Who Is Ar-Pharazôn?
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Ar-Pharazôn was the twenty-fifth king of Númenor. He was also its last king as his actions led to the destruction of the island kingdom. He was the nephew of the twenty-fourth king, Tar-Palantir (Míriel’s father). As a young man, Ar-Pharazôn acquired great renown as a warrior and as a leader. He fought in the wars in Middle-earth against Sauron.
Ar-Pharazôn returned to Númenor shortly before King Tar-Palantir, died. Always proud and ambitious, Ar-Pharazôn arranged marriage with Míriel, the king’s daughter, against her will. The marriage was technically illegal since they were first cousins, but Ar-Pharazôn was so popular and wealthy that the wedding happened anyway, allowing him to usurp the throne of Númenor. As king, Ar-Pharazôn exacted tribute from the Men of Middle-earth. He also persecuted those who remained faithful to the Valar and the Elves.
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Meanwhile, Sauron had been attacking the Númenórean settlements in Middle-earth with the goal of driving the Númenóreans out of Middle Earth and claiming the title of King of Men. Ar-Pharazôn wanted that title for himself, so he raised a grand army, sailed to Middle-earth, and marched against Sauron at Mordor. The army was so spectacular that most of Sauron’s army abandoned their master. Sauron himself was captured and taken back to Númenor.
However, Sauron’s honey-ed words and lies would earn him a spot as King Ar-Pharazôn’s most trusted advisor. Under Sauron’s influence, Ar-Pharazôn began worshipping the dark lord Melkor. He destroyed the White Tree of Númenor, which was the last symbol of friendship with the Valar and the elves. He constructed a great temple to Melkor and started using the Faithful (those who remained friendly with the Elves and obedient to the Valars) as human sacrifices. Most of the Númenóreans supported their king in these endeavors.
In his old age, Ar-Pharazôn began to fear death. Sauron managed to convince him that if he took Valinor, he could claim eternal life for himself. This was a lie, but Ar-Pharazôn raised a huge fleet anyway and broke the Ban of the Valar by sailing west. When the fleet reached Valinor, the Valar asked Eru for help. In response, Eru broke the world, making it round. He sank Númenor below the sea, and he moved Valinor outside Arda (Earth) so that no Man could attack it again. The only Númenóreans to survive were the Faithful, led by Elendil.
In the show The Rings of Power, Ar-Pharazôn is currently known as Pharazôn, as the prefix “Ar-” will get added when he becomes king. He is an advisor to Queen Regent Míriel. Pharazôn shows himself to be a skilled speaker and politician and has already demonstrated a degree of greed and ambition. While there is no mention of his military exploits, he appears to be popular and highly influential among Númenóreans and looks ready to take the throne when Tar-Palantir dies.
The remaining Númenóreans did respect Ar-Pharazôn as the man who defeated Sauron and even erected a statue in his honor. However, his story is a story of hubris, and his legacy will always be the destruction of Númenor.
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