What if Saruman Got The One Ring? | Tolkien Theory

Check out The Long-Expected Soundscape: jordanrannells.com/shop
25% off the 3-part collection: NERD25 (Expires June 10, 2023)
15% off the 3-part collection after June 10: NERD15
10% off one soundscape: NERD10

*As much as he wanted to play Gandalf… Sir Christopher Lee was absolutely PERFECT to play Saruman. His commanding and stoic presence along with his cunning voice was just again…PERFECT casting.🙏🏼*

The effort that went into this video & theory story is just next level. You’re the best man

You should do a theory video on what if Sam insisted on bringing Bill the Pony the whole way? How far could they have realistically made it bringing a pony everywhere?

He would buy an anti-tree defence around Isengard

I want a story-heavy, open world, LOTR game where these scenarios are possible based on player interactions and choices.

7:29
The description of the voice of Saruman perfectly shows how well cast Sir Christopher Lee was in the role. Man's voice was simply iconic.
"Suddenly another voice spoke, low and melodious, its very sound an enchantment. Those who listened unwarily to that voice could seldom report the words that they heard; and if they did, they wondered, for little power remained in them. Mostly they remembered only that it was a delight to hear the voice speaking, all that it said seemed wise and reasonable, and desire awoke in them by swift agreement to seem wise themselves. When others spoke they seemed harsh and uncouth by contrast; and if they gainsaid the voice, anger was kindled in the hearts of those under the spell. For some the spell lasted only while the voice spoke to them, and when it spake to another they smiled, as men do who see through a juggler's trick while others gape at it. For many the sound of the voice alone was enough to hold them enthralled; but for those whom it conquered the spell endured when they were far away, and ever they heard that soft voice whispering and urging them. But none were unmoved; none rejected its pleas and its commands without an effort of mind and will, so long as its master had control of it."

I wonder if at some point, Faramir and Eowyn's rebels would be approached by new allies. Two blue pilgrims from the east, leading an army of alikely thinking men, seeking any form of resistance that is willing to stand up against their former leader.

I was always under the impression that only Sauron can use the rings power properly, and that it is always seeking to reunite with him. I've always believed that any scenario that involves someone claiming the ring for themself is ultimately serving Sauron's end. It will inevitably return to him.

He would have his telepathic ability greatly increased. In this way, he would control the Nazgûl (Unfinished Tales version), the Orcs, Trolls, Wargs and other evil creatures in the Misty Mountains.
If Sauron didn't attack soon (logistically impossible with the existence of Gondor), he would be outmatched and overthrown. I imagine that this way Saruman would have two strong domains in the end: Isengard and Mordor.

Saruman was one of the most interesting characters in the book, the Voice is especially a fascinating concept. Imagine going to Saruman and even from a distance you hear a musical voice and feel your heart lifted, you want to sit down and listen forever not turning into an automaton you still have your faculties but just completely charmed and beguiled. Imagine the power of that. The Sirens from Greek mythology would be an analogy.

Okay, now I want more of this Faramir & Eowyn alternate universe!

I would love to see you do a video answering “what if Saruman came down?” In the Voice of Saruman in the books, Gandalf offers him the chance to redeem himself and help them one last time. What might have happened had he repented and joined our heroes?

Loving these theory videos. In the Balrog video you mention how it's possible the Balrog of Moria might act as an ally to Sauron and it would be awesome to see a theory video considering what effect a more active Balrog would have on middle earth.

I love how this video is structured, laying groundwork from the cannon before turning to theory. The epilogue was fantastic

Oooh now this is a possibility I never considered! Loved your previous what if installments, theyre like an extra special event.
If you dont mind me throwing out my own suggestion: What if Isildur survived Gladden Fields? Meaning that his company still gets ambushed, sons killed and stll loses the ring, but doesnt get felled by arrows?

The artists who lend their art to these videos are nothing short of incredible, Christopher Lee's likeness is completely spot on.

