Mouth of Sauron

The Mouth of Sauron was a living man, the ambassador and messenger of Sauron, the Lieutenant of the Dark Tower of Barad-dûr in Middle-earth and one of the most devoted and dark servants of Sauron at the time of the War of the Ring. His true name had been forgotten, even by himself.

Biography
"A tall and evil shape, mounted upon a black horse… The rider was robed all in black, and black was his lofty helm; yet this was no Ringwraith but a living man ... his name is remembered in no tale, for he himself had forgotten it."

- The Return of the King

The Mouth of Sauron's early history is unknown, as is his true name and how he first met Sauron. He was a Black Númenórean who briefly appeared in person when he haggled with the Army of the West in front of the Morannon, trying to convince Aragorn and Gandalf to give up and let Sauron win the battle for Middle-earth. Had the plans of Sauron succeeded, the Mouth of Sauron would have become the new lord of Isengard, replacing Saruman. When Gandalf turned down his proposal, the Mouth of Sauron set all the armies of Udûn upon them.

The Mouth of Sauron was the Lieutenant of the Tower of Barad-dûr, and commanded the Orc armies of Gorgoroth. The Mouth of Sauron communicated directly with the Dark Lord. A man of great stature, potentially the equal of other Dúnedain, the Mouth of Sauron had fallen into darkness.

The Black Númenóreans had established their dwellings in Middle-earth during the years of Sauron's domination and worshipped him. The Mouth of Sauron entered the service of the Dark Tower when it first rose again (its rebuilding began in 2951 of the Third Age), and through cunning grew to power under Sauron and learned great sorcery.

War of the Ring


The Mouth of Sauron appeared briefly before the host of the West prior to the Battle of the Black Gate. He insulted the host, asking who had authority to treat with him, and dismissed Aragorn's claim as King. But then Aragorn's gaze frightened him, and he cried out that he was a herald and an ambassador, and must not be attacked. Gandalf assured him he would not be, so the Mouth took Gandalf to be the spokesman. He then brought forth Sam's sword, a grey cloak with an Elven-brooch, and Frodo's mithril-vest, and said that the fate of the "spy" who carried them would depend on their actions, and insinuated that if they did not do as Sauron demanded, the "spy" would be tortured for many years.

Gandalf asked what the terms were, and the Mouth said that the Hobbit would be allowed to go free, so long as the captains follow Mordor's conditions: that the "rabble of Gondor and its deluded allies" withdraw beyond the Anduin River, swearing oaths "never again to assail Sauron the Great in arms, open or secret"; that all lands East of the Anduin River would belong to Sauron alone, forever; that all lands West up to the Gap of Rohan would pay tribute to Mordor; that they could no longer keep and bear arms, though Sauron would allow them to govern their own affairs so long as they helped to rebuild Isengard, which would be then ruled by a master more reliable than Saruman (presumably the Mouth himself). Gandalf replied that was too much for the ransom of one servant, and in any case he doubted that Sauron would keep his word. Gandalf demanded that the prisoner be brought forth, but of course the Mouth could not comply except to say, "These are the terms. Take them or leave them!" Gandalf responded, "These we will take!" and seized the Mithril coat, the cloak, and the sword, and utterly rejected Sauron's terms, before telling the Mouth to be gone, as they had not come to bargain with Sauron, much less with one of his slaves. Enraged and fearful at the same time, the Mouth fled back to the Gate and set Mordor's forces upon the West.

Age
The Mouth served Sauron after Sauron came to Mordor. There is some dispute over the length of time this implies. If it refers to Sauron's most recent return to Mordor, the Mouth of Sauron would have served Sauron for some 68 years when he encountered Aragorn and Gandalf. But some have stated that since Mordor "first rose again" during Sauron's return shortly after the destruction of Númenor, the Mouth of Sauron may be well over thousands of years old. Since no mortal could live that long, and Tolkien says explicitly that he was a living man and not a wraith, he is believed to be around the same age, or less, as Aragorn. This is further suggested by drafts of The Return of the King, in which he is a renegade Man of Gondor.

