Why Mount Doom Was Unguarded - Middle-Earth Lore

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

I hope you enjoy this interesting lore video! My summer vacation begins in 1 week, and from that point I can buy a new microphone (avoid the electrical noises), and focus even more on bringing out even better videos to you! Please leave some feedback if you want, it would really make my day!

[@WHYJ35]

Rick O'Shay I can understand most of what he is saying. I have an ear for European accents though so maybe that’s why

[@Daniel-gp6sd]

Also, there may have been guards on Orodruin, but since the forces of the West were marching to the Black Gate, they would have had to join the battle.

[@crocodilewrestler]

You forgot The Morgul Pass, also known as the Nameless Pass which was the pass which crossed the Ephel Dúath between Mordor and the Morgul Vale, and over which ran the Morgul-road. It was one of only two known entrances into Mordor through the Ephel Dúath, the other being Cirith Ungol. So that makes four ways into Mordor in total.

[@laisensei6984]

If we think of the One Ring as a software, Sauron must have thought he programmed it flawlessly with no BUGs at all. Well turns out having no BUG is a BUG. Gollum wanted it too much that he became the reason it was destroyed.

[@WardenWolf]

I think I can explain yet another reason why there were no guards at Mount Doom: he did not trust his minions, so he ensured they remained on the periphery, far away from his inner sanctum.

[@edwardlecore141]

Volcanoes can usually take care of themselves.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

XD

[@davidamajako961]

@@merlijnp many knew where the ring was forged. Without that ring there is nothing for him anymore so it would not be weird if the volcano was in fact guarded. Who is going to spy so far into Mordor to see if the volcano is guarded or not and then move your army all the way into mordor untill you reach the volcano? You just need a few powerful guards and not entire armies. How are they going to defeat an army that surrounds mount doom. With the amount of armies Mordor had it was the smartest thing to do and would have likely make Sauron the victor. Maybe he was too arrogant as he was glad to have Shelob on its border protecting the passage and that nothing would pass beyond. Who knows but yours is not the only way.

[@schneeweizirr5524]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mXaZqKt6psmCjJI

[@tiitto167]

yeah and Nobody liked the job description.

[@ahmadqureshi5366]

@@merlijnp also maybe sauron knew everyone would get corrupted by it and hence those people would never destroy it, if gollum didn't bite it off frodo. I am sure the nazgul would have taken it back to sauron

[@takezokimura2571]

One path is a heavy guarded gate that can easily receive reinforcements from dozens of thousands of orcs. The second is guarded by skilled warriors from the East and you would still have to pass through a barren plain that would certainly be filled with orcs patrols. The third path has a fortress filled with orcs and some of his most loyal and feared subjects (the Nazgul), which also prevents an army from passing through. And even if you do manage to get through it with scouts you still have to face a giant spider AND a watchtower with orcs. Seems pretty protected in my opinion.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

I agree. I think people don't really understand how well protected Mordor really was. You know your stuff!

[@jasonbrody1540]

Yet in the end Frodo and Sam were able to get passed by.

[@anonymouslyknown6530]

@@jasonbrody1540 Like a single X-wing pilot through the trenches of the death star.

[@Ret-Con]

Theres actually two paths from the western mountains. The straight stair and the pass of Torech Ungol with shelob, and another path past Minas Morgul that led straight into Mordor known as Rath Duath iirc.

[@maskcollector6949]

​@@jasonbrody1540 That, I think, is one of Tolkien's main themes of the books, though - that even the most diminutive perspectives can alter the course of the entire world, it's more about inner strength than outer. The path was difficult, and they're badass for it - you make it sound like they're weak characters, when in reality they're two of the strongest in the realm. Frodo had better willpower than Gandalf, an Immortal, at least until the very end - but everyone has their limits and nobody resisted the Ring any longer than Frodo, he essentially sacrificed his life to take it's burden. Meanwhile, Sam showed that he is the most courageous character in the realm by fighting off Shelob with Sting, and then outsmarting the orcs with his shadow - he knew he was outmatched and he went anyways because he had to, that's bravery - Aragorn and the others did the same thing when they charged the Black Gate. I feel like he based a lot of this writing off of gallantry in the war. I don't understand how anyone couldn't appreciate that. Anyways, Tolkien wants the reader to underestimate the Hobbits, but Gandalf knew they had the wit and will to carry the ring based on Bilbo - it had to be a Took, and Frodo was half Took. Nobody hardly believed in them, because everyone knew it was basically impossible to get to the top of Mordor, it was viewed as a suicide mission. It's impressive for anyone, and doubly so for Hobbits because the whole realm underestimates them and didn't understand them due to their general isolationism - they only can see them for their face value/size. Tolkien is best enjoyed with a mind capable of reaching beneath the surface, yet, I'm glad it's sparked interest in those who are dense.

[@danielstride198]

Nitpick: Sauron didn't end up in the Void. He just lost so much of his strength that he could no longer take form, reducing him to a shadow among shadows.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

That's true! Thanks for pointing that out! Spirits of maiar will simply face a state of fury unable to take form!

[@karimh.9375]

It's not impossible that he can't take a form ☝️ It takes just a bit more time 😁 And you now what that means 😊 At least after 1 million years he may could come back 😅

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

@@karimh.9375 xD

[@MinerDiner]

reducing him to a shadow lurking in the darkness only to feed off of unicorn blood and eventually become the new and different kind of dark lord

[@personofnoimportance5590]

@@MinerDiner lol please no Sauron time anymore 😂

[@bak8823]

He sent the guards to go get a pizza from Mount Doominos

[@shanek9803]

😆

[@dje6719]

He was watching Doomball and eating pizza

[@dickeyboyenglishnotbritish2462]

😂

[@razorxyooj9703]

🤣🤣🤣

[@johnharry7500]

“Mount doominos”🤣🤣🤣

[@lordvoldemort8904]

It was guarded by all of Mordor.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Yup!

[@Ragnaracc]

That and they didnt want to destroy the ring. Destroying the ring would cause all the magic rings to fail. Including the ones that the elves use to protect middle earth from the decline of magic

[@TheCookieGamer523]

Literally a massive spider in the one entrance known that wasn't guarded by all of mordor.

[@Ragnaracc]

@@merlijnp well elves are magic beings so wanting to preserve magic and the song of creation is important.

[@lookingforsomething]

@@TheCookieGamer523 They still needed to traverse through Mordor itself to get to the volcano. In the movie that struggle is not as big a part of the journey, but the books go in to great detail on how hard that part of the journey was

[@kerbe3]

Elrond: "Destroy it!" Isildur: "No..." Elrond: "oh, well okay then ill just go ahead and..." *shoves Isildur into the fires of Mt. Doom.*

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Sounds reasonable!

[@therac197]

Reasonable? Absolute Justifiable ? Hardly I think there a two outcomes: Elrond comes down the mountain and is like "Gosh they need a handrail in there. Isildur slipped and dropped into the lava" and all men buy his story. He is honest or the men don't buy his story. The humans start a war against the elvs that would even make the Imperium from 40k go like "WTF dudes"

[@kerbe3]

@@therac197 I am pretty sure it would be explainable, everyone knows the ring is evil. Even if they don't, you could reason that Sauron was wearing it when everyone was crippled in fear/pain as a result, thus even with Sauron gone, the ring must go too.

[@romusa10]

@@therac197 "soul of sauron possessed him", knowing the other kings became nazgul, the men would buy it i guess lol

[@tommyrocker7117]

1) They're allies and signed a treaty. Elrond can't just attack his ally. His honor will not allow him to do it. 2) The ring is semi-sentient , surely it can sense its doom, so it must have exert itself corrupting Isildur, and Isildur is already suspicious someone will try to take the ring from him ... especially the elves. 3) Isildur is a very strong/powerful warrior , pushing him over is not going to be easy. If Elrond try and failed there would have been a war between elves and human. Also how will Elrond gonna explain to the human what happen to their king, 2 came in and only he came out. 4) I don't think they truly know the power of the ring, that it can corrupt people (Gandalf discovered that going over the archives), or Sauron can comeback with the ring. No one even seen or touch the ring other than Sauron before Isildur ... I think the Elves figured out the rings given out was a trap (to late it seems to warn the human and dwarven kings) but doesn't mean they know Sauron will do through another ring.

[@wizardsuth]

Sauron assumes that everyone wants what he wants: power. He can't imagine that anyone would refuse the power of the One Ring, and so it never occurs to him that someone might try to destroy it.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Wel spoken!

[@WellWisdom.]

Yep.

[@TheLuisaco]

And indeed he was right. At the time of Frodo and Sam reaching the crack of doom, the mission was impossible to accomplish, it required the intervention of Gollum and a bit of "luck" or divine touch to destroy the ring and get the job done.

[@toonsis]

Sam should have killed Gollum ( or even Frodo ) and tossed the body in the fire.

[@Ch-ew9tm]

@@toonsis Sam was the real hero of the story

[@Corihor500]

Sauron thought he had the high ground.

[@hugothedog5258]

I mean the Barad Dur is about 5,000 feet tall so of course he had the high ground

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Lots of nice comments coming from you :)! Hope you enjoy my content

[@abynighteater5670]

He underestimated their power.

[@RedOrm68]

I'm just glad Riddle didn't get his hands on it.

[@Rigged2Explode]

G E T R E K T 905 General kenobi.

