Would Sauron Have Turned Evil Eventually Even if Melkor Had Never Existed?

The fear of the Wise is that Sauron, if left unvanquished, would have continued to rule Middle-earth until the end of the world, styling himself as the god-emperor of Arda. In the Legendarium of J.R.R. Tolkien, Sauron's journey from a rebel to a tyrant is a tale of unrelenting malevolence. This raises the question: would Sauron have inevitably succumbed to the same malevolence even if Melkor, his predecessor and predecessor, had never existed?

Fear of the Wise: Sauron's Ultimate Rule

The dread expressed by the High Elves (the Wise) is that Sauron's eventual victory would be complete, with no adversaries left strong enough to oppose him. The Valar, including Maia spirits and the others that are out of Arda's reach, would be unable to challenge his dominion. Sauron had multiple chances to repent of his evil deeds, yet his fear of the judgment imposed by the Valar drove him to flee.

Rebellion and Evil Habits

By the end of the First Age, Sauron still maintained largely good purposes initially. However, his rebellion against the Valar, and ultimately against Eru (God), made him a creature entangled in evil habits that made a relapse almost inevitable. Sauron's desire to rule Middle-earth and the world beyond Aman, motivated by his status as a Maia, was inherently evil. Even at the beginning of his rise, his desires centered on domination and submission, rather than peace and cooperation.

Crimes and the One Ring

Furthermore, Sauron's actions, such as his transformation into Annatar and his dealings with the Elves, revealed a deep-seated belief in his righteousness, intertwined with deceit. Perhaps most damning was the forging of the One Ring, an act that externalized his power and desire for ultimate domination. Once the Ring was created, there was no turning back; his goals became fixed, unchangeable, and made him emotionally and intellectually rigid.

Rebellion and Environmental Destruction

The act of forging the One Ring and its subsequent use led Sauron to commit environmental and racial destruction. His destruction of Eriador and his later corruption of the Númenóreans were acts of extreme violence. In Númenor, Sauron reveled in the corruption of the Númenóreans, delighting in their blasphemy against Eru (God). It was this destruction and unrestrained evil that ultimately sealed Sauron's fate and led to his death.

The Question of Repentance

Despite his unyielding malevolence, a subtle question remains: what of Sauron should he have undergone a possible repentance? The Silmarillion and Ainulindal? suggest that even Melkor's rebellion, the predecessor of Sauron's, served a purpose aligned with Eru's greater plan. This makes one wonder if, after the end of the world, Sauron might have experienced a change of heart or a revelation, ultimately questioning his own motives and sins.

Posthumously, Sauron, trapped as an impotent spirit, perhaps ruminated on his hatred and bile rather than on his actions and their consequences. This raises the intriguing possibility that with the passage of time and the end of the world, Sauron or the Dark Lord might find a limited form of redemption or understanding.

Conclusion: While Sauron's rise to tyranny was inevitable due to his nature, his actions, and the One Ring, the possibility of a posthumous repentance intriguingly emerges as a point of contemplation. This question serves to deepen our understanding of the complex morality and the ultimate fate of powerful, malevolent figures in Tolkien's universe.