘good at stuff’, your will determines its use. In Sauron’s case, he could influence the other ring wearers.

[@rickblaine9670]

I think it has more to do with the fact that the Ring pulls its wearers into the Spirit/Unseen World. And I suppose only wearers already adept at navigating that world, like the Wizards, Galadriel or Sauron himself, can choose whether or not they still want to be visible in the normal world.

[@procrastinator9]

Yes, Please! Make a video about the Dwarves and their immunity to Sauron's power. Especially their inability to become wraiths.

[@jorisboonekamp9038]

Thank you so much for these excellent videos! They're all questions I've had for the longest times!

[@chpet1655]

You know Middle Earth might have been very wonderful under the power of Sam the All Powerful Gardener. We might have had a whole bunch of lovely flower gardens and well manicured lawns all over. Imagine the vegetable gardens under control of Sam The Gardner. Could make a lot of lovely soups out of all that wonderful broth !

[@allamaadi]

Your script writing is incredible, really moving stuff

[@awgates85]

This plan wasn't a terrible one, provided Sauron had a better grasp of the character and motivations of others and was more patient. Before forging the One, or at least before wearing it, if Sauron had played a double game more like Palpatine in the Star Wars prequels, feigning to help the elves against his servants (setting up a trusted lieutenant in Mordor as the 'Dark Lord'), and encouraging the elves to use the rings to counter the threat and preserve their territories, it would be increasingly hard to remove the rings. I think especially true for the more prideful elves. The longer they used them, the more it would seem they needed them, the more of their hard work would wither without the rings. As Anatar he would already be gaining insight into the plans and works of his enemies and increasing dependence, and as a possible bonus, influence on the 3. It's hard to tell how this hypothetical longer game would have affected the downfall of Numenor, and I feel that it is still unlikely many elves would be enslaved, but I think it would break them and remove them from Middle Earth far sooner than in cannon.

[@hoodatdondar2664]

I think it was just Sauron’s usual blind spot - not understanding others. He gave power to dwarves and men, and plotted to seize control of the existing elven rings and their wearers. Surely no one would give up power. So, he puts on the One! But the Wearers of the Three give up the power immediately, and take them off, rather than be controlled. He wasn’t expecting that. The Seven were different. The wearers did not take them off, but they knew what he did not - you can not bind a dwarf. So, his Ring did not work on them. He must have been peeved. The Nine did work as planned. They were using their rings, building kingdoms, feeling great - then the One comes into play. And they could not bear giving up their rings, like the elves, and fell under Sauron’s domination, unlike the dwarves. If Sauron had a better grasp of others, he would not be Sauron.

[@jimvalliere1562]

Okay, Robert, allow me to pick a nit. Gandalf had his elven ring of power on in he was in the shire when Bilbo used the one ring at his birthday. So the question is: If the elves could sense the thoughts of the wearer of the One Ring. Why did Gandalf have to go and and do research? Gandalf mentions many magic rings to Bilbo. Were the other magic rings imbued with the same powers to transmit thought enough to confuse Gandalf?

[@JamesPerkins]

The elves and Gandalf only recognized the one capable master of the one ring when he wore it... all its other bearers were not detectable to them... and none of the other wearers had mastered any part of it, not even Isildur. Sauron could detect that someone somewhere had put it on... and a vague sense of the general area where, but could not clearly perceive any detail. Contrast this to the Palantiri, the seeing stones.... Sauron clearly perceived Saruman, Denethor, Pippin and Aragorn for who they were through the stones, although it didn't give them any clear indication whether it was they who had the ring, and indeed Aragorn depended on this to bluff Sauron.

[@jimvalliere1562]

@@JamesPerkins Thanks for the insight.

[@frankphillips7436]

From 1990 when I first read TLoTR till today, it still amazes me that Tolkien had the humility to have Frodo (the “hero” of the story that most authors aspire to) submit to temptation when he reaches the moment of truth. Obviously in lore, Frodo didn’t really have a choice but a lesser author would likely have had him win the day. Tolkien obeyed the lore he had created and chose not to make a “simple creature” extraordinary. This is the genius of the story. Having the bad creature (Gollum) actually save the world on accident. What a marvel of storytelling!