[@anubusx]

Having the entrance bricked up would reduce it's property value.

[@LitlBlackDragonNinja]

It was an active volcano, which changed it's structure from time to time. It is even in the books how there used to be roads leading up to the peak but were destroyed.

[@philipclayberg4928]

Simple answer: Overconfidence. Sauron couldn't conceive of the possibility he might lose the War of the Ring. He figured that the Ring would corrupt anyone who tried to use it. And he couldn't understand why anyone would want to destroy it. Think of all the power he put into the Ring. Wouldn't one of his enemies want all that power? But Gandalf refused it when Frodo offered it to him. Galadriel did the same. They weren't stupid. But Sauron was.

[@CrniWuk]

Not so much stupidity I guess. It was simply not in Saurons nature to think that there was anyone that would not be corrupted by the ring. Because after all Sauron and the Ring have been more or less combined. So the rings power is Saurons power. And in Saurons mind, no one could stand him.

[@BorderLanderr]

He was absolutley right though. He knew full well that no soul, be it man, elf, Istari or even hobbit, no matter their power, could withstand the ring within MT Doom. He was right. The Ring was destroyed on accident because the people fighting over it tripped. If he had blocked the door with a gate or boulder, they would have gotten creative with getting it into the fire from afar. Nobody who entered the Cracks would ever willingly let the ring come to harm. It already had the perfect defense.

[@CrniWuk]

@@ruaridh2k7 To be fair, beating both Voldemort and Sauron was still not an easy task though. It required many sacrifices. Particularly from characters like Dumbledore and Gandalf respectively.

[@ComradeOgilvy1984]

I would say: Yes and No. Sauron is entirely confident that he will *eventually* win, but he is very fearful that someone will be strong enough to command the power of the One Ring, lead a great army to destroy Mordor, and he will suffer yet another 3500 years of agonizing exile, before the Ring successfully betrays its new master and he can return to try this war again.

[@luukrawks]

Let's not forget that Aragorn also refused the ring.

[@KTChamberlain]

Gandalf: "Sauron and Saruman are tightening the noose. But for all their cunning we have one advantage: the Ring remains hidden and that we should seek to destroy it has not yet entered their darkest dreams."

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Here it is extracted! Well done!

[@kennethpurscell]

This was actually the great danger when Pippin looked into the palantír of Orthanc. Sauron apparently leaped to the conclusion that Saruman had taken the Ring from the hobbit, and that he now had to deal with the wizard. If Sauron had questioned Pippin even a little, the entire strategy of the Fellowship would have been uncovered, and Oroduin would have been heavily guarded.

[@Faint366]

Sauron still should have had a patrol of orcs looking for Frodo since he already knew Frodo was in Mordor. The nazguls already confirmed that Frodo had the ring, then all of a sudden this same hobbit ends up in Mordor and manages to escape capture. Even if Sauron didn’t think about him destroying the ring, he should have considered that Frodo might still have it. Why the hecc would a hobbit walk into Mordor?

[@CrashB111]

@@Faint366 When Pippin used the Palantir it's explained in the book that Sauron thought he was the ringbearer, and later Aragorn challenges him through the Palantir. Sauron didn't know that Frodo in particular had the ring, only that a halfling did (he didn't know one from another in this case). He assumed when Aragorn challenged him, that he had taken the ring for himself. Which is why when Gondor marched on the Black Gate Sauron put everything he had into stopping them, he believed that Aragorn was foolishly bringing the ring right to his doorstep.

[@geoffmoon2903]

@@Faint366 The Nazgul never met the captive in the Tower of Cirith Ungol. How do you come to the conclusion that they knew it was the Ringbearer? All that was known was that a halfling was captured trying to sneak in to Mordor. The escape of the captive may not have reported all that clearly as no-one wan't to own up to mistakes like that. And even if it had been, what could one Hobbit hope to learn on a 'spying' mission? Another point is that the volcano was quite active so that between the landscape shifting and rivers of lava it would have been difficult to permanently post guards. And perhaps Sauron didn't want any observers to the things that he did there.

[@orthranus3352]

The reason is simple, some of the weakest rings of power easily corrupted men. Granted elves could handle stronger stuff, but at mount doom no one could resist the power of the ring. He doesn't need guards because the ring defends itself perfectly. It took Gollum slipping and falling to destroy the ring.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

You have understood it :)

[@pshpsh5247]

Except he didn't slip and fall. He was nudged by Eru Illuvatar.

[@AlexS-nx2oh]

@@pshpsh5247 ah piss off with that bullshit. He slipped

[@pshpsh5247]

@@AlexS-nx2oh No he didn't. You're going to argue with what the author himself said? He said it in one of his letters. Educate yourself, you look incredibly stupid.

[@AlexS-nx2oh]

@@pshpsh5247 he slipped. Bye bye blocked

[@zaturosmenardi]

Guards or no guards, in the end he was right about the everything. It was just pure unadultareted bad luck that two people who wanted to keep the ring, fought for it and the one who had it fell into the lava.

[@kenklein9120]

Yes he was.

[@TheLuisaco]

In the books he didnt fight as movies showed, Gollum cuts the finger with the ring and when he jumps with joy celebrating right on the edge of the cliff, slips and falls. It required a bit of "luck" or divine intervention to accomplish the mission.

[@melanie-rosannastevens7861]

I just recently watched a video where this was discussed! Actually, the evidence seems to point us to the conclusion that Frodo cursed Gollum to cast himself into the fire should he try to take the ring from him

[@curtishammer748]

The point of "bad luck" holds whether we're talking about the books or the movies. If Frodo and Gollum had not been at the Crack of Doom at the exact same time with the One Ring, Sauron would have been victorious. "The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of Men." -Gandalf the Grey

[@MA-go7ee]

@@melanie-rosannastevens7861 According to Tolkien's private letters Gollum falling into Mt Doom was one of the few times (the sinking of Numenor being one) Eru himself intervened. The curse theory is really good though.

[@OverworkedITGuy]

All valid points. When you really look at how Sam & Frodo managed to finally reach Mt. Doom, you can see it was a long string of perfect circumstances that not even the most brilliant strategist and tactician could have planned, much less foreseen.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Indeed!

[@AkeenFreysAndracos]

In the book they infact decided to do the thing that sauron could not predict... Since he judges the people like they were himself

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Indeed! You know it

[@CoolAsianGuy]

“Despair, or folly?' said Gandalf. 'It is not despair, for despair is only for those who see the end beyond all doubt. We do not. It is wisdom to recognize necessity, when all other courses have been weighed, though as folly it may appear to those who cling to false hope. Well, let folly be our cloak, a veil before the eyes of the Enemy! For he is very wise, and weighs all things to a nicety in the scales of his malice. But the only measure that he knows is desire, desire for power; and so he judges all hearts. Into his heart the thought will not enter that any will refuse it, that having the Ring we may seek to destroy it. If we seek this, we shall put him out of reckoning.' 'At least for a while,' said Elrond. 'The road must be trod, but it will be very hard. And neither strenght nor wisdom will carry us far upon it. This quest may be attempted by the weak with as much hope as the strong. Yet such is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere.”

[@justinheads5751]

The main reason that Sauron didn't have mount doom guarded, was because he projected his own character flaws onto everyone. He assumed if he could not possibly resist the call of power, no one could. He didn't factor in things like humility, love, a sense of a perspective of the bigger picture, etc. He assumed that anyone who could possess the ring would be irresistibly corrupted by it. He thought his weakness was everyone's.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Beautifully put. One of the best descriptions I have heard: “he projected his own character flaws onto everyone"

[@thatrabidpotato8800]

And he was RIGHT. It's important not to forget that. Frodo LOST the battle within himself. If Gollum didn't jump him, Sauron wins.

[@justinheads5751]

@@thatrabidpotato8800 Sam is the real hero. Notice I said projected it onto "everyone". Obviously there are some people Frodo's burden was thinking he was the hero, and carrying the ring, being the target, etc. Sam's was being the hero. He wasn't right about everyone because he was right about one person people thought otherwise about. But thinking he was, as much as you hate it and will thrash against this reality, tells us volumes about you. I bet you think luciferianism is deep and anyone who seems moral is really hiding that they're even worse than most people. lol run along, the non 12 year old philosophers are speaking. *well deserved condescending hair tussle*

[@thatrabidpotato8800]

@@justinheads5751 Well, it certainly does seem that I misunderstood your initial comment. And you at least have enough self-awareness to grasp that you are being immensely condescending. But as for the rest, you completely misunderstand my point, project a whole bunch of things that I never said or implied onto me, and display your own ignorance of the lore and what's going on. Sam might well be the hero, but that really is irrelevant to my point. Sam is also corrupted by the Ring. He very visibly hesitates when giving it back to Frodo. Tolkien himself shot down the idea that Sam would have had the willpower to throw the thing in himself. So I don't understand what you're trying to say here, other than being a condescending ass.

