Saruman

"Who told you, and who sent you?" — Gandalf

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"[Saruman] is great among the Wise. He is the chief of my order and the head of the Council. His knowledge is deep, but his pride has grown with it, and he takes ill any meddling. The lore of the Elven-rings, great and small, is his province. He has long studied it, seeking the lost secrets of their making (....)" ― Gandalf, The Shadow of the Past

Saruman the White (Third Age c. 1000 – 3019, existed in Middle-earth for 2019 years) was the first of the order of Wizards (or Istari) who came to Middle-earth as Emissaries of the Valar in the Third Age. He was the leader of the White Council. In Sindarin his name was Curunír, which meant "Man of Skill".

edit] History

edit] Origins

The Ainur existed before Arda was created. Maiar were angelic creatures of lower order than the Valar. Curumo and Mairon were powerful Maiar of Aulë, until the latter fell and became Sauron.[2]

In Valinor, a council was called by Manwë. This was likely in the middle of the Second Age, shortly after the creation of the Rings of Power. It was decided to send five emissaries to Middle-earth. These should be "mighty, peers of Sauron, yet forgo might, and clothe themselves in flesh" — Istari, or Wizards. One of those who went was Curumo (later in Sindarin Curunír, or in Westron Saruman).[3]

Saruman was one of those who volunteered, whereas the last one, Olórin, (later Gandalf) was commanded by Manwë to go. Saruman's jealousy of Gandalf began even here, when Varda said of Gandalf, who went as the third Istar that he was "not the third". Saruman was charged to take Aiwendil with him to please Yavanna, which he did not wish to do, and this led to contempt for the latter Wizard.[3]

edit] Arrival in Middle-earth

Saruman arrived alone in a ship at Mithlond (the Grey Havens) in Lindon around the year 1000 of the Third Age[4], and only Círdan knew his identity and his origin.

He went into the East of Middle-earth, as did the two Blue Wizards. After one and a half millennia he returned to the West, just as Sauron's power was growing again in Dol Guldur.

When the White Council was formed around T.A. 2463[4], Saruman was appointed its leader. Even then, he had begun to sense the resurgence of Sauron and to envy and desire his power, and especially his One Ring. Coincidentally, in that same year the One Ring was found by the creature Gollum[4], drawing the Dark Lord closer to the conflict that would eventually prove Saruman's undoing.

edit] Chief of the White Council

When Saruman returned from his travels into the east of Middle-earth, he spent years in Minas Tirith examining its archives. It is possible that there he surmised that a palantír would still be located in Orthanc.[5] He offered to make Isengard his home and to command the defences of the West. This was welcomed by King Fréaláf of Rohan and Steward Beren of Gondor alike. In T.A. 2759, Saruman was given the Key of Orthanc in the ring of Isengard his abode, hoping that he would prove an important ally.[6][7] There he became important in the defence of the free lands of the West. In Orthanc he came upon the Orthanc-stone, one of the seven seeing stones, but kept it secret and hidden, particularly from the White Council. He would later betray the Council by concealing his use of it.

In T.A. 2851, the White Council met and Gandalf revealed that the evil presence in Dol Guldur was indeed Sauron and that he had returned, and urged an attack there. Saruman however believed that Sauron would be useful in his quest: allowing Sauron to build up his strength, the One Ring would reveal itself, and Saruman hoped to have sufficient strength to seize it first himself until that event. With this strategy in mind, Saruman overruled Gandalf. It soon became clear that Saruman desired to possess the One Ring himself.[4]

He soon found that Sauron had more knowledge of the possible location of the One Ring than he expected, and in T.A. 2941 he finally consented to an Attack on Dol Guldur against Sauron at which point Sauron retreated to Mordor.