[@andyyoung6574]

Awesome vid. Very well done.

[@PolyglotMonkey]

Thanks. I'm on my first ever read of the books (saw the movies over 20 years ago) and that's one of the burning questions I had.

[@glamourweaver]

One of my go to answers to the inevitable “why didn’t they take the eagles?” question - beside the obvious “Mordor has air defenses” - has always been “the eagles are proud and powerful sapient beings. Frodo would have been thrown to his death inside of ten minutes while the ring was slipped onto the talon of the new Dark Lord of the Four Winds.” The usual rebuttal to this point is that Bilbo was carried by eagles while bearing the ring - but the ring was projecting far less power and temptation to anyone who noticed it at that point. It went into overdrive in that regard after Sauron declared himself and starting drawing darkness to him in Mordor.

[@FadedHeroFound]

Last week I found a gold keeper ring, it's not the one ring but still a lovely gift from Eru Ilúvatar

[@terrylandess6072]

I enjoy that Lord of the Rings online has included bits of this lore in the recent addition of Swanfleet/Cardolan and the Main Book Quests that run through them. It was a nice change from the original Book questline and seeing things like the elves being misled or the forging of the ring itself were satisfying.

[@bobertwithar]

This video made me somewhat change my opinions on how Durins ring works in Rings of power..the whole see the unseen thing made me wonder if this is what the writers were getting at but then again i feel like that would be giving them a credit.

[@gamersresidence6040]

Have a wonderful start into the weelend everybody ❤

[@Solarnova]

I can just imagine Annatar sneaking out of Eregion in the middle of the night, heading to Mordor to forge the master ring.

[@Adzsihad]

I would be really interested how Tolkien's experience in the war influenced his writing and ideas. I wonder if he saw the war as a consequnce of the ego of a handful of the elite and hence his appreciation for simple, humble creatures. The importance of forgiveness (Gollum) and peace really shines through all across the story of the LOTR

[@hoodatdondar2664]

No. And he wrote of the second war, that he would probably be a better solider at 50 than 25. He did not blame both sides. He did however see the cruelty and destructiveness of war.

[@rickblaine9670]

“I have respect for both the great and powerful and the small and humble. For the small could not endure without the great, but the great would have no reason to be without the small.” Basically, he valued both. As his story demonstrates, he thought that heroism can be found in the hearts of both great kings like Aragorn and humble gardeners like Sam. And those two kinds of people need each other, they are inspired by each other. The Sams by the Aragorns’ greatness, thus avoiding to grow lazy and complacent. And the Aragorns by the Sams’ humility, thus avoiding to grow superb, to forget who they’re fighting for.

[@ElmTheWar]

I found it quite interesting that the primary purpose of the ring is preservation and ceasing unwanted change for the bearer. It's fascinating how this ability would give its wielder a lust for power. We can even translate this into the modern age with how our minds cling to things of the past. Why is it so hard for people to let go of "the glory days" or to try to create a "legacy" for themselves to be remembered by? There is a function in the mind that clings to images of self-glory and when one pours their attention into those images they will dominate their thoughts, words, and actions. This is something I've been trying to uncover within myself and expose the absurdity of it. For the human mind is the most powerful known force and it has many ways of deceiving us...

[@Isthisjoebiden]

My older sister told me when i was younger some of this. I always questioned a lot of things about the ring and Frodo not being able to detroy it. She told me that the ring needed a sacrifice, someone who would die with it in order to be destroyed. That Gollum did exactly what he was supposed to do in order for it to finally be destroyed. I was a kid then, but she is so correct

[@ChaseStir]

Would love to hear your take on how Sauron lost the ring in the first place. Thats one part of the story that never really made sense to me, if he was so powerful with the ring then how was it even possible?

