Why Saruman Actually Turned Bad In Lord Of The Rings

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring saw Saruman switch to the side of evil, but it doesn't show precisely how this came to be his path.

Saruman the White famously turned to the side of darkness in The Lord of the Rings, but Peter Jackson's film trilogy never explained precisely how this happened. In fact, little of this history is included in even Tolkien's original books. Saruman's story started long before Frodo's journey in the Third Age. In truth, it began near the beginning of time itself, in stories outlined by works like The Silmarillion and The History of Middle-earth.

Saruman was introduced in The Lord of the Rings movies as the wise leader of Gandalf the Grey's order. It is implied that he was once a thoughtful and gentle man who delighted in caring for nature (and fostered a close relationship with the Ents). However, in a twist of events, Saruman turned on Gandalf and dedicated himself to the Dark Lord Sauron. He raised an army, attacked Helm's Deep, and suffered a definitive loss. This marked the end of his story in the movie trilogy, but in Tolkien's written works, it didn't end here—and it started far earlier.

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Saruman was created before the Music of the Ainur, which is Tolkien-speak for the creation of the universe. He was a member of a race called the Maiar, and his purpose was to serve the demigods of The Lord of the Rings canon, the Valar. At that time, he called himself Curumo or Tarindor, and he was known to be a skilled craftsman. This had a lot to do with his Vala master, Aulë, the Dwarf god of The Lord of the Rings and the "Smith" of the Valar.

Saruman wasn't Aulë's only apprentice. Sauron, who was also a Maia, served under the Smith as well. Of course, at the time, both these angel-like beings were loved and respected as forces of good—but it's no coincidence that they ultimately went down a dark path. Evil in The Lord of the Rings is often associated with coveting the power of creation. Aulë's attendants could create the most beautiful things but couldn't create life. It was the same thing that turned the Dark Lord Morgoth away from Eru Ilúvatar (the top god of LOTR), and it would eventually do the same to the two Maiar.

Though Saruman and Sauron were destined to turn bad, the latter did it far before the former. Sauron became the first lieutenant of Morgoth and went away with him to achieve their dark goals. After the Valar destroyed the Dark Lord, it was clear that Sauron would also need to be dealt with—especially after he created his Rings of Power. So, the Valar assembled a Maiar team known as the Istari to act as their envoys in Middle-earth. Naturally, the very first Maia to volunteer was Saruman.

As the first member of the Istari, Saruman was made the leader—the White wizard. Olórin, who would come to be called Gandalf in Middle-earth, was chosen by the Valar to serve as the third wizard (the Grey). This was the moment that Saruman's jealousy first began to burn within him quietly. Olórin was reluctant to come to Middle-earth and face Sauron and instead wished to stay in Valinor to serve his Vala, Manwë (king of the Valar). The future Gandalf the Grey was begged by the Valar to go, which Saruman found unnecessary since he was surely strong enough to do the job on his own.

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Though Saruman resented that Gandalf (and Radagast) were sent with him to Middle-earth, he cooperated with them for many years. As Gandalf explained in The Lord of the Rings, he believed the head of his order to be a wise, strong, and trustworthy leader. However, the White wizard's jealousy only grew. Shortly after the Istari arrived in Middle-earth in the 1,000th year of the Third Age, Gandalf was gifted one of the Three Elven Rings of Power, Narya—something Saruman deeply resented.

Since Saruman was a craftsman like Sauron, he became deeply interested in the Rings of Power and desired to have one for himself. When the White wizard revealed himself to have turned from the side of good in Lord of the Rings, Gandalf noticed a ring on his finger. The wizard called himself "Saruman of Many Colors" and "Saruman Ring-maker," indicating his covetous nature led him to try to make a Ring of Power for himself. Still, it lacked the strength of Sauron's or Gandalf's, so the former White wizard joined the Dark Lord in an attempt to claim some of his power.

The fact that Saruman switched sides the moment he did was no coincidence. His history shows that he had always coveted power and desired to be recognized as the best of the best. Between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, it had been in his best interest to remain on the side of the Valar—they were the supreme beings, and proving himself to them was the best way that he could maintain his status and power. However, all that changed the moment he learned that the One Ring to rule them all was within reach.

Saruman joined Sauron believing that it was his best chance to retrieve the One Ring, and thanks to Gandalf's information, he was as close as he could ever hope to be. All he needed to do was find the hobbit who possessed it, claim the power for himself, and he could cast down Sauron and take his place as the Dark Lord—a power so great he arrogantly believed he would be better than even the Valar. Of course, things didn't work out this way. The Maia he was jealous of the most, Gandalf, took his place as the White wizard, and Saruman's Lord of the Rings story was as good as done from that moment on.