**What Really Happens to Saruman at the End of Lord of the Rings? Prepare to Be Shocked!**
It’s a universe filled with twists, turns, and unexpected fates — but **what happens to Saruman** might just be the most shocking of all. In “The Lord of the Rings,” identifying who meets their end and who escapes unscathed can be perplexing. Elves journey away to the Undying Lands, Gandalf dramatically returns stronger, but what about Saruman? Surprisingly, he doesn’t meet a traditional death; instead, his physical body may perish, but his spirit lingers on in a state of haunting emptiness.
**The Fate of Saruman: A Closer Look**
If you’ve only seen the standard theatrical cuts of Peter Jackson’s masterpiece, you might be scratching your head. The last image of Saruman shows him trapped within the confines of his tower, Orthanc, at the end of “The Two Towers.” For those lucky enough to have watched the extended editions, you’ll recall a far more shocking ending when Saruman is stabbed by Wormtongue and falls to his doom, landing in a grim device that seals his fate. But there’s more than just the movies at play here.
In the source material penned by J.R.R. Tolkien, Saruman’s journey diverges significantly. He does get stabbed, but it’s in the Shire — yes, the Shire — where his downfall truly takes shape. Instead of succumbing to immediate death, Saruman’s spirit becomes a shadow of what it once was, taking on a fate that is arguably worse than death itself. Why? Because he exists as a mere echo of his former self, marked by defeat, triviality, and ultimately, **irrelevance**.
**Sauron’s Downfall: The Reflection of Saruman’s Fate**
Ever wonder how Saruman’s ongoing existence compares to that of Sauron? Like the Dark Lord himself, Saruman belongs to the realm of the Maiar — Tolkien’s reimagined angels. While both start as powerful agents tasked with opposing evil in Middle-earth, their ultimate fates echo through haunting parallels.
So what happens to a **Maiar** when their corporeal form ceases to exist? Take Sauron, for instance. With the destruction of the One Ring, he doesn’t actually die; instead, his powerful form is diminished to an insignificant shadow. Tolkien describes him as a “mere spirit of malice,” trapped in a timeless void, forever gnawing at his own failures. That’s a pretty grim picture, and it sets a precedent for our once-mighty Saruman.
Just like Sauron, Saruman’s demise doesn’t mark an end of existence. It merely recalibrates him into a vacant shell of malice, adrift in the ether of time.
**Unraveling Saruman’s Ending in the Books**
In the course of the novels, the path of Saruman unfolds in a deeply melancholic fashion. After the grand adventure, the beloved Hobbits return to a Shire transformed into a battleground, ravaged by Saruman’s wicked minions. But they don’t back down; they rally together, reclaim their home, and confront Saruman face-to-face.
What’s striking is Frodo’s inner struggle. He’s burdened with a mercy that he wishes to extend to Saruman. But, as fate would have it, Wormtongue ultimately betrays his master, leading to Saruman’s tragic demise. Here’s where it gets haunting — as he falls, a mist rises around his body, transforming into a sorrowful, pale figure that seems to float away, dissipating into nothingness as a cold wind blows through.
This imagery resonates. It’s a reflection not just of Saruman’s end, but of a much larger theme within Tolkien’s world where power-hungry beings are left abandoned, reminders of their former might hollowed out into wisps of smoke.
**The Legacy of Saruman: An Echo in the Wind**
While we may never know if Saruman’s spirit shares a similar fate to Sauron’s in that Timeless Void, we can make educated guesses. The poignant sentiment that Saruman, once a powerful being, diminishes to a mere shadow is one of the most heart-wrenching outcomes in “The Lord of the Rings.” With his ambition uncontested, it’s almost poetic that he encounters endless irrelevance.
In literary terms, Saruman’s fate exposes the dire consequences of ambition gone awry. He becomes emblematic of the idea that power for its own sake can lead to a rather hollow existence. Like smoke engulfed by the wind, he serves as a cautionary tale, reminding readers and fans alike of the significance of balance between ambition and humility.
So, in exploring **what happens to Saruman**, you bear witness to a masterful condemnation of hubris and a haunting echo of loss that resonates through the annals of Middle-earth. Ultimately, his ending serves as a solemn reminder that some fates can, indeed, be worse than death.