Dol Guldur Angus McBride -

In T.A. 2953, the Wise gathered once more to debate about the Rings of Power. Saruman quieted the Council claiming to have the knowledge that the One Ring was lost forever in the Belegaer. Following their final meeting (and the death of Steward Turgon), Saruman took Isengard for his own and fortified it.[7] Saruman, jealous and afraid of Gandalf, set spies to watch all his movements; thus he discovered the existence of the Shire and noted Gandalf's interest in it, and started sending agents in Bree and the Southfarthing.[4] As Lord of Isengard, Saruman began to bring trouble to Rohan by aiding its enemies.[8] But the Wise were already suspicious about him; Aragorn tried to advice Steward Ecthelion II to not trust Saruman for his help against Sauron.[7]

Sauron had declared himself openly in Mordor; he established contact with Saruman through the Ithil-stone his minions had captured from Minas Ithil. Through his jealousy towards Gandalf and his ever-growing pride and arrogance, and through the use of the palantír was dominated by Sauron, becoming a servant of his will. Using either the knowledge of his new master or lore of lost Eregion, Saruman crafted his own lesser ring and sought to emulate Sauron. His corruption was complete around T.A. 3000.[4] Saruman intended to seize the One Ring for himself, or at the very least stand as a vassal of the victorious Sauron.

edit] War of the Ring

At about this time, in an attempt to control Rohan, Saruman bought the allegiance of King Théoden's chief advisor, Gríma, who then counselled the ailing king to do nothing about the steady resurgence of Sauron's armies. Saruman and Gríma's treachery would have crippled Rohan's military might and allowed Sauron lordship of the kingdom, had not Gandalf interfered a year later and revealed to Théoden his right-hand man's true designs, healing the old king and revitalising his political and military rule.

He had sent spies to negotiate the purchase of "leaf" from the Shire, in preparation for the war, and also learn of any Hobbits who had departed recently in hopes of finding out who possessed the One Ring.[9]

Saruman did not reveal his true intentions until Gandalf presented him with the discovery and location of the One Ring. On 10 July, T.A. 3018, Gandalf arrived at Isengard.[10] Saruman demanded that Gandalf submit to Sauron or fail. Saruman then stood forth as Saruman of Many Colours, and when Gandalf refused to join him or tell him of the Ring, he held him captive in Isengard.

Saruman commanding his forces from Orthanc

It must have been during Gandalf's captivity in Orthanc that Saruman began to amass a massive army of Orcs, Dunlendings, and Uruk-hai, since Gandalf came to an as yet un-destroyed Isengard. From the pinnacle of the tower Gandalf could see that Saruman was gathering hordes of orcs and wolves in his pits and forges.[11] One can speculate that if matters had developed a little more slowly, his puppet Gríma would have gained full control over Rohan, and the Rohirrim would have been enslaved or destroyed.

Saruman's plans likely failed because he, like Sauron, was forced to reveal his hand early by Gandalf's subsequent escape, and therefore he had little time to perfect his plans. As Saruman considered himself "unfallen", he honestly believed he had a chance of converting Gandalf to their side, and felt honestly betrayed by Gandalf when he was refused.

Gandalf later escaped, and so Saruman's treachery and service to Sauron became known to the rest of the White Council when Gandalf reported thse during the subsequent Council of Elrond.

Saruman soon also betrayed his master by lying to the Witch-king when he arrived at Isengard. Sauron had sent the Nazgûl searching for Baggins, who had found the One Ring years before, and the Shire, his home. Saruman pretended to know nothing about the Shire. But the Lord of Minas Morgul and his company did not have the strength to assault the Ring of Isengard. Saruman told them that he believed Gandalf knew the whereabouts of the Ring and the Riders departed.

In September of T.A. 3018 the Nazgûl captured one of his Shire spies who told the Witch-king everything, betraying Saruman, and exposing the wizard's double treachery. They also seized some maps and information about the Shire and Baggins.[9] Caught now as a traitor to the Free Peoples and unfaithful ally to Mordor, Saruman put all efforts into obtaining the One Ring for himself.[12]

The failure to capture the Ring at Emyn Muil further ruined Saruman's plans, as he was revealed as a traitor to Sauron as well.

Ted Nasmith - The Wrath of the Ents

Finding himself in a precarious position, Saruman could only hope to acquire the Ring or reassure Sauron of his loyalties. Therefore he implemented an agressive strategy of attacking Rohan, endeavouring to kill the King's son Théodred, sending spies to waylay Frodo Baggins on his flight from the Shire, and dispatching raiding parties on likely routes a company of the Ring might take to Gondor. Ironically, one of these parties captured Peregrin Took and Meriadoc Brandybuck and transported them to Fangorn Forest in time to mobilise the Ents. Gandalf also suspected Saruman had found (and destroyed) the remains of Isildur, who had worn the Ring before it had been lost.