Never thought of it until watching this but.....boromir trying to take the ring IS what SAVED the quest.
Else, this likely WOULD have been what happened.

Excellent theory. It sounds almost like Saruman obtaining the ring and taking over Middle Earth would be akin to Tolkien's worst industrialization nightmare

I'm not sure how powerful he would be, but he would definitely be more powerful than he already was

I love these theory videos! Just finished yet another read through of LOTR and wanted to add these to your list in case you didn’t have enough awesome content ideas in the pipeline 😅
- What if Sam takes the ring
- What if Faramir takes the ring
- What if Aragon takes the ring
- What if Boromir takes the ring

I always thought Saruman was never interested in using The Ring except to advance his knowledge in order to craft his own ring.

The idea of Saruman turning Middle Earth into an industrial hellscape is so interesting to me. Everything we see him doing in the movies is for the purposes of war, so I'm very curious what he'd be using his industry for once he rules most of the land. Mining I guess?

*Seeing Sir Christopher Lee with that kind of power boost would be absolutely EPIC!👏🏼*

Loved the video, man. Such a great take! One of the most interesting "what if" moments on the whole timeline for me is what if the Balrogs would have been too late and shelob had consumed the silmarils and Morgoth. Instead of a main antagonist who is cunning and bides their time the free peoples would have had to face one that was more instinct and hunger-driven

Interesting choices for Saruman's actions! I would have never figured what would have happened if he had hidden that he had found the ring from Sauron! Thanks for this interesting "what if"! 😎🤘☮

I''ve long pondered what would happen if Sam Gamgee, seeing Frodo stung&captured at the Tower of Cirth Ungol, would have claimed the Ring for himself and the Shire? A video on this someday prehaps?

These type of videos are some of the best. would love to see the "Got the one ring" series expand. for example what if Elrond got the ring or Legolas

Also, wouldn't Sauron destroy the lesser rings once he realized Saruman controlled the Ring Wraths'? Sauron still had those Nazgul rings and had Mount Doom ready at hand. Sauron would immediately realize Saruman had the One Ring and the Nazgul would turn against him.

Good video as always NOTR. One area in Middle-Earth that interests me the most, and I'm not sure if you or Tolkien covered on it, is the area in the farther southeast known as the Dark Lands. I'm wondering....
Why is it called that? Is that another area ruled by another evil? Perhaps by Sauron or some other, greater, much darker force? It's something I began to ponder on the most.
Just to add, I always had this fan theory of what would happen if the Easterlings actually did not fight alongside the orcs nor for Sauron, but rather against them? Would Sauron and his forces even stand a chance against the race of men?

Hey Matt, I noticed at the end of the video that you removed the dust-jacket from a lot of the books in your collection. I hope you still have them, but a missing dust-jacket lowers the value among collectors, especially as the edition ages and goes out-of-print. It'll be very important for your grandchildren to have in a 100 years.

I love this theory as I’m a big fan of Saruman and Isengard.

Could you consider making a video of “What if the Witch King got the one ring” or what would happen if one Nazgûl got all 9 rings for themself? I’m really curious how that would play out if possible at all

Saruman is my favorite character of lotr.
Your love for the lore, your meticulous srcutiny of every word's meaning and your unique understanding of Tolkien's imagination always make for amazing videos. But as a fan of Saruman this one is the best of all I have watched on the matter.
I only wish you would be hired as a writer for some Tolkien's universe related series...

What if Gollum killed Sam and Frodo in their sleep?
What if Eomer took the ring?
What if Borimir took the ring?
What if Azog took the lonely mountain? And how would that effect the war if the ring?
What if the balrog killed the fellowship?
What if Saruman won helms deep?

That epilogue gave me goosebumps! I need more of that!

Have you ever done a video about the Silmarills and their making, powers and histories? That would be most welcome! Thanks for your vids, I'm a new subscriber of your videos and they are amazing!