Notable Quotes
"Is there any in this rout with authority to treat with me? Or indeed with wit to understand me?"

- Mouth of Sauron questioning authority of the West

"It need more to make a king than a piece of Elvish glass, or a rabble such as this."

- Mouth of Sauron scoffing at Aragorn's authority as King

"I have some tokens that I was bidden to show to thee - to thee in especial, if thou shouldst dare to come."

- Mouth of Sauron, to Gandalf, prior to presenting Frodo's mithril shirt and Sam's Barrow-blade.

"Surety you crave! Sauron gives none. If you sue for his clemency then you must do his bidding."

- Mouth of Sauron

"But they shall help to rebuild Isengard which they have wantonly destroyed, and that shall be Sauron's, and there his lieutenant shall dwell: not Saruman, but one more worthy of trust."

- Mouth of Sauron, speaking a portion of Sauron's terms

The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
In the Peter Jackson's movie adaptation of The Return of the King, scenes with the Mouth of Sauron were filmed but cut from the original theatrical release. These scenes were later put back into the film in the extended edition. In the film, the Mouth of Sauron is decapitated by Aragorn, while he leaves back to the Gate and is never seen again in the films. He was played by Bruce Spence and appears as a tall, monstrous Man wearing black, priest-like robes and a helm that bears the words "Lammen Gorthaur" (Sindarin for "Voice of the Dread Abomination") written in Cirth runes. This helmet covers most of his face with only his horribly disfigured and diseased mouth visible. His mouth was digitally increased in size for a more unsettling and memorable appearance.

As a reason for cracked and blackened lips with rotting teeth, it was hinted that Sauron's very words are so evil that simply repeating them causes his mouth to decay and bleed. This change was made digitally, long after the footage had been shot. After Jackson rejected the idea of turning the mouth sideways to appear vertical on the face, the designers came up with the idea of rendering it twice as large as the original. According to designer Walter Mahy, the original design for the Mouth of Sauron's costume had the helmet hooked directly into the mouth, pulling it permanently open. This did not work out as it made it impossible for the actor to speak. However, Peter Jackson liked the idea of the robe flowing up into the helmet and this was retained for the final version.

"My master, Sauron the Great, bids thee welcome."

- Mouth of Sauron addressing Captains of the West at Black Gate, movie only

Rankin-Bass animated film


"The halfling was dear to thee, I see. Know that he suffered greatly at the hands of his host. Who would have thought that one so small would endure so much pain?"

- Mouth of Sauron, lying of Frodo's death, in the film

He appears briefly in the Rankin-Bass animated film The Return of the King, in a shortened version of his scene from the novel. After he introduces himself, he mocks Aragorn and warns him that he is "hopelessly outnumbered." Aragorn rebuffs him with no help from Gandalf.

He was played by the voice of Don Messick, who also did the voice of King Theoden and the Easterling captain in the movie.

Radio versions
He appears in both the radio programs done by the Mind's Eye and the BBC in 1979 and 1981, where he is voiced by John Vickery and John Rye. In the BBC's version, the Mouth is given an extended role and is the one who tortures Gollum into telling him why he came there and what he was looking for.

In the Return of the King video game, the Mouth of Sauron is a boss in the level "The Black Gate". Aragorn duels with him and slays him before the host of Mordor comes forth. The same goes for The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest, but near the battle's end four orcs/goblins aid him.

In the Middle-earth Role Playing game, the name of the Mouth of Sauron was Urzahil, but this name was not created by Tolkien.

LOTR: The Return of the King
He appears as the first thing you fight in the battle of the Black Gate.

The Battle for Middle-earth II
In the computer game The Battle for Middle-earth II, the Mouth of Sauron was also the Lord of Dol Guldur. He is the primary Mordor commander in the conquest of Northern Middle-earth and carries out his master's orders brutally and efficiently, causing the downfall of many Elven and Dwarven realms with ease.