Saruman's Shire network failed to capture Frodo Baggins, Gandalf rallied Rohan to victory, Éomer stopped his brutal, but only partially successful raiding party, and control of Isengard was lost to the Ents. Aware he was utterly defeated, Saruman briefly considered repenting for his deeds, but at the last moment could not go through with it. Whether he had hope he could escape, whether he was too proud to surrender to Gandalf, whether he thought his master would pardon him, Saruman refused to leave the confines of his fortress. Saruman made a final attempt to woo Théoden and Gandalf to his cause but failed: his staff was broken and he was expelled from the Order of the Istari.

Left out of the final stages of the War of the Ring and unable to be of any use to Sauron, he eventually managed to convince his captors, the Ents, into letting him leave Isengard, as apparently the magic of his voice still remained.

On their way to northern Dunland , they were confronted by Gandalf, Celeborn Galadriel and the Hobbits, but they passed as travelling beggars as Saruman kicked Gríma to move on, and he exclaimed how he hated his lord. Gandalf told Gríma that he was free to leave him but he did not reply. As Saruman was considered powerless, there was little concern for his escape.He then went to the Shire, which his ally Lotho Sackville-Baggins (undisturbed by events elsewhere) had brought under control. He established himself in Hobbiton and spent his final days as a small-time thug lord whom his ruffians called, imposing a terror regime to avenge himself upon the peaceful Halflings. But even this operation fell apart after Frodo and Samwise Gamgee returned; he was eventually betrayed and killed by his own agent Gríma on 3 November

Saruman, who was a Maia, had lost his shape with his "death". As a discorporate spirit, he should have been called to Mandos, but a wind came from the West and pushed it away. Apparently his spirit was left naked, powerless and wandering in Middle-earth; perhaps not unlike his master after the One Ring was destroyed.

edit] Characteristics

In appearance, Saruman was as an old man with black hair. At the end of the Third Age, his hair and beard had turned mostly white — he had only black hairs about his lips and ears. He was tall, his face was long, and his eyes were deep and dark. He would appear in a white cloak, a habit he later changed into a cloak that changed colours as he moved.

He was not actually a Man, or even an Elf (as Men often suspected), but a Maia clothed in flesh — an Istar (see Origins above). As such, he was immortal and extremely powerful, yet had limits on how far these powers could be used. His two most salient powers were his knowledge and his voice. Saruman was, in a very real way, the junior brother of Sauron both having been Maia of Aulë, Valar of Smithcraft, in the very beginnings of time. The parallels between Sauron and Saruman in both character and actions are many.

edit] Powers

Knowledge of the "deep arts" (or magic, such as it is in Middle-earth) was of particular interest to Saruman, especially when relating to power—such as the Rings of Power and the far seeing palantíri. He was also deeply learned in ancient lore regarding powerful kingdoms such as Númenor, Gondor, and Moria.

His voice and speech were extremely convincing, more powerful than mere rhetoric. When he focused this power on a person or a group of people, he could sway their hearts, plant fears and sow lies as he pleased. According to the stature of the listener, this spell could last as long as the speech did, or it could take root in them and last forever. Saruman's voice was so powerful that he was able to convince the Witch-king that he knew nothing of the One-Ring or the Shire. His voice was not hypnotic, however, rather it was persuasive; and the real danger the voice posed to the listener was not them falling into a trance, but agreeing with it.

Aside from his voice, Saruman has other subtle abilities such as giving great speed and motivation to his orcs at a distance and setting his will against all those in his dominion that might oppose him. Aragorn takes note of this ability while tracking the party of orcs holding Merry and Pippin hostage. Saruman also seems to be able to move around totally unheard by others, as there are numerous examples of him using this ability. Several examples include his sneaking up on Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas's camp in The Riders of Rohan, his wholly unheard entrance in The Voice of Saruman and his quiet but sudden appearance to the hobbits in The Scouring of the Shire.

Other powers include knowledge of machinery and chemistry, probably separable from explicit magic (for instance, the "blasting fire" employed by his Uruk-hai army in the battle of Helm's Deep, was some kind of chemical explosive). Machinery and engines characterised both his fortified Isengard and his altered Shire arenas of influence. In this, he sought to emulate, or even surpass his master, Sauron. This inclination was constitutional in them both from the very beginning.