[@Salatrel]

One does not simply walk into Mordor so there wasn’t a need to have guards

[@Faint366]

Except Sauron already knew that Frodo had made it into Mordor, been captured by orcs, and then escaped. He uses Frodo’s mithril vest to try to break Aragorn but doesn’t keep a few orcs around to search for the hobbit that he also knew had the ring at one point. Even if he doesn’t consider the possibility of it being destroyed, why would a hobbit that used to be in possession of the ring just waltz into Mordor? You’d think maybe Sauron would want to question him on who has the ring now.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Exactly

[@-JazzHands-]

“And far away, as Frodo put on the Ring and claimed it for his own, even in Sammath Naur the very heart of his realm, the Power in Barad-dûr was shaken, and the Tower trembled from its foundations to its proud and bitter crown. The Dark Lord was suddenly aware of him, and his Eye piercing all shadows looked across the plain to the door that he had made; and the magnitude of his own folly was revealed to him in a blinding flash, and all the devices of his enemies were at last laid bare. Then his wrath blazed in consuming flame, but his fear rose like a vast black smoke to choke him. For he knew his deadly peril and the thread upon which his doom now hung. From all his policies and webs of fear and treachery, from all his stratagems and wars his mind shook free; and throughout his realm a tremor ran, his slaves quailed, and his armies halted, and his captains suddenly steerless, bereft of will, wavered and despaired. For they were forgotten. The whole mind and purpose of the Power that wielded them was now bent with overwhelming force upon the Mountain. At his summons, wheeling with a rending cry, in a last desperate race there flew, faster than the winds, the Nazgûl, the Ringwraiths, and with a storm of wings they hurtled southwards to Mount Doom.”

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

It's incredibly written, Tolkien was a genius.

[@-JazzHands-]

@@LoreOfTheRingsYT I agree. The best story I have ever read. This passage, in particular, gave me goosebumps.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

@@-JazzHands- Indeed! I read the books every summer, and each time, it gives me something new and unlooked for :)

[@schneeweizirr5524]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mXaZqKt6psmCjJI

[@CoolAsianGuy]

“Despair, or folly?' said Gandalf. 'It is not despair, for despair is only for those who see the end beyond all doubt. We do not. It is wisdom to recognize necessity, when all other courses have been weighed, though as folly it may appear to those who cling to false hope. Well, let folly be our cloak, a veil before the eyes of the Enemy! For he is very wise, and weighs all things to a nicety in the scales of his malice. But the only measure that he knows is desire, desire for power; and so he judges all hearts. Into his heart the thought will not enter that any will refuse it, that having the Ring we may seek to destroy it. If we seek this, we shall put him out of reckoning.' 'At least for a while,' said Elrond. 'The road must be trod, but it will be very hard. And neither strenght nor wisdom will carry us far upon it. This quest may be attempted by the weak with as much hope as the strong. Yet such is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere.”

[@whitesaint760]

Forget assigning a guard, why didn't he seal the door? He has trolls at his disposal, shouldn't be hard for one of them to place a boulder right in front of the whole thing.

[@_semih_]

Absolutely right

[@tinylegofiend8605]

I mean they could have kept going until they reached the peak, albeit it seems they would be too exhausted to do so, especially with Gollum chasing them.

[@Kevin-ur6nq]

Mount doom was not only the place where Sauron forged the ring, it was also his source of energy for forging other things like armory for his orc and Nazgul, just as Saruman needed to cut down trees to maintain his own source of energy. And I'm guessing they used that entrance on a regular basis.

[@thorspower]

Being over confident is the down fall of many tyrannical asshole.

[@thorspower]

@@faisalmemon285 let me guess you have no friends.

[@cairnsaiden]

Ive been watching one of your videos every few days. I've thoroughly enjoyed every one. Thanks for the great content, you're a legend!

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Thank you!

[@Delta_Aves_Mashups]

Sauron knew his ring, being an extension of himself and his own will, wouldn’t let itself be destroyed, and thus try to prevent its destruction by corrupting the bearer or literally weighing them down until they can no longer carry it.

[@iamnoro]

P

[@mrziggy2939]

Aside from it being difficult to get into Mordor, the primary reason would be the toxic fumes from the volcano being active would kill any guarding force sooner than later. Even cycling troops in and out of the duty, those that were guarding it would need recovery time so be out of commission.

[@taliajung1553]

That's a great explanation! I hadn't thought of it until you brought it up, so thanks for sharing that insight

[@mrziggy2939]

@@taliajung1553 Yw... others in thread also touch on it but you have to scroll down a good bit

[@ptitgavroche]

Unknown to the Dark Lord, Valar faction (races: elves, dwarves, men of the west, hobbits) benefits from: + 500 concealment from evil + 100% chance to trigger effect "Plot Armour" when HP is below 10%

[@jacobkachel7202]

This video is great. Really exciting to watch! Can clearly see you are getting better and better, with great visuals, great soundeffects and overall high quality. Keep up the good work lad!

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Thank you so much for your positive feedback mellon!

[@diamondsurviver8461]

According to Tolkien, Eru Iluvatar interviened at Mount Doom, so that Gollum would trip into Mount Doom.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Yep! None had the will to injure it.

[@evandotterer4365]

I love the way they portrayed Mordor and Saurons servants. Everything is ugly, crude, and it’s only purpose is to serve the necessities of its cruel master.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Indeed, it presents evil at its best.

[@adamplentl5588]

Specifically it uses the imagery of machinery and industry, which Tolkien viewed as a corruption and a form of coercion; a manifestation of the Will to Power. Juxtapose this against the magic of the elves, which is in nature, song, art, and language.

[@Seriously_Unserious]

I think this still is an oversight on Saron's part, and shows his biggest weakness was arrogance and hubris. He was so sure of himself he couldn't even conceive of any contingency where a Ring Bearer could make it to Mt Doom, even though it had already happened once, nor any contingency where the Ring could end up dropping, either intentionally, or unintentionally, into the lava pool inside the mountain. And that proved his undoing. 1- He relied too heavily on a single line of defense. Smart leaders will build many layers of defense, with the final layer being the keep or in this case, Mt Doom. 2- He failed to consider other ways then deliberate intent that the Ring might end up in the lava and failed to construct any counter measures. I can think of several ways the One Ring could have ended up in the lava just off the top of my head, in addition to the way it ended up there in the story. During a scuffle, it gets kicked, batted or dropped by accident into the lava. Someone accompanying The Ring Bearer who has not been corrupted by the ring, and who has not yet touched the ring just tossing it in, in a single motion without stopping to think about it, say in the heat of the moment (even if the ring convinced such a person not to destroy it, that may happen too late, with the thrower already committed to the action and can't stop it even if he now wanted to if the action is fast enough). A being of equivalent status to Sauron, such as another Maiar or Valar being who were to gain possession of The Ring may be powerful enough to resist the ring's influence and just toss it in anyways. These are some very foolish assumptions to make, however good your outer line of defenses are, and however powerful you think the magic preventing an undesirable action may be, you have to consider the possibility something, somewhere along the way fails, or something you didn't account for at the start occurs and have a backup in place. For someone who's initial goal is to destroy The Ring, Mt Doom is the natural place they'll HAVE to go to in order to succeed in that mission, having a trap or last line of defense against that eventuality only makes sense.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

I love how you literally wrote a whole text, kudos to you! You clearly show great knowledge of the topic! Thanks for sharing your views.

[@Seriously_Unserious]

@@LoreOfTheRingsYT No problem. I'm not only a fan of LotR, but also HEMA and follow channels like Shadiversity, Skalagrim and Metatron. In fact, you might be interested in a video Shadiversity did a couple of years back where he reviewed 3 of the fortified locations featured in the LotR trilogy, Edoras, Helm's Deep, and Minas Turith, which you might be interested in.

[@markmccarty7898]