I absolutely love your What If‘s!
It would be very interesting to see a „What if Faramir got the One Ring“.

That epilogue is such a tease, now I want this alternate timeline to exist

Dude this was awesome and by far my favorite scenario of if the white wizard got the ring..... I would love to hear your thoughts on a scenario where the balrog got the ring..... It was so epic and people often don't realize just how close that fire demon was to the ring of power in Moria

Remember what Aragorn said: “The ring only answers to Sauron himself, it has no other master.”

Excited to hear about the rebellion and ultimate overthrow of Saruman and the One Ring led by Faramir and Eowyn and aided by the hobbits...

Good story!Guaranteed to make you think about how the movies could have ended with a different outcome!

Daaamn. So many times in this i found myself exclaiming aloud 'yes!' This is how I'd imagined it would go. Very compelling. Excellent work...

You can also consider the possibility of Saruman finding the ring on the remains of Isidur in the Gladden Fields. Him slowly mastering the ring until the welders of the three become aware of him. Him leaving the council, then the council declaring war on Saruman when he refuses to destroy the ring.

Great video! Please keep up the good work!

Really excellent stuff. Congrats on almost hitting 1 mil!!

Another good possible "What if" would be "If Thranduil got the ring" by capturing Bilbo during his attempt to break out the dwarves during The Hobbit.

It makes me wonder how the Valar would have reacted if this scenario had come to pass since they were the ones who had sent Saruman to Middle-earth.
Would Eru Ilúvatar resurrect Gandalf a second time?

Wow. This theory is amazing. Good job :)

Nice theory, and hoping to see more ’what if’s’. And clearly in these ones about claming the ring, the True victor is ”The One”…

Fantastic theory, making great sense, while the hobbits (including Gollum) appeared to have much less role to play. But awesome stuff to keep fans thinking deeply, well done!

Fantastic video as always! I absolutely adore these types of videos from you. I know you generally shy away from theory videos as you don’t want to become purely that, but I certainly wish you would do them a bit more often!
One quick question, is it really so simple to just “claim” the ring? How do you go about doing that when it’s current master is Sauron? Do you have to hold more power than Sauron and convince the ring you would be a better master? Okay sorry, that was more than one. I got carried away haha.

I love these what if videos. Keep it up!

Great video!
but how would Gandalf free King Théoden from Saruman's control if Saruman possesses The One Ring and his power over King Théoden at its fullest ?

If this scenario was to play out, there must be a greater chance of a meeting between Saruman and Tom Bombadil. That would be interesting.

I'm usually not fond of theory videos, but this one was really well done.

That epilogue was just perfect!

Awesome video. This theory took a dark turn, fitting considering that it's about Saruman. Keep up the great work

Wow, just wow!!! 🤯 Watching this is like reading a "Choose Your Own Adventure," except way better because it's Tolkien and You!!! ❤⚔️

wow! Insane thinking! You are truly amazing at this! So damn accurate and plausable that it sounds true to the lore hahah

Love these What If's - what if Denethor got the ring??

Very interesting video! Thanks!
I wouldn't change anything to this "what if" :)
Maybe there is a timeline that could make Saruman use his voice sooner... Convincing (corrupting?) Theoden and Rohan to join his cause. Because... Are we sure Gandalf the White would be able to free Theoden from Saruman's bewitchment if Saruman has the One Ring?

Amazing video,huge fan. compelling and perfectly reasonable within the lore and universe, but that epilogue... you have to do a follow-up 'what if' about that, the whole idea of their meeting would make for a great tale!

Thank you for your videos. They are right up my alley! However, one question still remains unanswered: What does Saruman do with his Uruk-hai army when he wants to drive out the Orcs and establish a human kingdom?

Excellent theory. Also, that in Gandalf's corpse, Saruman finds Narya the Great. Imagine the fire power, literally, he gains. The rest of the Elves and Dwarfs stand no chance.