His science also extended to biological areas. He is believed to have crossbred Men and Orcs, creating a new race of Orcs unafraid of daylight, the dreaded Uruk-hai, a major improvement on Sauron's thralls who hated daylight. His mannish spies in Bree were said to have Orc blood, giving them heightened senses over ordinary men. He also employed scavenger birds in his service, although this might also be attributed to Radagast the Brown, ordering them to report to Orthanc, Saruman's stronghold.

Being regarded as more powerful than Gandalf (at least before Gandalf's "rebirth"), it's fair to assume he would also wield explicit magic similar to Gandalf, such as artificial light, locking spells, creating fire, etc.

Saruman, walking on the same ruinous path as his master, attempted to forge for himself a Ring of Power, much like Sauron had. This he wore during the War of the Ring which he revealed when he called himself "Saruman the Ring-maker". He had great knowledge and lore of the magic rings created by Sauron and by the Elven-smiths, though at this time the full art of ring-making was lost and known only to his master and so Saruman's knowledge of the craft was incomplete. It is assumed that Saruman's Ring was the equivalent of one of the lesser rings in power and any details of this power is not mentioned. It is also assumed that it too lost its power, if it had any, when the One Ring was destroyed, since Saruman's craft of ring-making was still based on Sauron's. When Gandalf was given Narya, the Ring of Fire, Saruman learned of the gift and resented it. This may be another reason why Saruman desired to have a ring of his own.

edit] Personality

Saruman resembled Gandalf not only in appearance, but originally also somewhat in deportment, but unlike Gandalf, Saruman was proud, even haughty. He saw himself as the most powerful of the Istari, expressing clear contempt for Radagast the Brown, patronising tolerance of The Wise and Elves, and sheer disdain for lesser men. Saruman was no fool (though he saw Radagast as one); he realised Gandalf's power, and eventually came to see him as an equal, and later as a superior, much to his distress. He became jealous of Gandalf, eventually convincing himself that Gandalf was scheming against him, which justified his own scheming against Gandalf and the rest of the White Council, and the people of Middle-earth as well. Saruman's ultimate agenda in the end was not very different at all from Sauron's.

Saruman likely was true to his mission in the beginning, and actually believed in working to stop the Darkness, but his pride and later arrogance (as well as his jealousy towards Gandalf and corruption by Sauron) turned him into a traitor to the cause he had once served. Did Saruman think himself or Sauron better fitted to rule Middle-earth than the Valar? Saruman's betrayal was not sudden, but slowly grew over time as Sauron used Saruman's lust for power, admiration of strength and envy as tools of control, until at last Saruman had convinced himself that he could not have taken any other path and that it was too late now to repent. To the last Saruman only believed in his own counsel and the deceptive words of Sauron. This false beliefs kept him from taking his last chance at redemption, and because he must have realised this after Gandalf's truly generous terms he only became more bitter and filled with the rage of failure, blaming Gandalf more than anyone else for his downfall.

edit] Politics

edit] Men

Saruman "went mostly among men". He always sought power, and it lay in the hands of the kingdoms of Men.

No records speak of his earliest journeys into the east; after his return he became a servant of Gondor, receiving the keys to Orthanc from Beren as its warden. When Gondor weakened, he claimed Orthanc for his own without any formal declaration (or objection from Gondor), yet remained nominally an ally of Gondor and of Rohan.

When he turned to treachery, Saruman employed men mainly from Dunland, and agents from other lands, turning old grudges into fuel for new hatred. The Dunlendings were enticed with the old stories that they had once lived in Calenardhon before the Strawheads. The Dunlendings became his soldiers and it also seems probable that he used some of them to create Half-orcs.

Gríma Wormtongue played a vital role in Saruman's plans: with Saruman's counsel Gríma began to weaken the king, estranging him from his other counsellors and even his own kin, until Gríma had in effect become the leader of Rohan.

edit] Elves

Saruman was once on good terms with the Elves, and was voted in as the leader of the White Council, a group of Elves and Istari united against Sauron.

Saruman knew that Gandalf had been given the third Elvish ring Narya by Círdan the Shipwright. This nurtured his jealousy of Gandalf and his resentment towards the Elves.

Saruman had little use for, or interest in, the Elves, who were declining and their lands were few and secretive; although they wielded marvellous powers and two Rings of Power, they were not useful nor accessible for Saruman's ambitions. Also, they succumbed less easily than other races to manipulation.