Wow! That was all very interesting! We are all a bunch of nerds you know! Hahaha!!! Anyway, still all very interesting. I have to admit that I haven't read any of the books, "YET". However I plan on at some point starting with the Silmarilion. So I'm guess I really have no say, or leverage here, but I will still speak. In the movies you see Elrond and Isildur (excuse the spelling, I know it is wrong) in Mt. Doom as Galadriel is taking us back into history. Isildur is at the very same spot where the struggle takes place between Frodo and Gollum, can I say centuries later standing there struggling internally himself. The ring at that moment has the exact same affect on him as it eventually has on Frodo. So the task of destroying it is on a razors edge. What doesn't make any sense at all is why Elrond, after knowing all he knows, experiencing all he has and seeing all he has seen can just let Isildur decide in a few short moment not to follow through with the task and get the job done. How is it not that Elrond makes sure the deal is over and the ring dropped into the lava? Goodness! Really? He lets him say, "NO". Really. Does that make any sense? If you really think about it there is no logical reasoning behind this. And this isn't to say anything bad about the stories. It really isn't, yet it makes no sense. There has got to be more to it. Why is it that Elrond being all that he was and doing all that he had done up to that point not more influential and authoritative even towards Isildur although he was now the new king. Come on now. 7 years of fighting. 7 years of allegiance of elves and men. All the pain and loss of men and elves and all involved in such a monumental struggle. All the darkness and corruption and destruction that Sauron has caused and they are at the very brink of putting a final end to it and Elrond just stands there letting Isildur pass without destroying it. No. No way! No way at all. If I was Elrond, Isildur would not be leaving that place with the ring in his hand. No freaking way. It would have been my life in the line at that point. Elrond should not have let him leave. It wouldn't have been a choice at that point. Isildur would have not had to choice. If I were Elrond it would have been a do or die situation. Isildur would not have been able to leave unless he has destroyed the ring. And if there had to be a fight between us both then so be it. The only way Isildur would have been able to leave is if he killed me as well. They had come all of that way. It was going to be done or one of them wasn't going to leave My. Doom. How could Elrond not then take matters into his own hands. Ok, respect for Isildur's position, not wanting to be tempted by the ring himself, but still not good enough a reason to me. If I were Elrond I would be like either you throw that ring into the flames, or I will kill you myself and throw you in with it. This is not to be funny either. Elrond at that point should have had every right and authority in that moment to make sure it was done. None of this bullshit where he is shouting and begging Isildur to do something as if it were a choice on his part no way. Elrond was a formidable being and it would not have been easy to get past Elrond should Isildur try. That is the way it should have been. Elrond should have marched right up to Isildur and it should have been, "the ring, or you die with it". We are not leaving this place until this dark thing is destroyed. Elrond should have been willing to sacrifice his own life on behalf of his people and men. He should not have given Isildur a choice let alone walk away and leave, especially just standing there as he did. There was a great flaw here. Something here made no sense. What am I missing here? Yeah there wouldn't be the Hobbit, or the Lord of the Rings, or even Mt. Doom for that matter if Elrond made sure the task was completed. Yet he didn't even in the heat of a moment such as that. Still two very prominent persons in a place where the ring should have very easily meet it's Doom, yet it did not happen. Why? I'm thinking that there is more to this whole Mt. Doom thing then meets the eye or even the creative imagination. So you can go on and on with your defenses and strategies, but all of that wouldn't have mattered. According to Sauron there wasn't anything else that Mt.Doom needed. It didn't seem as though any person or being could have made sure that damn ring meet it's Doom on their own. So was it just arrogance and pride in Sauron's part? Maybe, but not just that. So much more. Yes, Gollum did eventually fall with the ring. However the ring even in that situation did not go into the fires of My. Doom by the hand of anyone who willed it. I do not think that there would have been any creature in Middle Earth that would have had the mental copacity, especially of men, elves, dwarves, or hobbits to stand at that edge and throw it in the fire. No one not even Frod himself. Anyone who attempted such a feet would have been meet with the very same struggle with themselves and would have not been able to trow it in, in their right mind. Everyone would have been ensnared at that point and the stronger the being/person the harder it would be. I think Sauron knew this. He knew the ring and the environment/place were the ring was forged, the very place that he himself forged it would also be a weapon in and of itself. Having the power to deter any creature great, or small from willfully throwing it in before it takes it's clutchen on the mind and heart of the present wielder. No one could have moved in and done it fast enough. No one. Even Elrond, after all that had taken place was not even able coax, convince, or even with brute Force make Isildur throw it in. Elrond himself was rendered helpless even in that moment. We must remember that Mt. Doom was the domain of darkness. The domain of Sauron himself. It was where he stood and spoke his sorcery and malice into thevery ring he forged. It was none other then Sauron himself in that very same place that created it in all of its evil and powerful and dominating splendor. He was no fool! He knew his own power and he knew the power in that place and in the ring itself. Yeah, it may have been a matter of pride and arrogance, but was it really. I'm not siding with Sauron, or evil itself, but he was who he was and Mt. Doom was what it was as well. A great evil power. A power that not even the Valar themselves didn't contend with in the sense that Mt. Doom was not a place so easily approached. Maybe in giving Sauron his complete due we can see and understand that his pride and arrogance was not a weekness of his, but just a truth that it seems as difficult to agree with and embrace. Sauron wasn't cock about himself and everything under himself. He wasn't confused and not fully knowing who he was and his power and influence. He knew his high place. He knew his domain. He knew his stuff. It should not be that easy to say that it was just his pride and arrogance. I really think that Sauron had it all covered. So to go into great detail about how and why My. Doom wasn't protected and guarded better than it was, well it was. Not so much in a material way, but in a supernatural, spiritual, psychological and mental way. Could this be? Or are we putting to much of an emphasis on the physical here. Yeah, If Sauron depended on that then we could absolutely argue that Mt. Doom was not guarded very well. In a supernatural and spiritual sense the very things that Sauron operated in at his bes, we can definitely determine that Mt. Doom was extremely heavily fortified. Maybe not necessarily seeing phantoms and such flying around and attacking the one who enters with the ring, that being Isildur and Frodo, but the supernatural and spiritual, "DARK" power that permeates That place and all of My. Doom. Thus rendering anyone approaching the firey chasm in that moment mentally unstable and incapable of making a wise and solid decision to destroy the ring. It wasn't Frodos will in that moment to throw it in. Neither was it Gollums. They were both fighting over the ring. In that moment it was Gollums obsession. In That moment it was Frodo's having completely cracked and giving into its dark and evil influence. Both fighting even unto death for the very ring that would in the end bring their death and demise. Even after all that Frodo and Sam had gone through In that moment not just the ring, but the whole entire place (My. Doom) was heavily fortified and protected. Enough to cause even the strongest of hearts to sway. That was it's protection, it's fortifications, it's insane ability to even cause the strongest and most Noble not to throw the ring in, thus prolonging it's domination and control. So it was that in a very interesting moment Sauron did not see, or conceive, the ring falling in. Gollums attitude was that he had finally had the ring for himself even though he was about to meet his own death. It was only in that crazy moment that the ring fell to its own Doom. Why after all this I said. Well perhaps it was because Frodo wasn't in that moment concerned about destroying the ring as he was consumed with until then, but because he wanted to kill Gollum to get the ring for himself and it just so happened in that situation the ring fell in due to an accident and not because of the will and mind and heart. That is why it met it's end. Crazy theory I guess. And all that time composing it too. Oh well probably wrong. I just had some fun coming up with it.

[@markmccarty7898]

And absolutely what pyropulse said. I didn't get as deep as he did when he said that it may have been and most likely had to be a direct intervention of Eru. Yes I agree. Instead of my saying in my rant it maybe was a mistake and not really coming up with a real tangible explanation on how the ring went down. After all that I had said I would definitely add to that the intervention of Eru. Not just a random mistake that Sauron would oversee. At that point perhaps it was that Eru saw that and willed it to happen the way that it did using the whole situation with Frodo and Gollum to cause it to fall one way or another. Eru is certainly Almighty in the whole universe and over all,.even the Valar. Perhaps in his Mercy, wisdom and understanding of the fame and position of created things in Middle Earth he knew their weekness. He knew that none could actually withstand and follow the task to fruition, so he intervened. Even if it be in the most subtle and unrecognizable way. Only to end this struggle and contending with Sauron. A force and a power unchallenged and unbeaten and constantly making his way back again and again. It would only be by his direct intervention of mercy, wisdom and understanding. His knowledge to see what none else could, their utter inability and utter depravity to really do anything to stop this for. Eru had to intervene. If it were not so in that perfect moment the tide would turn and eventually Sauron would have his way. I'm guessing with Eru it may have possibly the right time. The appointed time to act even in such a situation. It wasn't so much that it needed to be announced and known and even he be wholly acknowledged for it, but just to through it all save his creation, save the people of Middle Earth. Finally give them the victory over Sauron. A victory they themselves would not and could not achieve on their own. Again, a crazy rant!!!

[@younggrasshopper3531]

pyropulse Hey dude check your tact - we don’t have to be mean and argue. Also, Frodo clearly had some levels of corruption by that pint

[@mqbitsko25]

It was. A lot. But was someone going to steal a mountain? If you don't see the possibility of destroying the ring then you have no particular reason to have high security around it. MORDOR was guarded.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

You got it

[@Faint366]

And why was no one looking for Frodo? Sauron knew Frodo was in Mordor. Sauron knew Frodo was in possession of the ring at one point. Why did Sauron not at the very least want to capture Frodo and question him about the ring and why a freaking hobbit would just waltz into Mordor in the first place?

[@МаксимЛяшко-и3ъ]

Faint366 He didn’t know Frodo had a ring. At this point Sauron thought it was Aragorn who held the ring. Frodo was probably thought to be a spy of some sort.

[@EdinProfa]

"The quest you sent him on, can only result in his death." Saruman to Gandalf in ROTK about Frodo. My question is, if Saruman knew Frodo was trying to destroy the ring, how did Sauron not know also?

[@23ThEOo]

Prof. Nobody Because in reality Saruman wanted the ring for himself. In the movies even though you get indications for that it is not clearly stated. Saruman wants to take the ring and be a dark lord himself and when he attacks Rohan Sauron already knows of his betrayal.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

This guy knows his stuff :)

[@noppornwongrassamee8941]

@@23ThEOo IOW, classic villains backstabbing each other for advantage.

[@FerretJohn]

@@23ThEOo Also Sauron already knew Frodo had the Ring, thru Gollum, and he trusted the Ring would force Frodo to bring it to its master which it should have, or at the very least that his Nazgul would find the Hobbit.

[@EdinProfa]

@@faisalmemon285 I think this all subject is a large loophole Tolkien missed, and everyone else is trying to theorise around it

[@petern1938]

I believe it's because Sauron didn't believe the West would go with such a high risk plan as Frodo trying to sneak into Mordor/Mt Doom. He also thought someone (Aragorn/Gandalf?), would try to use the ring against him.

