MORGOTH!!

Many casual fans of Tolkien's great works think that Sauron is the Satan-figure of Middle-Earth, but they are mistaken.

MORGOTH BAUGLIR (originally Melkor) was Sauron's master in the First Age of Middle Earth, Melkor was the most powerful of the Ainur (gods), but turned to darkness and became Morgoth, from whom all evil in the world of Middle-earth ultimately stems(all the first Dragons, Balrogs, Werewolves, Trolls and Goblins were created by Morgoth, as well as the Witch King of Angmar, later the leader of the Nazgul); he is the ultimate antagonist of Arda. Sauron, one of the Maiar (angels) of Aulë (the Creator-God), betrayed his kind and became Morgoth's most powerful and loyal lieutenant.

Morgoth was the principal agent of evil in the epic saga known as The Silmarillion, and his influence lingered in the world even after he was cast from it into the outer void. Morgoth's example provided later ages a cautionary tale against pride, wrath, envy, lust for power, and greed — and of the destruction these visit upon oneself and others.


Most importantly, Morgoth was never destroyed. Sauron, his servant, is better thought of as the 'Anti-Christ' of Middle-Earth's Second and Third Age.