Even though Isengard lay very close to Lothlórien, Saruman had very little or no contact with it. Saruman never trusted Galadriel and he accused her of scheming for Gandalf at his expense.[14]

edit] Orcs

Saruman drew his original strength of Orcs from tribes in the Misty Mountains, and perhaps from Moria Orcs. He made use of Warg-mounted Orcs for raids against Rohan.

He also bred Orcs in the pits of Isengard, eventually creating crossbreeds of Orcs and Men (probably Dunlendings or Bree-men). This programme apparently also involved feeding these greater Orcs Man-flesh as a treat.

His Uruk-hai legions displayed great discipline and fierce loyalty, in addition to the other improvements such as height, strength, endurance and resistance to sunlight. There also appears to have been middle stages between Men and the Uruk-hai, Men with varying degrees of Orkish appearance such as Half-orcs and Goblin-men. These were reported by Pippin and Merry to have been part of Saruman's regular army, but were not Uruk-hai, since the hobbits would have recognised these from their earlier capture.

Saruman's servants called him "Sharkey" both in Isengard and later in the Shire.

Saruman made contact with the Ents in Fangorn Forest shortly after he settled in Isengard. The oldest of the Ents, Treebeard received him and gave him free access to the forest.

Saruman also consulted with Treebeard, learning much old lore that the Ents would have remembered from ancient times. Saruman did not return this favour, but only listened.

The Ents saw Saruman's treachery early, and became very concerned, primarily with Saruman's Orcs felling trees on the edge of Fangorn for use in the furnaces of Isengard—or sometimes for no reason at all.

The Ents also appear to have had a sense of order, how things should be, that Saruman encroached upon. The crossbreeding of Men and Orcs particularly alarmed them, out of proportion to other concerns enemies of Saruman might have had. Also alarming was the pure fact of his treachery — the Istari were supposed to have a special responsibility.

Saruman used the Ents and the Fangorn forest without concern for the consequences. He clearly misjudged the Ents' abilities and will to act. This might not have been as incautious as it seemed, since major contributing factors to the Ent's actions were advice and requests from Gandalf, and concern about the rising power of Sauron (and their wish to support the front-line troops of the war, Rohan and Gondor).

Saruman clearly had the ability to understand the minds of the Ents when he found it useful. He managed to talk Treebeard into setting him free from Orthanc by pushing just the right buttons — Ents dislike the concept of caging up any creature.

edit] Hobbits

The race of Hobbits and their lands seemed too insignificant to interest Saruman: until he took notice of Gandalf's special concern for them. Studying Gandalf made him focus gradually more and more on the Hobbits and The Shire. For a period he actually travelled there in secret, mapping out the lands. Gandalf was aware of this, but at this point only amused.

He began smoking pipe-weed (a habit of the Hobbits that Gandalf had picked up), also in secret. His demand for tobacco opened up trading between The Shire and Isengard, and the power his money could wield there and the corruption it could cause began to fascinate him. Some of his agents went in secret, and some were known to Gandalf and the Rangers.

His anger towards the Hobbits may possibly stem from the attention Gandalf showed them. It certainly strengthened immensely when he discovered that the Hobbits had "conspired" with Gandalf to keep the One Ring from him.

This, and the sudden urgency caused by the Ringwraiths' hunt for the Ring-bearer from The Shire to Rivendell, made him increase his activity in the area, leading to a build-up of power that would lead to virtual conquest of The Shire.

He might also later have blamed the ruin of Isengard by the Ents on Peregrin Took and Meriadoc Brandybuck, who clearly catalysed events.

This all came together when Saruman escaped from the Ents and retired to The Shire and his thug regime in place there. It appears he immediately switched the focus of this operation to wanton destruction: pollution, murder, fire, chopping down trees for no reason, a last blow against Hobbits and Gandalf.

At his final utter defeat by a Hobbit uprising, his life was spared even when he tried to assassinate Frodo Baggins. At this moment he actually conceded a short-lived respect to Frodo.

Saruman was supposedly eager to go to Middle-earth, against Manwë's counsel. After his 'death' he was apparently barred from returning to Valinor, and therefore was denied reincarnation and condemned to waft away and disappear like so much smoke. In his corrupt state, Saruman sought to gain power and impose order in Middle-earth by any means necessary, even if it meant betraying the mission the Valar entrusted him with.