[@danielmclaughlin5546]

It would not have reduced Sauron's troop strength to have parked 100 Orcs at the entrance of Mount Doom. I do not buy the explanation that Sauron was so sure no one would ever try to destroy the ring for two reasons. FIRST: Destroying the ring is the only sure fire way of ridding the World of Sauron forever. So if destroying the ring is the only way to kill you, why would you not safeguard against your enemy trying to implement that plan? SECOND (and this is the big one): Sauron was aware a Hobbit had possession of the ring (that is why he sent the 9 Riders to the Shire). He also knew there was a Hobbit roaming free inside Mordor because the Mouth of Sauron produced Fordo's armor when he met Gandalf and Aragorn at the Black Gate and falsely claimed that the forces of Mordor had the halfling as a prisoner. But Sauron did not have any Hobbits as prisoners and did not have a body of one. So given he knew a Hobbit possession of the ring within the past year and also knew there was at least one unaccounted for Hobbit within his borders, THEN WHY WOULD HE NOT POST A GUARD at the entrance of Mount Doom?

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Sauron thought Aragorn had taken the Ring and now wished to throw him down. He knew nothing of Hobbits roaming around (why would a Hobbit wear Mithril). He rather thought it was a great warrior or spy. Sauron like Saruman could not see any value in the Hobbits.

[@danielmclaughlin5546]

@@LoreOfTheRingsYT You need to reread the Mouth of Sauron portion of the Return of the King. After presenting the mithril armor to Gandalf and Aragorn, the Mouth refers to the wearer as "the spy from the little rat-land of the Shire ." Thus, Sauron knew a Hobbit had worn the Mithril recovered in Mordor and also knew the Hobbit who had worn it was unaccounted for within his lands. He also knew a Hobbit had been in possession of his ring. Given these facts known to Sauron, it makes zero sense he would not station a small contingent of Orcs at Mount Doom.

[@zacharybutterfras1697]

@pyropulse It seems you're forgetting about the ring wraiths encountering, chasing, and stabbing Frodo the hobbit, as well as all the times he wore the ring and The Great Eye could see him. He absolutely knew about hobbits. And as much as I enjoy Shadow of War, Eltariel is not canon.

[@danielmclaughlin5546]

@pyropulse "Sauron knew nothing of hobbits?" LMFAO! Putting aside the fact that Sauron had lived in Middle Earth since the First Age and most certainly knew who inhabited all of its lands in the Third Age, let me lay it out for you: (1) the Nazgul are Sauron's absolute and most loyal servants; (2) the Nazgul went to the Shire looking for Baggins and encountered Hobbits, Hobbits, Hobbits; (3) the Nazgul chase a Hobbit bearing The One Ring out of the Shire; (4) the Nazgul's spies observe a Hobbit who mysteriously disappears at the Sign of the Prancing Pony and report this strange magical fact to the Nazgul; (5) suspecting this vanishing Hobbit has The One Ring, the Nazgul enter Brie and attempt to slaughter him and his companions; (6) the Nazgul encounter a Hobbit they know to be bearing The One Ring on Weathertop and wound him; and (7) the Nazgul chase the wounded Hobbit they know to be bearing The One Ring to Rivendale. Do you really think The Nazgul would FAIL to report these facts to Sauron? Add to this that Golluem was a Hobbit, had been a bearer of The One Ring and had been in Sauron's custody for years. Finally, as I said before, The Mouth of Sauron knew "the Spy from the little rat land Shire" was unaccounted for inside Mordor. Given all of this information known to Sauron, it makes zero sense he would simply leave unguarded the entrance to the only place on the planet where The One Ring could be destroyed. Yes, I get it...Sauron did not think anyone would willingly destroy the Ring and he also suspected Aragorn had it, but Sauron is not The Moron of Mordor. He has been around since before creation, has been at war for Three Ages, and was the master of deception (think how he fooled the Elves and got them to create the Rings of Power, think how he fooled Ar Pharazon). Face it, it was a flaw in the book that Mount Doom was left unguarded.

[@arealassassin]

@@danielmclaughlin5546 Correct. These other "experts" need to go back and read every word again, and collate the details. It's only a pity that J.R.R and Christopher are no longer with us, only they would be able to shed light on this question. I can add that when Frodo put on the ring; the Eye would search for him, but was never able to pinpoint him before he took it off again. Also, when he briefly saw Pippin in the palantir, it must have thrown some confusion into the mix... All I can get out of this, is that it was his arrogance and his assumption that "lesser folk" could never be a threat to him, that was ultimately his undoing. Previously, he had only ever been challenged by powerful characters, and therefore he assumed that it would be someone Highborn, or a member of the white council that would challenge him again.

[@jonathankipps9061]

I agree, that the primary reason that Mt Doom was unguarded, was because nobody would even think of destroying the ring. Elrond and Isildur had a conversation about destroying the ring, immediately following the conquest of Sauron. They did not enter Mt Doom as shown in the movies. Presumably this conversation was private, and no word of that made it back to Sauron in later years. Otherwise, he would have realized the possibility of this being proposed again, and would have guarded Mt Doom. There was a discrepancy in your video. The two watchers at Cirith Ungol were only guarding the entrance to the tower. Not guarding the pass itself. In fact, I'm pretty sure that if Frodo and Sam had taken the Morgul Road the whole way into Mordor, they would not have even seen the tower of Cirith Ungol. Remember that the winding stairs that they used simply paralleled the much-improved Morgul Road. The winding stairs were never used anymore, because of the much better road in the valley below, and also because Shelob made it nearly impossible to pass by that route. The tower was sitting about a mile north of the Morgul Road, and around some very rugged terrain that would have blocked the view. The tower was not ideally located for defense, but the forces of Mordor had merely re-appropriated the tower from Gondor. Gondor had originally built the tower to watch over Mordor. The Morgul Road didn't exist at that time, so the tower had no reason to be close to it. When the Witch King extended the Morgul Road all the way into Mordor, he picked a more logical route, which lay in the pass of the mountains; not right over the crest where the tower was sitting. Thus the tower had to be accessed by a short side-spur of road, instead of the main Morgul road itself.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Thanks for correcting me! I really struggled when investigating those routes, it grieves me that I missed it.

[@ComradeOgilvy1984]

You raise a good point: Sauron would know nothing beyond the sanitized for public story, that the valiant Prince Isildur claimed the Ring of Sauron, as was his right under the circumstances. Other kings in attendance of that decision would not be so impolitic as to let be known how they argued against, and begged Isildur to destroy it, or even that they knew enough of Ringcraft to correctly deduce the means to destroy it. Gandalf and Saruman get that information directly from people who were there. Saruman is very carefully keeping Sauron in the dark about what the White Council or he himself understands about the Ring. Yes, in a nutshell, Sauron has no reason to believe that anyone ever discussed trying to destroy the Ring, at any time in the past or present. Saruman does not want to let him in on the secret, for it gives Saruman a big edge in the race to find the Ringbearer, so he can seize it for himself.

[@CharlesOffdensen]

He had a point. Even Frodo wanted to master the ring in the end, and did not throw it. The ring was the perfect Horcrux. It was a chance that Frodo was not alone there, but with the already corrupted Gollum.

[@TitioVlad]

Mordor: the perfect fortress. Sorrounded by mountains and deadly swamps, just 3 ultra heavy guarded entrances, infinite spawn of orcs patrolling everywhere, a gigantic tower with its super surveillance camera watching for intruders 24/7, the air itself is toxic and cand lead to death, Nazgul patrolling the skies, mount Doom constantly spitting lava so anyone trying to climb it would have trouble. AND with Sauron bringing war to his enemies, so they don't have time to come and try their chances. No need for guards in that little entrance. Some fat hobbit: *mR. fRoDo* Mordor: why do i hear boss music

[@gman24310]

I think you've summed it up pretty well. I think you covered pretty much all of the points.

[@cambuxton6835]

Sauron was so sure no one would be able to destroy his ring he thought he did not need to guard it.

[@shanek9803]

Its better!guard it.i well have a troll and orcs one nazgul

[@SomeFknGuy-]

So well explained good work. Nice to see more lotr youtube channels we are gonna support every lotr youtuber doesn't matter how long they have been on the platform or the sub count you are doing great.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Thank you!

[@emiach]

He couldn’t fathom that anyone would or could destroy the Ring.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Yep!

[@Amadeus8484]

The villains never considered that someone would prefer to destroy something that tempts you with anything your heart desires.

[@Eldwinn]

This lore is begging for a dark souls like game to be made

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

IKR!

[@kkh42792]

Shadow of war is pretty cool ( more like assassins creed than dark souls). Its not cannon but uses cool stuff from the lore

[@user-re4jf2sb4q]

It says 'Pause this video if you want to read this.' after I have paused the video to read this.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

:O

[@jurgenolivieira1878]

Uhm, I believe they DID get caught but mis-identified, well at least Frodo did. He was stung and cocooned by Shelob and taken by the orcs over the wall. They did not find the ring on him because Sam took it just before they found Frodo (that's why Sam ultimately had to leave Middle-Earth too because he touched the ring and carried it around his neck for a while). At The Tower of Cirith Ungol, where they took him the orcs fought and killed each other almost to the man while fighting over Frodo's Mithril shirt, which allowed Sam to surprise and kill the leftover orcs and rescue Frodo. I think this also overlooks one of Sam's greatest feats and most powerful moments. He gives the ring back to Frodo. Sam is the only being in the LotR to ever hold and touch the ring and then voluntarily give it away (with a slight hesitation). Gandalf gave it away too, but he never touched or carried it and even then he had to fight the temptation from being offered it (just like Galadriel) despite all of his power. One other big reason is that Sauron was particularly distracted by the host of Aragorn at his gate with the Mouth of Sauron even bragging about them getting killed while he was holding the Mithril shirt. This also pulled away the rest of the Orcs on their path. Also, I believe, the unworn ring was hard for him to see otherwise he would have seen it a long time ago in the Shire especially when the Wraiths were close to it. But even when worn he also failed to see it the numerous of times when Smeagol used it and the times Bilbo used it.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

You know your stuff :)

[@jurgenolivieira1878]

@@LoreOfTheRingsYT Thank you :), I am a member Unquendor (the Dutch Tolkien Society). So I am a big fan of everything Tolkien. As far as knowledge goes I am but a novice compared to some of my society members. :) For me it is sometimes difficult to separate what happens in the books from what happens in the movies but these are the kinda topics we often discuss.

