An ode to The Rings Of Power's strongest element, Joseph Mawle’s Adar
Following Prime Video's shocking decision to recast Adar, it's time for an appreciation of the Orc savior who salvaged the $500 million series

The first season of Amazon’s The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power arrived on a great wave of controversy and debate. That’s nothing new for J.R.R. Tolkien, who consistently reworked, revised, and added to his legendarium throughout his life. However, the holes in Middle-earth’s history that co-creators J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay used to stage its narrative confounded fans, and their depiction of an angry, war-hungry Galadriel angered others. But almost everyone agreed on one thing: Joseph Mawle’s performance as the Orc leader Adar was something special.
A good villain can turn the dial on any story, but Mawle’s Adar seemingly unlocked the whole series, revealing the complexity and nuance beneath the franchise’s spectacle. From his first appearance in episode three, “Adar,” Mawle brought true menace and mystery to the series, driving audiences toward the season’s surprise climax: The eruption of Mount Doom. Unfortunately, Joseph Mawle won’t see his Orc children free. The role was recast with Sam Hazeldine from Peaky Blinders, and what a shame it is.
While a recasting isn’t always disastrous, fans are mourning Mawle’s departure with good reason. His Adar came fully formed as if we knew his character’s history the second he walked on screen. As sensitive as he was sinister, Mawle’s Adar was the key to the most exciting and necessary reckoning on the show, challenging the assumption that Orcs are inherently evil. If Galadriel’s (Morfydd Clark) opening lines this season, “Nothing is born evil,” are true, then Adar complicates her belief in the thesis.