Lothlórien, Mission 1



The Mouth of Sauron travels (apparently from Dol Guldur) with three other Nazgul, meeting up with Goblin forces in the outskirts of Lorien. From there, they prepare a mighty Goblin army by creating Goblin Caves and Fissures. From these wretched places come numerous warriors, archers, and Cave Trolls. The Mouth and the Nazgûl lead this mighty army to inner Lorien, where they destroy the Elven structures and kill all in their path. Haldir is slain during the first part of the assault. While invading Lothlórien, the Mouth orders his Goblins to release Mountain Giants trapped by the Elves, providing additional firepower to the assault. At the very heart of Lorien, the Goblins assault the mighty structures and all those that seek to defend them. Galadriel manages to escape the assault, but Celeborn is killed.

The Goblins finish the job by destroying Lorien's massive Tree Palace, where Galadriel and Celeborn lived. This signals the complete Fall of Lorien. Galadriel is seen fleeing while the Mouth and his Goblins celebrate triumphantly. The Mouth then looks into the Mirror of Galadriel, eagerly viewing and planning the next stages of the Fall of the North.

Mirkw​ood, Mission 5

In Mission 5, the Mouth of Sauron and three Nazgûl prepare building their base deep in the heart of Mirkwood. This time they have brought Shelob along in order to conquer the Elven part of Mirkwood. By creating Orc Pits, and Troll Cages, and Taverns they muster a mighty army of Orcs, Trolls, and even Corsairs of Umbar. After preparing this great army, they begin to march upon Mirkwood by a great bridge. Unfortunately for the army of Mordor, the bridge is destroyed by Ents. The Mordor host crosses to the other side using an alternate route. Once making it to the other side, the Orcs and Corsairs use their Fire Arrows and Firebombs to destroy the Ents and incinerate their Ent Moots, permanently ridding Mirkwood of the Ents. Soon after recruiting more Spiderlings with the help of Shelob, the Mordor host comes upon the Old Forest Road. The Mordor forces immediately begin creating four sentry towers at key locations, but the Elves have plans of their own and begin attacking the forces of Mordor, even creating their own battle towers to reclaim the road. Despite heavy resistance from the Elves, however, Mordor slays the enemy battalions, and conquers the Road. Then, the Mouth of Sauron and his forces move to Thranduil's kingdom, laying waste to the mighty fortress.

The Elven buildings in Mirkwood are utterly destroyed, and the few survivors instantly flee to Rivendell to gather for the final attack. With Thranduil and his forces out of the way, the Mouth of Sauron conquers the rest of Mirkwood with ease, smothering the place with darkness and shadow.

Withered Heath, Mission 6



In Mission 6, the Mouth is sent to destroy the Dwarven outposts in the Withered Heath, release many young Fire drakes into the service of Mordor, and recruit Drogoth the Dragon Lord as an ally to Sauron. To facilitate Mordor's conquest, the Mouth commands his troops to destroy the Dwarven tunnels, impeding transportation between the Dwarves. They also either ally themselves with or destroy various Warg lairs throughout the Withered Heath, for additional forces and money respectively. After all Fire drakes have been released, the Mouth then seeks out Drogoth. The host of Mordor marches upon the northern path to the Dragon Lord, slaying any Men of Dale that attempt to stop them. The Mouth then communicates with Drogoth, and a treaty is made.

The Dragons are now allies with Sauron, a powerful force that will significantly hasten the downfall of the North.

Erebor, Mission 7

In Mission 7, a small Mordor strike force prepares an assault upon the city of Dale. This small horde slays many Dwarven builders and destroys many buildings, claiming the treasure within. This treasure greatly assists the forces of Mordor, with the Mouth of Sauron, two Nazgûl, builders, and many reinforcements. The Mouth has successfully called a Dragon to help them in their assault, and with a new fortress and a vast army created, the Mouth and host of Mordor lay waste to the entire city of Dale, slaying any in their path. Gloin attempts to stop the attack with a small force, but he and his warriors are almost immediately slain. With this threat out of the way, the Mouth turns his attention to the front gate of the Lonely Mountain. With the Dragon, Attack Trolls, and Catapults, the front gate is destroyed, and the Mordor army breaks into Erebor. King Dain has mustered the last Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain to hold out against this wave of malice, but all are destroyed. To completely conquer the Lonely Mountain, the Mouth of Sauron attacks the Throne of the Lonely Mountain until it is destroyed. The Lonely Mountain has now fallen.