[@hoodatdondar2664]

He got beat by Isildur, part elf, part Maia. Sauron was just starting to use the Ring. He probably got over confident. His future plan was probably strictly ‘let the minions do it. More minions!’.

[@SPIKESPIEGEL1969]

he was killed in battle by the king of the elves and humans . 2 on 1. they died too but killed sauron. then the human kings son isildur cut the ring from his hand

[@Michael_Bancroft]

This is the only channel where I can come to hear the word 'legendarium' as often as I please.

[@Psylento]

Did Sauron ever win a war? What did Sauron actually acomplish? Besides creating a barren wasteland and filling it with filthy gobbs? The corrruption of the Rings seems to be only partly successful and what what the grand plan with them anyway? i wonder what his endgame was.

[@Code_Dee]

Probably Sauron's biggest win was corrupting Numenor, and I imagine he wanted to repeat that success if he could. He probably accomplished a lot as Melkor's 2nd, but I'm not familiar with that part of the story, but more recently he took Minas Morgul and the lands that surrounded it, brought all the eastern tribes of men under his command, and I think he's responsible ultimately for the fall of Moria but I'm not sure. But yes, when our heroes bring him down it's not that they've been beaten back into a corner and then fight him back to his home ala Star Wars, they're taking him down when he's about to tip the scales in his favor and his eventual victory would have been inevitable. He had just spent decades or longer building an army, Gondor was his strongest opposition and he was thiiiiis close to taking them down so the rest of the world would have gone down like dominoes. His ultimate goal is that he wants to be God-King, ruler of the world and ultimately the universe. He had tried to overthrow the gods once before, he'd try again and then if he ever could figure out way he'd probably go after the elder gods too.

[@vksasdgaming9472]

Yes. Because of Sauron there was no Arnor nor it's successor kingdoms. He had driven Gondor from lands on east side of Anduin over a millennium ago.

[@jameshart2622]

Sauron won many wars. The part of Mordor we "see" was only a small part of his dominions, the part that was blasted and cursed by his presence. To actually feed the place and keep his armies alive, he had effective control over large swaths of very fertile and populated human territories with essentially infinite ability to raise armies. In those places, he was King and God. It's actually mentioned in a few places in LotR proper, and even more in the appendices and other lore. The West was honestly in a serious strategic bind long-term, and without his metaphysical weakness, they had, long-term, lost. Badly.

[@Psylento]

Thank you for all of your insights! I can see a clearer picture now, while I am slighty worried by the sheer amount of Pro-Sauron Replys in this thread!

[@jameshart2622]

@@Psylento I, at least, am not particularly pro-Sauron. The simple fact was, he was dangerous, and dangerous beings tend to be successful because they are dangerous.

[@dereksherwood3794]

The magnitude of its effects scaling with the established power of its bearer is an interesting take. I like it.

[@d00mf00d]

To put things in perspective, in the silmarillion, Morgoth put HIS power into his servants, instead of single tools such as the one ring. Thus he made dragons, and corrupted elves and bred them into orcs, And Morgoth being one of the most powerful Valar wrought terrible deeds in middle earth. This theme of power played out in Tolkiens legendarium. The istari were forbidden from using their power to control. They had to guide and direct as best they could with their wits. Obviously only gandalf succeeded in his mission.

[@vksasdgaming9472]

Gandalf was only one who kept his focus. Saruman decided to take more direct route and Radagast saw natural life more important to keep safe. What happened to Blue Wizards is unknown, but to me they went east of Mordor with Saruman, scattered and kicked ass and smote evil as well as guided and directed. After Sauron's defeat they stayed as there was much cleaning up to do.

[@hoodatdondar2664]

@@vksasdgaming9472 Hope so. Tolkien was pessimistic, thinking they might have founded magic cults that outlasted the fall of Sauron. But did not say for sure, don’t think he had worked it out.

[@JamesMahalik]

pretty good episode. thanks for doing these.

