The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power - 11 Things We Expect To See
10. Annatar, Or Sauron The "Fair"
For being one of the most iconic villains in film and literary history, many are still unaware of Sauron's nature and origins. This may be addressed in the series, but originally, Sauron was a Maia, or this world's version of angels. He once served the Vala (god) Aulë, the smith who created the Dwarves.
In somewhat biblical symmetry to Lucifer, Sauron - or his original name, Mairon, was considered the greatest of all the Maia, eventually seduced and corrupted by the dark lord Melkor, or Morgoth, the source of all evil in Tolkien's world. His desire for order became a desire for control, and after Morgoth was sealed away, Sauron became Middle Earth's greatest threat.
Before amassing his power, however, he mainly dealt in deceit and trickery. He often took fair form to seduce people into darkness. At one point, he took the fair form of Annatar, tricking Elves in forging the rings of power before making the One Ring in secret. He lost this ability in the fall of Numenor, with his physical body destroyed but soul surviving.
From then on, he ruled with fear and power, no longer able to take fair form for trickery.