Sauron, in origin a Maia of Aulë like Saruman, amazed, awed and frightened him. During the height of his arrogance Saruman thought he could rival Sauron, but in the end he found himself meddling with a spirit of far greater power and knowledge than himself. Suborned by the Dark Lord through the Seeing-stone, Saruman's loyalty was now owed to Sauron. Behaving like a proved servant of the Enemy, Saruman answered the summons through the palantír and mostly did as instructed. Cunning as ever, the Wizard believed that if he did not achieve the One Ring, he could hope to yet hold power in Middle-earth as a close confident to a victorious Sauron. Yet, he failed to understand how much his master knew of his mind and that it was folly to try fool the Dark Lord.

Saruman grudgingly brought with him Radagast as a companion from Valinor, at the request of Yavanna, yet still managed to arrive alone, and first. Shortly after, he went into the East with the two Blue Wizards, and later returned alone. There he may have wrought many great works to diminish the influence of the Enemy or searched for lore to help him in his schemes.

Radagast, even though Saruman scorned him, served both Gandalf and Saruman very usefully (and wholly unintentionally, as he admitted "he had just the wit to play the part I set him"—that of persuading Gandalf to come to Isengard). Radagast also sent birds to Saruman and Gandalf to report the different happenings in Middle-earth.

Saruman had always been jealous of Gandalf, and knew that he was keeping secrets from him, such as his suspicion about Bilbo's Ring and Narya, secret. Gandalf also suspected Saruman of plotting to gain the One Ring for himself, and hinted at this at a meeting of the White Council. Gandalf blew nine small smoke rings and one great one that wavered a bit, seeming almost palpable, and yet blew away, symbolising (almost prophetic of) Saruman's failure in achieving the One. In general, Saruman must have viewed Gandalf as his only peer, and as such to be feared and treated with (although not necessarily shown) respect. He always kept a watchful eye open for Gandalf's doings, and actually picked up the habit of smoking pipe-weed by sending out spies tailing Gandalf to the Shire. After revealing his alliance with Mordor and his desire for the Ring, Saruman offered Gandalf the chance to join with Sauron, or perhaps get the One for themselves. Ultimately, certain he Gandalf could be forced to tell of the Ring's whereabouts or that he could help Sauron win, he came to underestimate Gandalf and think little of his interventions.

Nevertheless, Saruman exercised more power than Gandalf, even with the ring Narya, as became clear when he placed Gandalf under arrest at the pinnacle of Orthanc. The text does not make it clear whether Saruman lost power or whether Gandalf gained power, but when Gandalf returned as "Gandalf the White", he could summon Saruman at his will, forcibly keep him in his presence, and finally break Saruman's staff (with whatever implications that might have had for Saruman's powers).

Despite his apparent disdain for the Grey Pilgrim, Saruman several times came very close to setting aside his pride and to asking Gandalf for pity and help. The closest call came when the Ringwraiths (on their way to the Shire) arrived at Isengard while Gandalf still remained in captivity there. Saruman, realising he might have already lost Sauron's trust, actually went to seek Gandalf's pardon, only to find his erstwhile captive missing from the top of Orthanc.

edit] Animals

Saruman had control over many birds, probably having been taught to tame them by Radagast. Crebain spied for him and brought him news. In addition, the Orcs Saruman took in his armies had amongst them wild wolves and even Wargs, a sort of demonic cousin of the former.

edit] Etymology

Saruman is a Mannish translation of Quenya Curumo, his original name in Valinor as a Maia; and Sindarin Curunír which is supposedly the same name (with the ending -ndîr "man"). All names mean "Skilled Man" or "Cunning One" (root curu "skill").[15][16][17]

Saruman is derived from Old English: the root word searu means "device, design, contrivance, art" and the whole name means "man of skill".[15]

His name in Sindarin was Curunír 'Lân.[18]

edit] Inspiration

As a scholar, Tolkien would also have been well aware of the name of a similarly-named historic 'head of his order', Jaruman.

edit] Portrayal in adaptations

1955: The Lord of the Rings (1955 radio series):

The voice of Saruman is provided by Robert Farquharson.

1978: The Lord of the Rings (1978 film):

Fraser Kerr provided the voice of Saruman. From early on in the production, it was decided that "Saruman" and "Sauron" sounded too much alike, and might confuse viewers. On concept art, Saruman is called "Ruman",[19] but prior to recording, this was changed to "Aruman". However, during recording, it was again changed, to "Saruman". Because of this late change, several instances of "Aruman" remain in the finished film.