I think Eomer’s company encountering the orcs is too certain. I wonder if it is more likely that something happens that prevents the fellowship from breaking. Maybe the company finds Frodo before he and Sam leave. Then the orcs attack. Frodo spooked by the attack, decides to stay with the company after all. They decide they need to get to safe territory asap for fear of other orc attacks - the nearest place is Edoras of whom Aragorn (and Boromir) insist is not in league or swayed by the enemy. By going there they fall into Saruman’s trap and they do not find Gandalf.

This was awesome. perfect theory all around. Can't wait for a battle between upgraded Gandalf and Saruman with the ring.

I'm wondering though, shouldn't have Elrond and Galadriel taken actions as well? They certainly immediately knew as well that Saruman had taken it. I think at least Galadriel would have sent a force and maybe even went herself to Isengard. I mean, they even went to Helm's Deep to aid them.

One who breaks a thing to discover what it is has left the path of wisdom.
One of my favorite passages from fellowship of the rings, I think the chapter is called the council of Saruman

Interesting theory but it’s missing one major player: Manwe.
Yes the Valar have an annoying tendency to not get involved, but if things get bad enough they have eventually used their might to defeat Morgoth’s forces in the past.
Sending the Istari was Plan A, as it ideally would allow the free peoples to resist Sauron on their own, and sending back a “powered up” Gandalf after he proved he would not be corrupted by it was further evidence of Manwe’s care for the survival of the free people’s. In the books, that was enough, but had the ring come up Sauron it Saruman, I fully believe the Valar would have intervened directly.

Great video. Still hoping for a "What if the Witch-King claimed the One Ring for his own (on Weathertop)?" or "What if the One Ring was lost forever to the sea (and no one ever claims it)?"

Now you should make a video of what would have happened if Ar-Pharazon had obtained The One Ring in the Second Age.

Whenever you get your gold play button, you should have it forged into a replica of the one ring.

Here's an idea. What if Gollum didn't fall once he got the ring from Frodo, and instead escaped the mountain?
Or for that matter, if he simply stole it back at some point during the journey not like he didn't have ample chances.

Always great to ser a new entry in this series. What could the next one be? Aragon claiming the ring?

This is a very thoughtful imagining, I think. It makes sense that Saruman would seek to manipulate Denethor instead of trying to defeat Gondor militarily at that point - even in canon, he tries to persuade Theoden to make peace. The fact that his voice also brings together men of the east and west against the orcs - though obviously not for benign reasons - is an interesting twist. I can even see how Saruman's powers of persuasion, enhanced by the ring, might lead men of Gondor to turn on the elves; it wouldn't necessarily need to be about dominating their wills so much as exploiting the fact that they would probably see them as recluses who contributed nothing to their defense since the War of the Last Alliance. Those ties aren't as strong as they used to be, and you can see the seeds of a sentiment like that in Boromir at the Council of Elrond when he says it's only because of Gondor that their lands are kept safe.
Loved the epilogue, by the way. I was wondering how those two figured into things! It feels right.

Great video, but I have some questions. In your hypothetical story, when Saruman gets the ring and claims it for himself, Sauron is basically finished. He looses the Nazgul and his physical form and is basically defeated. If that is the case, why does he ever treat him as an ally and help him get the ring to Isengard? I know Sauron never really considered anyone trying to destroy the ring in mount Doom, because he could not understand why would anyone try to destroy it instead of use it for themselves. In that case, he should have well understood that Saruman would very likely try to claim the ring which basically spells doom for him, yet he allies himself with him and sends orcs to escort the ring to Isengard (correct me if I am wrong here). If your analysis of what happens after Saruman gains the ring is correct, then Sauron should treat Saruman as his worst enemy, he is one of the few people who could claim the ring and likely the only one greedy enough to do it.
That makes me think that Sauron must have had some safeguards in place that could keep that from happening, because if he hadn't, he would have seen Saruman as his biggest threat and not an ally to use and discard later. Certainly bigger threat than the Hobbits and Gandalf and possibly even the elves.