[@siamath9954]

@@jurgenolivieira1878 While agree 100% with your opinion on Sam and the incredible feat he performed, I do have to nitpick one particular thing: Gandalf did touch the ring ("Gandalf held it up. It looked to be made of pure and solid gold", TFotR, The Shadow of the Past). He did however not wear it like Sam did, so your point still absolutely stands.

[@dragonmouse3985]

Bilbo Baggins also carried the ring (far longer than any of the ring bearers other than Gollum) and gave it up of his own free will. Yes, he required more persuading, but he still made the decision to hand over the ring, no one had to physically take it from him. Faramir also deserves mention here. While he never had physical contact with the ring, if you consider all of implications of what it means to have something under your possession (do you still own your car even when you are not driving it, even when someone else is driving it?), he had the ring under his possession when he had Frodo under his possession, and at a time and place where he knew he, his family, and Gondor had great need of such power. But his wisdom and strength of character kept him from physically taking the ring from Frodo. He too, in that matter of speaking, let the ring go -- and go to its destruction, of his own free will. Edit: Had to fix a spell check error.

[@gustavofadda5217]

@@dragonmouse3985 excellent! Also Tom Bombadil rejected the ring. It's a shame in the movies they didn't show the real greatness and virtue of Faramir: "But fear no more! I would not take this thing, if it lay by the highway. Not were Minas Tirith falling in ruin and I alone could save her, so, using the weapon of the Dark Lord for her good and my glory. No, I do not wish for such triumphs, Frodo son of Drogo."

[@thehighguarduk4820]

Excellent video very well discussed and reasoned. Sauron did not place guards directly on Mount Doom for the same reason people do not place guards inside a vault once it is closed, they believe it it is secure. Mordor was his vault the idea anyone except at the head of a enormous army breaching its defences was remote to the extreme and as stated in the video the ring has protections of its own, the ability to corrupt and influence all those near into wanting to posses it for themselves and keep it safe. Only two people other than Sauron took the ring into Mount Doom one by force of arms and the other by stealth, both could not get past the rings defences for possession and preservation of the ring.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

You know it!

[@johnnycamine]

these are actually really great reasons, once paired with the knowledge of Saurons mindset was that no one would ever want to destroy the ring. Great video!

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Thank you! Glad you liked it!

[@skywarp2414]

I would also like to add that having Mnt.Doom guarded would only send a message of weakness to his troops, showing that their master has something to fear

[@ChaosEIC]

Having something like a "Mt.Doom-Guard" could be justified to be an honor only for the most loyal and skilled Orcs. You could just say that nobody has the right to enter Mt. Doom because they were not worth enough to do ist. Just the guard was. So it can be easily justified. But lets face it: It was Plot-Armor for the Hobbits nothing else. I still dont mind that too much tbh.

[@skywarp2414]

@@ChaosEICGuards are placed to guard something. There was nothing to guard really exept to prevent any suicidal orc to jump in a river of molten lava. I never really minded also the fact that there were no guards. Plot armor or not. But the justifications given in the video kinda makes sense to me.

[@Eva-re7ft]

You know, i never actually commented but, this is like the greatest middle earth content on youtube. These are all things ive wondered about or i would have never either known about. thx for the videos

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Thank you for your kind comment, it means a lot to hear it!

[@nicolaistawinoga7566]

Wasn’t he convinced that the ring was in gondor, and came with Aragorn and folks to the black gate?

[@jarskil8862]

This is about guarding the Mt. Doom in general.

[@FatGouf]

Yep, Gandalf and Aragorn knew that too. Thats why they feigned overconfidence and attacked.

[@justicehiwstb7503]

Gandalf said that sauron would never believe they were gonna to destroy the one ring, and sauron believed that men only wanted the ring for themselves or to use them for their own advantage and selflessnes reasons and besides that never believed that anyone would dare to come close to mordor where he has huge armies standing.

[@phantom3969]

Sauron was right, but it wouldn't hurt to seal the entrance with a large rock or something to make sure there were no accidents... In addition, you can make excuses, sure, but for sauron, posting a couple hundred orcs to watch the entrance of mt.doom is the equivalent of a loved king having a couple of guards outside his royal bedroom! Sure, no one will probably get to that point, but never say never as they say

[@potaterjim]

To be totally fair, it's orcs we're talking about. By the end of the week, they'd have killed each other

[@epion660]

@@potaterjim *_only one!_*

[@alanpennie8013]

@@potaterjim There is that. Trolls maybe.

[@sajt6619]

Imagine how Sauron felt when he suddenly realised gollum and some hobbit were wrestling in mount doom with the ring constantly about to fall

[@MySerpentine]

You don't have to, the books describe it very well. 'And far away, as Frodo put on the Ring and claimed it for his own, even in Sammath Naur the very heart of his realm, the Power in Barad-dûr was shaken, and the Tower trembled from its foundations to its proud and bitter crown. The Dark Lord was suddenly aware of him, and his Eye piercing all shadows looked across the plain to the door that he had made; and the magnitude of his own folly was revealed to him in a blinding flash, and all the devices of his enemies were at last laid bare. Then his wrath blazed in consuming flame, but his fear rose like a vast black smoke to choke him. For he knew his deadly peril and the thread upon which his doom now hung. From all his policies and webs of fear and treachery, from all his stratagems and wars his mind shook free; and throughout his realm a tremor ran, his slaves quailed, and his armies halted, and his captains suddenly steerless, bereft of will, wavered and despaired. For they were forgotten. The whole mind and purpose of the Power that wielded them was now bent with overwhelming force upon the Mountain. At his summons, wheeling with a rending cry, in a last desperate race there flew, faster than the winds, the Nazgûl, the Ringwraiths, and with a storm of wings they hurtled southwards to Mount Doom.'

[@sajt6619]

@@MySerpentine Wow, thanks. I had read the books some 15+ years ago, and had forgotten the details of the description. Feels so nice to see I remember the very paragraphs that i read with such passion

[@jhfaleafine1870]

"Closer to danger, further from harm"

[@cCrusadeRc]

It is mentioned in the books that even the road leading to the forge chamber was often destroyed by volcano and orcs had to repair it constantly. Why would you build defences there?

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

It was Sauron's forge :)

[@cCrusadeRc]

@@LoreOfTheRingsYT Sorry, maybe I wasn't clear enough. I know it was Sauron's forge and it had Barad dûr in front of it, and if I remember correctly, it was the same height as the entrance of the forge meaning it could directly see anyone coming in. That is where all the "turning his eye away from anything that moves" comes in play. I just meant to say that the volcanic activity around the entrance was too extreme to have anyone guard it constantly and probably the watchers on the tower were considered to be enough.

[@zintosion]

SNEAKY LITTLE HOBBITSES!!!

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Indeed!!!

[@itsnotbloodborne1237]

Such an awesome explanation to what I once thought was really confusing. Also, doubly reinforces why Gollum was critical to the success of the Fellowship. Amazing!

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Very happy that you liked it :)

[@LordTelperion]

Mt. Doom was passively guarded, initially, by the presence of his armies assembled on the plains of Gogoroth around Mt. Doom. Hence the diversion of the Allied force marching to the Black Gate, to draw Sauron's attention and drain the interior of Mordor. Similar to why the Two Trees of Light were not guarded in Valinor: heart of Valinor, already protected by the Pelori, all the folk that would have been near the Trees were assembled elsewhere as it was the special feast day of worship to Iluvatar.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Exactly :)

[@kirkhenry3867]

You have made a really good video, I enjoyed it very much! One of my favorite moments is when Frodo puts on the Ring in Mt. Doom and suddenly, Sauron was aware of him. All of a sudden, in a blinding flash, all the devices of his enemies (Gandalf, Aragorn, the Elves) were at last laid bare and the "magnitude of his own folly revealed to him in a blinding flash." I can see Sauron in my mind at that moment and he realizes that his arrogance and pride has blown it. Superbly written!

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Indeed! It's truly a masterpiece, and it shows the true power of the Ring and who Frodo have become!

[@ub2769]

Interesting video with good visuals!

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Thank you! Spent a lot of time on the visuals this time!

[@kratongseaman1077]

Thank you for this video. I just asked this exact same question just a few minutes before on a different site. Should have remembered, but have not read the books for around 30 years.

[@zekun4741]

He at the very least, could have built a great gate at Mount Doom and hid the key so that no one could enter.