Like in Moria, the Dwarves have now been driven out of Erebor. Only one safe haven remains for the free peoples of Middle-earth: Rivendell.

Rivendell, Mission 8

There is only one task left for Sauron in order to completely take over the North: Rivendell must be destroyed, with Elrond and Arwen slain. The Mouth (with three Nazgûl) does not appear until the Goblins (led by King Gorkil) destroy Rivendell's outer defense buildings and gate. The Mouth brings a small army of Easterlings and some builders to establish the Mordor part of Sauron's base. During this time, the Witch-King of Angmar, Shelob, Drogoth, Fell Beast riders, and eventually Sauron himself arrives. He had recovered the Ring and slain Frodo, and the Mouth then becomes one of Sauron's generals. However, the Fellowship of the Ring (besides Frodo and Sam, who are undoubtedly dead) arrive with the Army of the Dead. After this army disappears, Sauron and his army destroy the Fellowship. After this time, the Mordor and Goblin armies attack Rivendell. Elrond and Arwen attempt to stop them, but both are slain. The Mouth takes part in the destruction of two fortresses and Elrond's House, and Rivendell is defeated forever.

Middle-earth is now coated in darkness forever, and Sauron's reign in the North is supreme.

Good Campaign

In the Good Campaign, the Mouth leads a small Mordor army consisting of orcs, two Attack Trolls, and a few Ringwraiths into the Eastern entrance. However, Dwarven phalanx battalions and Men of Dale anticipate the attack, and the Mouth and his retinue are slain. The defeat of the Mordor host attacking Erebor quickly follows suit.

The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age
In "The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age (GBA)" game, the Mouth of Sauron is one of three Evil commanders that the player can choose for the entire game. In this game, the Mouth of Sauron gives out a decent amount of Command Points (1-3, plus Intimidate and Spoils of War). In addition, with all of his upgrades, he is a devastating warrior with base 10 damage, higher than any other hero except for Sauron himself. In essence, the Mouth of Sauron specializes in wiping out the enemy, whether he does it or his forces do.

In the Good campaign, he appears as the enemy commander in two missions: The Black Gate Opens, in keeping with his appearance in The Return of the King, and also at Conquest of Osgiliath, in which the forces of Gondor under Boromir and Faramir retake the city.

The Lord of the Rings: Conquest
The Mouth of Sauron is a mage type hero is this Battlefront style game. He is in the good campaign and is playable in the evil campaign and skirmish modes. His primary weapon, rather than being a sword, is Saruman's Staff of Orthanc. It is unknown whether he received this staff from Sauron as a reward or had a copy created for him with the same power, but maybe, it has been given by Sauron to him as he is the new Master of Isengard as it can be seen in the novel as in the Proposal of Sauron as "Isengard will be given to Sauron and there will be a new Master of Isengard. Not Saruman. Someone more Reliable" and they understand that the new master is the Mouth of Sauron. Either way, the Mouth uses the staff's power to its fullest extent, devastating his enemies with it. In melee, unlike other mages, the Mouth uses his staff to rapidly hit his opponents many times with high speed and power. This "Barad-dûr Fury" takes the place of the ShockWave. The Mouth is also able to briefly summon orc servants one at a time to release a single blow on any enemy. see: The Lord of the Rings: Conquest

Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest
The Mouth of Sauron appears as the penultimate boss (with Sauron's army being the final boss) in the Wii and PlayStation 3 version of Aragorn's Quest, and the player must fight him one-on-one, at the start of the last level, "The Black Gate".

In the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable and Nintendo DS versions, he is the final boss, and can unleash fireballs at Aragorn.