[@adamm3790]

My Gawd your videos are sooooo amazing! Thank you for doing what you do!

[@justthinkingoutloud2538]

I aways love your essays. As the equally brilliant channel Darth Gandalf explained in his video exploring telepathy in Tolkien's world, the power of one's will is a huge part of the magic system in the story, and beings with stronger wills, such as elves (or men with elvish heritage such as the Dunedain) or Maiar, can exert their wills over spiritually weaker beings, such as men or especially orcs. This is the power which the Ring's powers of amplification are primarily meant to enhance, which would grant the weilder dominion over great armies, even the armies of Mordor, to overthrow Sauron. And of course it was linked to the lesser rings such as to give him near total dominion over their bearers.

[@JustinTrudeau1971]

Amazing video. I’ve always wondered why everyone wanted it.

[@jozey5215]

This was an informative watch👏👏 N the voice was just perfect...so aristocratic n polished😂 I'd like to see n hear more lore on artifacts buh from other franchises. For example the infinity stones of Marvel. Good job though ✌️

[@PleaseNThankYou]

Hello Robert. Thanks for diverting my attention back to Middle Earth.

[@kueller917]

12:58 The Ring is a fantastic case study in practical security. It could withstand any tool and any fire except for one single forge. Its corrupting power was so strong it had a 100% guarantee no one could willingly destroy it. Even my toothpaste can only boast killing 99.9% of germs. But at no point did Sauron think "ah but what if someone tripped?".

[@TravelsTTG]

Hahahhaha great point! 👏 👏 👏

[@dreamcream3738]

And when someone did trip? Sauron: "Are you ***kidding*** me?!"

[@yamanfaour862]

I was just searching for a video about the ring in your channel like an hour ago, I found it now and was wondering why I didn't see it before, how lucky am I!

[@redcookie100]

In other words, it is quite powerful and dangerous. I never grasped its major importance until this video fleshed it out.

[@robertdenicola6409]

another very well done vid my friend keep up the amazing content!!! 😊😊😊

[@MatthewCaunsfield]

Interesting speculation on the origin of the ring poem - certainly makes sense!

[@sineupp]

does anyone else find it unsettling that the title isn't "how powerful WAS the one ring?" which worldline are we on?

[@ledanoir1239]

I think I have a difficult question: just how simple/complex was smeagol? I dont mean the duality smeagol/Gollum, but his self pre obtaining the ring. Boromir or Gandalf would use the ring to save Gondor/middle earth but end up becoming tyrants. They dont seem "greedy" as you said here (I know It was a simplification) did Gollum simply... Want a shiny thing? Thats all he says, right? Precious, treasure....

[@evekurocieru]

I would think we can assume he was the same as other Hobbits, just much less "good " than Sam or Frodo. The way he acts is from 100s of years of having it.

[@ledanoir1239]

@@evekurocieru however he did murder his cousin right away, no need to wait hundreds of years. I think I remember reading in the book that he was the lonely type, (which I sad for introverters but...) so he was indeed meant to be less of a good guy than Sam and Frodo. But my question remains (and can be extendeded to Bilbo, actually). Sam was tempted by turning the world into a Garden. Frodo felt powerful but didnt get a chance. Gollum and Bilbo had the chance to use the ring and didnt (I guess since they just didnt know how to. But, if able, what would they have done?) Sorry for the essay

[@calebdolling9801]

@@ledanoir1239If I remember correctly, Sméagol was a thief who was very much hated by his community, and was eventually banished. Hence, the ring capitalised on Sméagol’s weakness of having no one.

[@buttercup9884]

Elrond said that the one could be destroyed by either dragon fire or in the fiery pits of Orodruin and at the time when the one ring had been found there was on dragon we know about - Smaug. I do not recall the book but in the movie Smaug attempted to kill Bilbo with his fiery breath - ironically if he succeded the Smaug would have become Sauron slayer.

[@matthewanipen2418]

I love the last part you said. It cleared up so much!

