Elendil's Sword and Sauron's Ring

[Lalwendë]

Well, I think Gandalf was underlining just how important it was to destroy the Ring. Especially at the Council of Elrond, every option is examined and pulled to pieces until the only one left is that someone destroys the Ring at Mount Doom.

Sauron would be impossible to get close to physically, certainly for a Man (though I wonder if Frodo and Sam might have managed it?) and he would have been canny enough not to emerge onto the battlefield after his experience at the end of the Second Age. He had minions to do his dirty work, like all good Dark Lords. The only option apart from destroying the Ring would have been to struggle mentally with him, and that would have been incredibly risky; as shown he managed to destroy the minds of both Saruman and Denethor.

I guess its open to opinion as to what happened, but my belief is that Sauron, with the Ring, would have been too strong to be defeated by anybody in single combat, or even if Gil-Galad and Elendil teamed up against him. That said, such a battle would definately have weakened him physically, hence Isildur makes the most of this opportunity and lands a blow to cut the Ring finger off and vanquishhim. As for Sauron just lying on the floor dead, I can't picture that at all, at least not when he still had the Ring.

[Osse]

When considering this, we must remember that when in physical form, both Valar and Maiar can be harmed - once in a physical form, they are almost restricted to the powers of that form. I included Valar above, though it's not really a good example due to the conditions, because of Morgoth, and his epic battle with Fingolfin. In this battle, Fingolfin is able to severely wound the Dark Lord, even if it only on his legs. Another instance of an Ainur being injured in physical form is when Sauron, in wolf form battles with Huan outside his citadel - Sauron is heavily injured and almost killed in the contest - but only in body.

What you must remember is most of Sauron's original power was in the Ring... if it was on his hand, he had the full use of his power - now if the Ring is no longer on his finger, then he no longer has use of his power - this great blow would have limited his abilities ie. to take physical form

It is for these reasons that I think the version portrayed in the films is correct, or at least makes the most sense.


With the Ring on, Sauron has power - if it's removed suddenly, he doesn't. So, though his body could be injured, he'd still be powerful... so really the cutting off of the finger whilst the Ring is on would be the only way to sever his power. Gil-Galad and Elendil, despite being lordly and deft could not have stood up to Sauron in all his strength - Isildur got really, really lucky and hit a finger... the finger with the Ring on it.