In The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Episode 8, Galadriel began to suspect Halbrand’s identity and she discovers that he is not a Southland king. When confronted, Halbrand reveals himself to be Sauron. He offers to make her a queen who could rule Middle-Earth alongside him but she refuses and he escapes to Mordor. What’s interesting is the way Sauron entices Galadriel to be his ally. “I would make you a queen, fair as the sea and the Sun, stronger than the foundations of the earth,” he tells her. It is almost identical to what she later says when Frodo offers her the One Ring in The Fellowship of the Ring.
But what does it all mean? This pretty much confirms that Galadriel had previously faced the idea of serving alongside Sauron and it is something she hasn’t stopped thinking about all those centuries. However, when she refuses the second time, Galadriel finally proves to herself that she is stronger than those desires and that it is time to return to Valinor. Not surprisingly, people have a lot to say about that tense moment between Galadriel and Sauron. The idea that they had once worked together adds more tension to the fact that they will be battling it out in the next few seasons of The Rings of Power.