What do you think of the theory? Anything you'd change? Did I forget something? Let me know!

I thought Tolkien stated that ONLY Gandalf had the power to rival Sauron while wearing the Ring? I don’t remember the letter number but I do remember him stating that while wearing the Ring of Fire and the One Ring, Gandalf had a 50/50 chance of defeating Sauron in open combat

Could you do a theory video on the would happen if the council of Elrond chose a different option then destroying the ring. Such as bringing it to Valinor or keeping it in Rivendell.

With his power knowledge I wonder if he could control the power of the ring and control Shouron

10 seconds in and I’m pumped for this one 👍🏼

Great video! One theory that I would love to see on your chanel is What if Gil-Galad survived to the third age. Basically what if he was alive in the events of Lord of the Rings. Love your chanel, love your work. Have a great day.

One funny thing I should think is this, Even if he can capture and hold Gandalf the White... I'm sure that Gandalf might be able to escape or else send word to the other three Istari... Radagast, Alastor, and Pallando. Doubtless they would get in contact with the Valar and perhaps more Maiar might come to finish it once and for all.

There might be a one flaw in that theory. Since you already pointed out, that Saruman's voice would be sttonger with the Ring, it's really doubtfull for me, that Gandalf wpuld be able to break his control over Theoden. And though, Rohan would be in the control of Saruman a whole time.

With the description we get from Tolkein you cited in this video, Christopher Lee was such a perfect choice for Saruman. RIP.

If Saruman had the one ring, wouldn’t it be more difficult for Gandalf to free theoden from his possession?? Because Saruman would be stronger, destroying Rohan from inside out, meaning the fellowship would have less allies?

Solid theory! I think this is about how it would have played out!

Two very different ideas came to me while watching this.
First, what if Saruman had not been corrupted and changed sides, but instead managed to carry out his original orders much like Gandalf had?
Second, what if the One Ring was truly indestructible and not even the fires of Mount Doom could do it any harm at all?

I would have thought that in this narrative line the forces facing off against Saruman would be more extensive. Simply because Saruman has not disrupted the many villages and small holds and without having to fight the battle of helms deep more people would have faith in the Rohirim king. Additionally I would have thought several elven allies might be available, blocking Gondor is one thing but Sauron going all out to hit everywhere leaving Izenguard untouched when it has his priority objective seems weak.

Your videos are badass dude, you're the bomb!

I also just thought of another interesting what if you may consider. "What if elrond killed isildur to destroy the ring?".
Imagine if instead of letting Isildur walk away with the ring he confronted him and threw both him and the ring into the fire? I imagine him going back and being honest about what he did and why as there's no hiding it. The other elves understand it was no easy choice but ultimately the right one for middle earth but the men disagree and a deep resentment starts. Men wage war against the elves with the help of the dwarves who also hate the elves and beat them into submission, subjugation and slavery. Now we have a future where the elves in middle earth are similar to those in the witcher series where a once high a d mighty race are now downtrodden and at the bottom of society.

Okay, so another offshoot idea. What if Saruman after the battle of Helms Deep saw the error of his ways and repented when given the chance by Gandalf the White?

Been waiting so long for more of your what if... Stuff. I wonder what would have happened if boromir killed frodo for the ring.

I like the turning on the orcs it feels very true to how he’s depicted

So what would happen to the ring Saruman made for himself? Would it's power be increased or would nothing happen to it?

I think the oddest thing in the films was being surprised at his betrayal in the trilogy but then in the Hobbit series it seemed like he already was turning and was at least not fully trusted.

I wonder if the Ents would ever attack Isengard, if the Hobbits had never come to Fangorn. And if Saruman was in possession of the One Ring, I think Gandalf would not be able to free Théoden from him.

@Nerd of the Rings - This was an excellent fan theory video. There is, however, one detail you left out: if Saruman defeats Gandalf the White, then he will have both The One Ring AND Gandalf's ring; Narya.