[@softdorothy]

I like your explanation. If anything it shows how even Sauron was deceived by his lust for the Ring.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

You understood it!

[@LordMortanius]

I mean, he was right. Literal divine intervention saved the day.

[@tommyrocker7117]

Sauron to the ring "you complete me" ...

[@Foil_Andy_Waszp_Sailing]

Surely we would of learned from the fate of Beren, that you break through into a Dark Lords inner lair. Saurons a bit forgetful if you ask me.

[@gavinmay6949]

So, he didn't think a quest was conceivable as he was too paranoid about someone else taking his place as dark lord. That paranoia consumed him with the idea that someone else being entirely corrupted to darkness was the only way he could fall?

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Yup!

[@gavinmay6949]

Thanks so much for the reply! I recently discovered your work and absolutely love it! Learning so much about the Lore of Middle Earth! You're doing a superb job!!!

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

@@gavinmay6949 Thank you! Love to hear that! Stay tuned for more in the future :)

[@dragonmouse3985]

There is also this, since we are taking in hypothetical: Sauron also continues to build things all the time. Orcs need armor and weapons at the least. Mt Doom is probably not a one trick pony. Even after the massive army it fielded trying to defeat Gondor, Mordor is still the power in the land, military wise. It is more than probable that Sauron and his forces were constantly using Mt Doom and its fires, its lava, and all of the materials that it spews forth to build stuff. So, sealing its entrance for all time, likely not an option. Or even on a semi-permanent basis, inconvenient. And if Mt Doom is, as hypothesized, a high trafficked area by Sauron and his artisans and confident, the less there would seem a need to post a regular guard. The fact that there is something of a staircase, a court yard, and functional inner chambers included with the imagery tends to support this idea of Mt. Doom as a still functional structure. Also, if Napoleon never made any mistakes he wouldn't have even fought Waterloo, let alone lost. Sometimes, in line with reality, people, even dark lords, make mistakes. It only seems an obvious blunder in hind sight. But in reality, even making the ring to begin with is the real blunder. If your going to question Sauron's decisions, that is the one to question. Why manufacture what appears to be the only reliable way to actually kill you?

[@tommyrocker7117]

I'm mixing fantasy here but the One Ring was essentially Sauron's Horcrux (Harry Potter)... his anchor to Middle Earth ... remember he was almost killed several times and lost some abilities and powers because of it.

[@bookworm4174]

I also feel that pride and despising his own servants played a role. Remember, Frodo and Sam stumbled onto Sauron's personal path to his convenient entrance to the fire, which directly faced his tower. Posting guards there seems a bit like putting guards in your private garden or something. Also, since the path and entrance faced his tower, Sauron could personally watch over them. As mentioned, he was purposely distracted.

[@jlopes68]

it was no small feat what the hobbits and gollum did, Saurons attentions were elsewhere. a very long chain of events and some luck allowed them to get there.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

You know what you are talking about! The chain of events is a keyword!

[@jlopes68]

oh gosh ive read it 4 or 5 times, i just really enjoyed it and am amazed by how many blockbusters were built on it, most notoriously star wars

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

@@jlopes68 I read it every summer, reading it for the 7th time currently!

[@jlopes68]

isnt it amazing how much more you pick up on with each reading?

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

@@jlopes68 That right there! Always notice more each time, as I have dug further into the world since last time. Its like a new book every time!

[@olstar18]

Another thing to consider. That he actually did have guards stationed in and around mount doom but with the reckless push towards the black gates they had been shifted forward to crush Aragorn.

[@MogoFromHell]

He could a at least tied compact disks on a scarecrow just to be on the safe side

[@Skibidibi]

There is also a possibility that in his own lust for power Sauron was paranoid about losing the power of the ring. He feared that guarding Mount Doom would rise some suspicions that the mountain was a big flaw and weakness of the ring. Maybe in his ignorance he didn't believe that there was somebody who actually knew about this. After all, centuries has passed after the ring was almost tossed into the fire of Mount Doom where it was made. Great content!

[@Alexrider02]

I mean, Sauron was right on every premise. No one who wielded it DID want to destroy it, and if someone powerful had gotten it, he probably WOULD have been overthrown, but that caused him to narrow his focus towards the latter idea. By doing so, he failed to consider the idea that the ring could be destroyed unintentionally. To be fair, as you point out in the video, what an absolutely absurd series of events to happen, much less predict. Like, actual-divine-intervention-level stuff to get someone ALL THE WAY through Mordor, and then Mount Doom, and then ACCIDENTALLY destroy the ring. I wouldn't be surprised if his last thought before dissolving away to shadow was a, "Dude, not fair!" directed at Eru Iluvatar. xD

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Well spoken!!

[@Crimson_Samurai-h8q]

I do like how the movies showed Sauron was aware of what was about to happen when Frodo put on the ring in Mt Doom, imagine the panic

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Indeed, it's such a powerful moment in the book, the turning point.

[@mikrogamis721]

Um, dude, ….it's also a an active volcano. It's very nature is it's own guard.

[@goji3755]

Given that there were obvious fortifications dotting the exterior of Mount Doom, I always though the Mountain had checkpoints along the trail leading up to the doorway, and that Frodo and Sam were either stealthy enough to avoid them (given that they avoided the trail altogether most of the way up) or the guards had been called away to fight in that last battle at the Gates. Under normal circumstances, I think guards would definitely have been posted along the path up the Mountain, and a couple of guards from the last checkpoint would even be posted at the doorway itself. But given his humiliating defeat at Minas Tirith, Sauron's wrath combined with his fear of Aragorn would compel him to send every last orc and man in Mordor to fight at the Black Gate, leaving Sammarth Naur, the Ring Chamber, undefended. Alternatively, even if the posts remained guarded, it seems that Frodo and Sam avoided the trail as much as possible, choosing to climb the wild and ordinarily insurmountable slopes and allowing them better chances of ascending undetected. This is something that an armored man would likely not be able to accomplish, being too heavily weighted and otherwise encumbered to crawl up the mountain with or without the Ring. A hobbit's bare foot, being thicker of skin and adapted to traveling exposed, probably offers better protection against the volcanic heat and rough terrain AND a better grip than most man-made or even elvish footwear.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Your analysis is well thought :)

[@ianantonius7287]

Well you can't be paranoid enough. A hundred ork garrison would have never hurt.

[@nurgle333]

Hell even 20

[@ekszentrik]

But then you have to be paranoid somewhere else. A hundred orcs could have meant a won vs lost battle.

[@therac197]

@@ekszentrik Make it like a penal legion. Send the most useless guys there. Still better than nothing

[@johanjagberger2352]

Really good explanation that make sense. I always wondered about this too 👌

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Glad it was helpful!

[@nobody46820]

Overconfidence, has been many a being's downfall.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Indeed!

[@garethanthonyclark4879]

Just like in Macbeth

[@danielgro1039]

I think as simple as it may sound... He never thought about the possibility that some then himself would be able to enter the volcano. He never thought about the possibility that someone would go there unseen or without his knowing.

[@creativeguy1138]

The most egotistical terrible people are often over confident to the point of delusion.

[@iasimov5960]

Mt. Doom was guarded, indirectly, by the hosts of orcs in Mordor. The reason the Free Peoples attacked Mordor was to divert Sauron's attention and to draw his armies away from Mt. Doom. It worked.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Yep!

[@jmiester25]

This is exactly why I like Tom's absence from the movie. Fine character and interesting, and if you want to include in your lore that there are Chaotic Good players, like Tom and to a certain extent Treebeard (until the revelation in Isengard), fine. Just eject the stuff with the Ring entirely. Or if you want to include it, have him say "Oh woah hey keep that thing away from me. We cool? We cool.." Going a step further, I like that the films changed the Crack of Doom scene to Gollum and Frodo fighting over it, rather than just Gollum tripping, because in the very end, they both wanted it for their own. Completely consistent with the nature of the Ring.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

I agree!!

[@noppornwongrassamee8941]

This is especially the case since Mount Doom seems to be totally unoccupied by any of his war production facilities or other infrastructure, meaning he wasn't using Mount Doom for anything that a trap system might interfere with. So lay traps. Or put a monster in there that would eat any intruder like that one monster spider did and make sure to periodically feed it so that it doesn't leave. Or even just brick over the lava or wall off the entrances.

[@jonathankipps9061]

@jmiester25 Somehow I had completely missed the change from Gollum tripping, to Frodo and Gollum fighting. But you're completely right. The movie version is more consistent.

[@tarmairon431]

@@jonathankipps9061 The movie is not more consistent than the book. In that scene both are consistent.

[@Wanderer1258]

No, in the book they also fought, it is that Frodo just lost the struggle. So, there was fight, there was corruption. The way Gollum slipped on the rocks and fell into the fire has other meaning in the Tolkien's work: the irony that the same lust for power, which prevented the ring from being willingly destroyed, led to its final end. Gollum slipped because he was too eager about aquiring the ring again. Besides, there is no way Frodo, weakened to the point of exhaustion, when he had to crawl on his way to the mountain and then carried by Sam, would cling to that cliff while falling down and then climb up back to the platform. It's just ridiculous. The only reason he fought with Gollum was probably that the ring and madness gave him strength and even that didn't need that much strength than climbing up that cliff, even with the help of Sam.

[@LordCommissarLex]

I can imagine the conversation with the engineers... "No dark lord we don't have guards because it's a VOLCANO!!"