[@nanemoon9968]

For such a long time you have brought me joy. Through cancer treatment and other turmoil. Thank you, mellon.

[@hudsonball4702]

I think the One Ring is more sentient than you think. Near to the Volcano when Gollum attacks Sam and Frodo, Frodo stands up glowing in an ethereal light and "spoke with a voice that didn't sound like his." He warns Gollum not to touch him again or he will throw himself into the fire of the very volcano that they were at the foot at. I think this was the ring itself laying a curse upon Gollum.

[@ericjome7284]

Do you think that the Ring could not actually be used to overthrow Sauron? That someone corrupted by it, thinking to usurp Sauron, would be forced to return it to Sauron at the critical moment?

[@wanderhillen2435]

No, a sufficiently powerful being could certainly defeat Sauron with it. That is, Gollum or Frodo would stand no chance and would eventually need to hand it back. Gandalf, Saruman or Galadriel might defeat Sauron, but by then their motives would be so twisted that they might be even worse than Sauron himself. Power corrupts, etc, especially in the works of Tolkien.

[@Code_Dee]

Gandalf and Galadriel specifically say they think could do it, but are not confident that they wouldn't end up being worse in the end.

[@jameshart2622]

​​@@Code_DeeI'd put it slightly differently: they are pretty sure they could use the ring to win, and _absolutely certain_ that if they succeeded, it would be terrible for everybody else.

[@hoodatdondar2664]

No, you could certainly overthrow Sauron with it. He would not like that. But you would just get another Sauron. You would not like that.

[@ThisIsMyFullName]

Yes, with a strong enough will power, the Ring could be used to overthrow Sauron himself. However, Saurons essence is a part of the ring and he is immortal, so eventually he would return again to try and claim the ring for himself. Only by destroying the Ring can you destroy Sauron.

[@daniell1483]

As a guy who likes Dragon Ball Z, the One Ring reminds me first of Goku's kaio-ken ability (a force multiplier of his own power at the cost of greatly weakening him in the long run) or the Super Saiyin transformation (something like a perfected kaio-ken, without the deleterious effects of the former, and itself a much higher force multiplier than the previous ability). The only big difference is the malice and evil of the One Ring which is absent in both the kaio-ken and Super Saiyin transformations.

[@rumpunch8268]

The Berserker Armor from Berserk; I think is a better example. It not only gives its users GodBrand level strength but also will ultimately kills and corrupt him with each use.

[@lrobertiii]

Is anyone feeling a sense of deja-vu?

[@NeonNijahn]

It's one of the rings powers

[@broseph_brostar]

Robert has been re-releasing his old videos in better quality for the last few months. personally I've been looking forward to this one the most

[@hansolowe19]

🐈‍⬛

[@EntrE01]

​@@broseph_brostar does this mean HD or with more detail?

[@irighterotica]

Indeed.

[@la_scrittice_vita]

I'm thinking "humble" might be a better label than "powerless" for the Hobbits' key quality. Even though they don't seem like heavy hitters on paper, look at the respect and allegiance Frodo and Bilbo pull from kings and wizards. Frodo literally inspired an army to march on the black gate in his name _without trying._ So if he had any ambitions the ring could draw on, there are qualities there that it could use to make a great mess. It can't, not because Hobbits are so lacking in spirit, but because they're happy in the moment--lacking the elvish passion/fear to hold onto it and the human ambition to trade it for something better.

[@xina968]

You're definitely my favorite channel ❤

[@christopherconnel6909]

Liked despite the lack of technical information about creating a magic ring.

[@amdreallyfast]

Thought: The One Ring didn't inherently make the wearer invisible, but as a Hobbit Frodo tends to want to hide from the bigger world, and the ring enhances that to the point of complete invisibility (albeit via shunting him into the spirit world, which had other complications). ...I don't remember, but did the books say what happened to Isildur with the ring? In Peter Jackson's Fellowship, he puts it on and becomes invisible, but was that artistic license with the film or was that from the book? If the later, then my idea can be dismissed.

