Ar-Pharazôn Character Analysis in The Silmarillion

Ar-Pharazôn is the last king of Númenor. He takes power from the rightful queen, his cousin Tar-Míriel, by marrying her unlawfully. Prideful and power-hungry, Ar-Pharazôn decides to become king of all men and force Sauron to be his servant. Once in Númenor, Sauron uses Ar-Pharazôn’s arrogance and fear to manipulate him into ruining Númenorean tradition, worshipping Melkor, and eventually invading Valinor to overthrow the Valar and (so Ar-Pharazôn thinks) become immortal. Ar-Pharazôn is buried in a landslide in Valinor when Ilúvatar removes Valinor from the physical world and drowns the island of Númenor beneath a massive wave.

Ar-Pharazôn Character Timeline in The Silmarillion

The timeline below shows where the character Ar-Pharazôn appears in The Silmarillion. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...group called the King’s Men and opposes his brother. After the brothers die, Gimilkhâd’s son Pharazôn marries Tar-Palantir’s daughter Tar-Míriel against her will and becomes king, despite the fact that the... (full context)

Pharazôn takes the name Ar-Pharazôn and learns that Sauron is attacking Númenor’s settlements in Middle-earth. Gathering... (full context)

Both crafty and unprepared for Númenor’s power, Sauron bows to Ar-Pharazôn and swears loyalty. He seems reasonable to the other men, but Ar-Pharazôn doesn’t believe his... (full context)

...and his son Elendil, whose sons are Isildur and Anárion. Sauron hates Amandil and convinces Ar-Pharazôn to dismiss him as a counselor, then begins to persuade Ar-Pharazôn to cut down the... (full context)

When Elendil and his sons hear a rumor about it, Isildur travels in disguise to Ar-Pharazôn’s court and steals a fruit from the White Tree, then fights his way out again.... (full context)

...quick to anger, enslaving the men of Middle-earth and killing them on their altars. When Ar-Pharazôn grows old and fears his impending death, Sauron convinces him that he could become immortal... (full context)

Amandil hears about Ar-Pharazôn’s plan and tells Elendil that he’ll try to sail secretly to Valinor to ask Manwë... (full context)

Ar-Pharazôn’s fleet rows towards Valinor, breaking the Valar’s ban. The fleet surrounds Eresseä, and Ar-Pharazôn, reaching... (full context)

...between Valinor and Númenor; the earth shakes and Númenor’s fleets are sucked into the abyss. Ar-Pharazôn and his men, already in Valinor, are buried in falling rock. Ilúvatar sends the western... (full context)

Sauron sits in the temple and laughs when Ar-Pharazôn leaves to fight the Valar, when he hears the storm, and when he considers what... (full context)