[@dankthegank1742]

Because no one was crazy enough or that stupid to go there...

[@Alaedious]

Well argued and thought through! Sauron also underestimated or would not have even considered the danger that friendship, fellowship, love, basic decency and the courage of the such small insignificant creatures such as the Hobbits might lead to destruction of his precious ring. Loved listening to your voice and accent again! I wish I had your accent in my native tongue! 😂😁😀😉

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Glad to hear that you enjoyed it! Some hate my accent and some love it! Glad you like it :)

[@Arttective]

Long story short: over confidence killed Sauron

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Yep!

[@masamune2984]

This was always one of the greatest themes of “The Lord of the Rings.” That Sauron was so utterly confident (and yet fearful), that he didn’t put a SINGLE lowly orc as a guard (which may have actually been the difference) Because why should he? He couldn’t even fathom the consequence. Which makes the passage in the book about his sudden realization at the end all the more satisfying to read (and which the film did an excellent job of portraying simply by having the “Eye of Sauron” suddenly widen in sheer realization, utter desperation, and pure terror when Frodo puts on the ring.) :) “Despair, or folly?' said Gandalf. 'It is not despair, for despair is only for those who see the end beyond all doubt. We do not. It is wisdom to recognize necessity, when all other courses have been weighed, though as folly it may appear to those who cling to false hope. Well, let folly be our cloak, a veil before the eyes of the Enemy! For he is very wise, and weighs all things to a nicety in the scales of his malice. But the only measure that he knows is desire, desire for power; and so he judges all hearts. Into his heart the thought will not enter that any will refuse it, that having the Ring we may seek to destroy it. If we seek this, we shall put him out of reckoning.' And far away, as Frodo put on the Ring and claimed it for his own, even in Sammath Naur the very heart of his realm, the Power in Barad-dûr was shaken, and the Tower trembled from its foundations to its proud and bitter crown. The Dark Lord was suddenly aware of him, and his Eye piercing all shadows looked across the plain to the door that he had made; and the magnitude of his own folly was revealed to him in a blinding flash, and all the devices of his enemies were at last laid bare. Then his wrath blazed in consuming flame, but his fear rose like a vast black smoke to choke him. For he knew his deadly peril and the thread upon which his doom now hung. From all his policies and webs of fear and treachery, from all his stratagems and wars his mind shook free; and throughout his realm a tremor ran, his slaves quailed, and his armies halted, and his captains suddenly steerless, bereft of will, wavered and despaired. For they were forgotten. The whole mind and purpose of the Power that wielded them was now bent with overwhelming force upon the Mountain. At his summons, wheeling with a rending cry, in a last desperate race there flew, faster than the winds, the Nazgûl, the Ringwraiths, and with a storm of wings they hurtled southwards to Mount Doom.”

[@abyssprimus]

Good stuff

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Thank you very much :) Your comment means a lot!

[@potaterjim]

Either Gandalf or Mr Smith near the beginning actually explain it: Sauron was utterly convinced that absolutely no one would try to destroy the ring. He believed that no one could resist the temptation to use the ring, and that no one would be able to conquer the ring and command it against him, so in his mind, it had no weakness. He was very nearly right too: Isildur couldn't stave off the temptation, and if it weren't for Gollum, Frodo would have made the exact same mistake and doomed them all. It's actually kind of ironic: The one thing Sauron was banking on, the temptation of the ring, was his ultimate undoing. Also, the great evil Dark Lord Sauron was killed by two midgets and a homeless quincentennial doing a vaudeville bit.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

What you say about Gollum is very true, Frodo actually failed his quest. That's why he left no guards at all, he knew none could bring themselves to destroy the ring.

[@winstonmiller9649]

I think you reasons about Sauron not guarding mt doom seem reasonable. Why expend any forces or any more power on guarding the mount, when all aspect of guarding it wrre akready established. Sauron had already covered deterrents such as physical guards, mental horrors, the land itself and when all else may have failed, there was akways the person themself, or the nature of greed, ambition or power, or glory, even self deception. Through any of these aspects any living person is bound to fail.

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Thank you, you understand Tolkien!

[@davidmarquardt2445]

I think there is a parallel to this story in the real world. In World War 2, the Germans used an encoding machine called Enigma. It was at the time probably the most complex cipher in existence. But the Allies manged to break the code and read the messages, this allowed them to locate U-boats and divert convoys around them. But the Germans still believed the code was secure, and that the reason was spies. They absolutely believed till the end of the war that the code was unbreakable. Sauron and the Nazis had fallen into what I call a "belief loop". Sauron could never break this thought loop, and so could not anticipate any other outcome. He absolutely believed until the very end that no one could destroy the Ring.

[@kainslegacy78618]

The self-defeating nature of evil, i suppose.

[@gerardhendriksen4618]

Always nice to see more people cover lotr lore maybe you could make 1 about the dwarfes before the movies

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Good idea! Thanks for your feedback!

[@Rinesmyth]

I thought the ring only answers to Sauron alone. How could anyone else wield it?

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

If they learned its power they could use its power themselves. However, if Sauron physically came to regather it, it would with no doubt return to the dark lord.

[@Rinesmyth]

@@LoreOfTheRingsYT so essentially boromir was right?

[@alanpennie8013]

@G E T R E K T 905 Sauron definitely feared that Aragorn would wield The Ring against him, and Sauron ought to know.

[@jawstrock2215]

Add a few things. Sauron had just lost pretty much every battle he set out from Minas Tirith, all the way to the northern kingdoms. Everywhere, his armies were defeated. When Aragon with Gandalf decided to bring whatever force they had there to go directly to Mordor, Sauron was worried and scared. He started doubting himself and his plans, and thought he had lost because someone had mastered the Ring in the fields of Paleanor at the very least. So pretty much he couldn't take the chance anymore of just sending small parts of his army, he to send all of it and crush that army out at all cost, and (he thought) take the ring back, or at least assure his victory with Gondor's forces decimated. So he sent everything to the gate, his whole country was emptied and moved there. that left the path free for Frodo. It never occurred to him it was just a diversion. Yet he should have known, because he knew someone had slipped in, and he had the mithril coat as proof. If he had stopped to wonder about that, rather then focusing entirely on the army from Gondor, he could have at least think of the idea of someone trying to destroy the ring.

[@jaeluxe]

I think the question is flawed. Mount Doom wasn't unguarded - it had the Easterlings, The Black Gates, Orcs and Shelob guarding it. All impossible to pass in their own right. The only reason why they made it through was because the guards made their own mistakes - Shelob hurled her body down on Sting, the orcs all killed each other fighting. So is wasn't that Frodo and Sam just walked in, but rather the guards messed up. Not to mention Frodo could not do it in the end. The final guard - the Ring itself - prevented its own destruction and was successful. The only reason why it was destroyed was because of the curse/ promise between Gollum swore to Frodo on the Ring.... and because Eru Illuvatar stepped in and gently pushed Gollum in. So yes it was guarded. But the guards failed and god stepped in at the last moment to finish the job.

[@gfdgfdgfdgfdgfdgd]

i like

[@brokentombot]

I think you nailed if perfectly. Great logic and good video!

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Thank you!

[@lukebatterson8683]

3rd

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Like your name!

[@lukebatterson8683]

@@LoreOfTheRingsYT really been a fan of Dol amroth and its history can you please do a lore video on it

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Excellent idea! And what would you think about an own video regarding the Swan Knights of Dol Amroth?

[@lukebatterson8683]

@@LoreOfTheRingsYT you probably could do a couple one on the swan nights and then just on its some of its General history

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

@@lukebatterson8683 Alright will look it up :)

[@The_JEB]

im fairly certain that the reason Sauron sated Shelob's hunger by sending orcs and what ever else her way was to keep her happy and in her tunnels, as he knew very well what Ungoliant did alongside Melkor, but he had not the strength or resources to acquire her full allegiance.

[@KTChamberlain]

In rereading Lord of the Rings, I remembered another reason why Sauron never imagined the One Ring being destroyed. It all goes back to Celebrimbor and the forging of the Rings of Power. Why make rings based on the suggestion of Sauron in the guise of Anatar? Because Sauron promised that the rings would preserve the magic that was winding down in Middle-earth. While Sauron's formula for Ring forging did make the ring-bearers vulnerable to his mental dominance via the Ruling Ring, it did preserve the magic in the elven kingdoms like Lothlorien, Rivendell, and even Thranduil's halls in Mirkwood and that's why they look and feel so much better compared to everywhere else--their rings have preserved the magic. This is why the elves are so somber after the Ring's demise that even though they won, they lost the magic in Middle-earth and that's why they return to Valinor. Moreover, this is partly why Sauron never imagined the Ring being destroyed in the first place, because he never imagined anyone would want it destroyed, knowing that its fate is tied to the magic. The elves were so desperate to hold onto the magic that the world was losing that they trusted a Maia, presumably against their better judgment.

[@KhanNS669]

Don't forget that Aragorn also used the Palantir they had to show Sauron that he had the ring and feigned overconfidence in attacking the Black Gate. Sauron thought he knew where the ring was.

[@travisgrenier8357]

I always thought that the reason why Sauron never had the mountain guarded was because Sauron asumed no one would would be dump enough to try it

[@LoreOfTheRingsYT]

Exactly :)