- NOTE: This article is about the version of Saruman from Ralph Bakshi's 1978 film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. You may be looking for his mainstream counterpart or his Peter Jackson film counterpart.
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| “ | Gandalf: I have come for your aid Saruman the White in troubled times. The Nine are abroad, darkness approaches, the Black Riders! Saruman: Is that all the news you have for me then? Gandalf: Is that not enough? Sauron is moving at last! Saruman: We can deal with Sauron ourselves, Gandalf. You and I, one way or another. Gandalf: What talk is this? What are you saying, Saruman? Saruman: It is time for us to choose. A new age is upon us. A new power is rising. Nothing that Men or Elves or Wizards can do will avail against it. Its enemies are utterly doomed! But its friends... Gandalf: You are saying that we should join with Mordor? With him? Saruman: Does that displease you? Where is the Ring, Gandalf? Why do the Black Riders search for it in the Shire? Have you hidden it there? Would you rather see the Dark Lord have it...or Saruman of Many Colours?! Gandalf: Neither of you will have it. Saruman: There is a third choice. It is to remain here... until you tell me where the Ring may be found. Gandalf: Saruman, if you do this... if you delay me here, Sauron will surely get it then. Saruman: Then he will know his good servants [chuckles]... and his enemies. [chuckles] Gandalf: Saruman! Saruman! Saruman! |
„ |
| ~ Saruman's introduction. |
| “ | Our time is at hand. Théoden's hundreds will face your tens of thousands. And when all of Rohan, your ancient oppressor, lies vanquished then shall we fly eastward and sweep all of Middle-earth beneath our feet! We cannot be defeated! | „ |
| ~ Saruman to his army. |
Saruman of Many Colors (sometimes called Aruman) is the main antagonist of Ralph Bakshi's 5th feature film The Lord of the Rings. A powerful and crafty, yet arrogant Wizard, he was tasked with helping the Free Peoples counter the Dark Lord; Saruman's cowardice, vanity and accompanying greed were preyed upon by Sauron, however, and he was suborned. Thus, the corrupted Wizard betrayed his allies, eager to share in his new Master's power as his quasi-equal lieutenant or by claiming the One Ring first behind his back.
As Sauron's two-faced vassal, Saruman assembles a sizable Orc army around his Orthanc-fortress at Isengard to sweep the neighbouring realm of Rohan beneath their feet; Saruman also buys Gríma Wormtongue as a mole in Théoden's court, further weakening the Rohirrim so he could seize their kingdom for Sauron. In an upstart fashion, the corrupted Wizard also sends his own Orc-troop to capture the Ring-bearer before his Master could.
He was voiced by the late Fraser Kerr.
Biography[]
Saruman the White, much like his then-peer Gandalf the Grey, was sent to Middle-earth as a guardian of Elves and Men, charged with guiding them against the re-emerged Sauron. However, the Wizard gave into temptation of sharing in the Dark Lord's power and instead submitted to him. Though a valuable and fawning vassal of his Master, he entertained the notion of acquiring the One Ring for himself if possible and usurp him.
Intent on conquering or destroying the neighbouring kingdom of Rohan, Saruman assembled a following of Orcs into a massive force, both in service and in tacite competition of Sauron. He also earned himself the services of Gríma Wormtongue, Théoden's counselor; through this secret mole, the corrupted Wizard was able to stall the King from taking any action and allowing the Dark Lord to virtually assume rulership of the land.
Worried by the arrival of the Nazgûl, Sauron's deadliest servants, in the Shire, Gandalf rides to Isengard to ask for Saruman's counsel. The corrupted Wizard slowly abandons the facade of a trustworthy ally and reveals his allegiance to the Dark Lord. Standing forth as Saruman of Many Colors, he tries to persuade (even daunt) Gandalf into submitting to Sauron or revealing the One Ring's whereabouts to him instead. The Greyhame refused both choices and so the corrupted Wizard imprisoned him at the top of the tower, intent on keeping him prisoner until he learned the Ring's location or until his Master got his hands on it.
By the time the Fellowship of the Ring had left the mines of Moria, the Wizard Saruman sent an Orc-troop to retrieve the One Ring. Per his instructions, the Orcs ambushed the company at Amon Hen, slaying Boromir and the capturing Merry and Pippin, mistaking them for the Ring-bearer. However, the advance of the corrupted Wizard Saruman's agents towards Isengard was slowed by conflict with soldiery sent from Mordor by his suspicious Master, the Dark Lord Sauron. On the eaves of Fangorn Forest, the Orcs were all slain to the last in battle with Prince Éomer of Rohan and his men, leading to the now-freed Merry and Pippin to encounter Treebeard. The shepherd of the forest reveals that the corrupted Wizard had been destroying many trees to fuel the fires of his war machine. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli chase after Merry and Pippin, eventually encountering Gandalf the White, who reveals Saruman will move against Théoden in two days, leading them to rush to Edoras.
Gandalf, Gimli and Legolas arrive in Edoras where Gandalf reveals to Théoden that Gríma is in league with Saruman; after banishing the treacherous counselor, the White Wizard convinces the King to gather his people and take refuge in the fortress of Helm's Deep. Meanwhile, Saruman makes a rabble-rousing speech to his Orcs, inciting them to put all their efforts in vanquishing "Rohan [their] ancient oppressor". The Wizard further assures his minions that the defeat of this meager kingdom will prove their invincibility, for then they will move eastwards and sweep the rest of Middle-earth beneath their feet, ensuring the Dark Lord's victory.
At the Battle of Helm's Deep, Saruman marshals his sorcery to blow up the wall, allowing his Orcs to burst into into Helm's Deep and overrun the Rohirrim, slaughtering many brave men. As the corrupted Wizard's army marches in, the Horse-riders fall back into the caves. Théoden, Aragorn and a few other warriors ride out to face the Orcs face-to-face. As the fight ensues, Gandalf and the Riders of Rohan come to turn the tide, breaking through the Orc lines, scattering Saruman's allies and servants.
The Wizard, however, gets no punishment for the atrocities he committed at his Master's behest as the film ends after the Battle of the Helm's Deep and the second part was never released.
Servants of Saruman[]
- Gríma Wormtongue
- Uglúk
- Grishnákh
- Orcs
- Isengarders
- Saruman's Army
Gallery[]
Images[]
Videos[]
Trivia[]
- Saruman wears a red robe rather than a many colored one like in the books.
- Saruman is often called "Aruman" in the film because the studio thought Saruman and Sauron's names were too similar.
- In the books and Peter Jackson's films, Saruman didn't blast magic bolts from Isengard to destroy one of the walls of Helm's Deep. The Uruk-Hai brought explosives to destroy the wall.
External links[]
- Saruman on the Pure Evil Wiki
- Saruman on Wikipedia
- Saruman on the Lord of the Rings Wiki
- Saruman on the Tolkien Gateway