[@originami9199]

No, the Ring transports the wearer to the spirit realm. This is also the reason that Frodo is able to see the Nazgûl at Weathertop when he puts the Ring on, because their physical bodies have faded and remain only in that spirit world. I believe the reason that Sauron does not turn invisible when wearing the ring is that he occupied the physical as well as the spirit plane, so it doesn't make a difference.

[@evekurocieru]

That's a good theory. There's plenty of indication that it turned Bilbo invisible when he wanted it to, but that Bilbo put it on more, even if he didn't. Probably a combo of the only thing Frodo knew it could do and his greatest desire at the moment, which was concealment. He didn't put it on and start swinging away with his sword, superpower-fully, for instance. I don't think it always "transports the bearer to the spirit world!" Doesn't seem to have done so for Gollum at all.

[@amdreallyfast]

@@originami9199 I guess I'm curious _why_ the ring transported him to the spirit plane, but at this point I may be asking questions that don't have an answer.

[@hellgrin171]

your voice is so perfect !

[@RoyLeach-zi5qf]

Your content is interesting. Im currently reading The Fellowship of the Ring. I just finished The Hobbit.

[@floridaprepper751]

Great video sir.

[@RoboSteave]

Wow, I can't believe you left out what is the Ring's most awesome power -- the ability to have the greatest books and movies made about it.

[@db-jugg3r]

ha ... ha ... ha ... slow clap

[@MycketTuff]

Wrong. The last use of the ring is in a supportive placement, not on a finger, but on a different member. However describing that specific usage here and still getting to keep the video up is ill advised.

[@rudign]

Cringe

[@joanmilton9986]

Watching this, I have a renewed appreciation for the story writers of LotRo. Poor Narmeleth, who forged her own ring, Narchuil, and ended up as Amarthiel.

[@mhmdmansour9507]

nice video, keep it going

[@baystated]

Thank you for explaining what seemed a contradiction, that the eventual distribution of the rings were not known when Sauron made the One, so that verse of the poem, couldn't have been written on the One.

[@hoodatdondar2664]

Still not sure that’s right, but something to think about.

[@tridiminished]

I've already watched this video, I know it because......it is precious to me.

[@Critter145]

Excellent video.

[@randomguy358]

Made it here early enough to see the first age!

[@darrengolding8818]

LotR about dwarves: "-the thoughts of their hearts are hard to fathom-" DRG dwarves: "ROCK AND STONE!!!"

[@coldtea7]

It’s kind of important to note that Maiar can’t use all of their power on middle earth. Gandalf for example should theoretically be able to demolish everything he goes against (excluding other maiar) however he isn’t allowed or even able to use a lot of his power. Sauron needed the ring for that reason. He was limited to what he could do in middle earth and the ring sort of unlocked his entire power as a maiar

[@CalebMay-bf1ci]

Even Frodo couldn’t throw it in and Hobbits don’t care much for power

[@matthiascerebri3315]

He could in a way, because Iluvatar made him 😂

[@vksasdgaming9472]

@@matthiascerebri3315 There was no divine intervention. Mere happenstance of fate and random event to throw machinations astray.

[@matthiascerebri3315]

@@vksasdgaming9472 depends on the Source you believe

[@hoodatdondar2664]

@@vksasdgaming9472 If happenstance you call it.

[@pwelsh6501]

Love the videos

[@richardmather1906]

Very well done video.

[@cjmahar7595]

You should do a video about "what if Sauron won and faced Tom at the end". How would that encounter go?

[@flamencoprof]

07:30 "change viewed as a regrettable thing". I consider the concept of "Heaven" to involve a necessary and unavoidable association of perfection with stasis and death. This is the first time in fifty years I find myself realising the "ideal" beingness of the Elves is far from that.

[@nafizulsanko]

"It never crossed his mind that it could be carried and destroyed not by the mighty but the powerless"