1979: The Lord of the Rings (1979 radio series):

The voice of Saruman is provided by James Arrington.

1981: The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series):

Peter Howell played Saruman. Because the series follows a chronological timeline rather than the flashbacks of the books, Saruman's betrayal is brought out much sooner than in the book. Excerpts from The Hunt for the Ring are dramatised to flesh out Gandalf's escape from Isengard, and the Nazgul's pursuit. In the final episode Saruman's death at the hands of Wormtongue at Bag End is included.

2001-03: The Lord of the Rings (film series):

Saruman was played by Christopher Lee. The films depict Saruman as a "puppet" of Sauron, being fully commited to serving his master (whether this interpretation of him wants the One Ring for himself or not is uncertain).k His adoption of the title "Saruman of Many Colours" is omitted as well. The films also did not include the Scouring of the Shire, but Saruman's last appearance was in Isengard, during his encounter with Gandalf and Théoden. In the extended edition of The Return of the King, Gríma stabs Saruman in the back, causing him to fall on a spiked wheel below the tower of Orthanc.

2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (video game):

Though Christopher Lee provided the voice of Saruman for many scenes, the only visual appearance of the Wizard of from re-used movie clips, his voice is played over several Gandalf's actions though.

2003: The Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring:

Saruman is one of the "Hero" units of the Servants of Sauron, the game also depicts his creation of the Uruk-hai.

2004: The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth:

Saruman is the main "Hero" unit of Isengard faction, the evil campaign follows his despoilment of both Isengard and the Fangorn Forest, war on Rohan and later conquest of the outlying lands.

2006: The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II:

Saruman is still the main "Hero" unit of Isengard faction, but plays no role in the storyline.

2011: The Lord of the Rings Online: Rise of Isengard:

Through frequently referred to in-game since 2007, Saruman made no visual appearance until 2011 and the Rise of Isengard expansion. Many quests in the game display the stretch of the White Hand - Saruman's minions are present in Shire as early as T.A. 3018, as well as Bree-land, Lone-lands, Eregion, Enedwaith, Dunland, Gap of Rohan, outskirts of the Fangorn Forest and even Moria. In the storyline of Rise of Isengard Saruman first appears buying the loyalties of the Dunlending clans, bringing with him riches and maintaining a friendly appearance. He also still keeps his affairs in Rohan private, to the point that when a Rohirrim questions the desolation of Nan Curunír and the presence of Trolls in Isengard, the Wizard manages to use his voice to convince him that it was all for the good cause. At one point, traitorous Dunlendings capture the player and send him to Saruman as a gift - once again the Wizard maintains a friendly and noble appearance, trying to discern the location of The Ring, before the player escapes. A major storyline is derived from a single line in The Fellowship of the Ring, where Saruman calls himself "Ring-forger". Long having researched the Rings of Power, Saruman sends his minions to pillage what remains of Ring-Forges of Eregion, looking for any knowledge of ancient Elven smiths that have remained here. Using that lore, he constructs a massive Ring-Forge under Isengard, where he creates five lesser rings and a master one to command them. He keeps the master ring to himself and gives the other to his most trusted lieutenants, though none of the mortals are prepared for it and are turned into monstrosities. A large forces of players defeats them one by one, reclaiming lesser rings and later uses those rings to turn upon the master one. In the ensuing fight Saruman's ring is destroyed shortly before the Battle of Hornburg, and with it the lesser ones lose their power.

2012-14: The Hobbit (film series):

Christopher Lee reprised his role as Saruman, although the character does not appear in the novel.[20] He appears as part of the White Council alongside Gandalf, Galadriel and Elrond. He is sceptical about the appearance of a Necromancer in Dol Guldur. However, when he participates in the attack on Dol Guldur, he sees for himself that Sauron has indeed returned. After the skirmish, he appears shaken by the display of Sauron's power, but claims he will take it upon himself to keep an eye on the Dark Lord and pretends to care for Lady Galadriel's weakened state.

2014: Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor:

Voiced by Roger Jackson, Saruman appears in this game as a non-playable character. The game's protagonist, Talion, finds various artefacts that reveal that Saruman's spies are active within the borders of Mordor in the years between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. It is later revealed that Saruman was controlling Queen Marwen of the Nurnen to hinder Sauron while bringing about the destruction of the men of Nurn.

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