Whereas Morgoth was bent on absolute destruction {i.e. the killing of the Trees of the Valar}, Sauron wanted to ENSLAVE, and thus prolong the suffering of sentient beings. Sauron had just a fraction of Morgoth's power, he was practically unequalled in the entire world.Consider the follwing Randir ~ Morgoth, for all his "God" status, was unable to ultimately master the dwarves, elves and men. Sauron, for at least a little while and as a lesser being ngeniously insinuated the Rings into their lives. He deserves some credit for doing more harm with less ultimate power than Morgoth. Gorthaur the Great fashioned the tool which would allow him to dominate and master the minds of others where the words and will of his former master ultimately failed. You can even argue that he had more malevolence than Morgoth,Prime Dark Lord. Sauron was not nearly as powerful but at the time of the films the world's magic is almost died.The Eldar for instance were leaving Middle Earth and the dwarves were locking themselves away in their mountains. The first races of Men, who lived hundreds of years, were almost died out (Aragorn was one of the last) and a lesser race of men, with the life span of you and I, were the most common folk that we see. Even the hobbits were disappearing. So while Sauron had just a fraction of Morgoth's power, he was practically unequalled in the entire world.Gandalf even says that Sauron is not the true evil, only its emissary. Still, without Mithrandir's help and Eru's interventions, Sauron would have defeated the West, the Elves would have abandoned Middle Earth and all would have fallen to Sauron's rule which would probably have continued forever. Morgoth, according to Tolkien, would probably have gone into a nihilist rage and destroyed anything and everything. Tolkien does say that Morgoth fell and lost a lot of power over time so that by the end he was in a sense weaker than Sauron. Morgoth lost the ability to shed his physical form and was trapped in the shape of a tall, giant Dark Lord. Sauron too lost some powers but as long as the One Ring existed, could never really be killed. If he had regained the Ring, he would have been unbeatable.

The summary:

Morgoth was the greatest of all the Ainur:

"Mighty are the Ainur, and mightiest among them is Melkor"

The Silmarillion, Ainulindalë

In comparison Sauron was a Maia but he was among the greatest Maiar, The Greatest in a terrible way I a terrible way,from point point of observation ~

Sauron survived two corporeal destructions. Even after diminishment from expenditure of will in dominating inferiors and the loss of his Ring, Sauron was still able to come back in the Third Age and be the most powerful force in Middle Earth.

Sauron single-handedly brought about the utter destruction of Numenor with guile and force of will.


In the beginning he {Sauron} was of the Maiar of Aulë, and he remained mighty in the lore of that people.

The Silmarillion, Valaquenta

"Sauron, greatest and most terrible of the servants of Morgoth, who in the Sindarin tongue was named Gorthaur".

The Silmarillion, Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin.

He {Sauron} became the greatest and most trusted of the servants of the Enemy, and the most perilous.

The Silmarillion, Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age

{Sauron} of the same kind as Gandalf and Saruman, but of a far higher order.

The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, #183

There can be no doubt that Morgoth at his greatest was vastly more powerful than Sauron ever was, to the point that no comparison could be drawn.

As time went on Morgoth gradually grew weaker and eventually both Morgoth and Sauron were very close in terms of innate power (end of the First Age).

Sauron at his zenith {Second Age} had effectively increased his power by the creation of the Ring:

While he wore it, his power on earth was actually enhanced.

The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, #131

And as per Tolkien’s own words, Sauron had become more powerful than his master Morgoth was at the end of the First Age:

Sauron was greater, effectively, in the Second Age, than Morgoth at the end of the First.

HOME, Morgoth's Ring, Myths Transformed.