LOTR What if: Boromir's plan

[Fyraltari]

Sauron has been overpowered a number of times - notably by Huan and Luthien. And while Gil-Galad and Elendil perished in the attempt, they did bring Sauron low enough for Isildur to cut off his finger. Albeit the manner in which they did so is left vague and the movies make it seem otherwise.

Sauron had no Ring that one time, though. But yeah his track record of fighting is rather poor as he is both a coward and a schemer not a fighter.

He lost the ring (at least in the books, and Tolkien tie-material like his Letters) because the body that wore the ring was killed by the heroes Elendil and Gil-galad - who died in the process.


Letters:

"It ends with the overthrow of Sauron and destruction of the second visible incarnation of evil. But at a cost, and with one disastrous mistake. Gilgalad and Elendil are slain in the act of slaying Sauron. Isildur, Elendil's son, cuts the ring from Sauron's hand, and his power departs, and his spirit flees into the shadows."

I seem to recall Isildur claiming (in Unfinished Tales ?) to Elrond, who was there and would know the truth of it, that he dealt the killing blow to Sauron.

It's only in the movie that the ring is slashed off the hand of a living, fully functional Sauron - who is foolish enough to put his hand within slashing range of Isildur.

It isn't mentionned in the movie but, in the book Isildur writes that the heat of Sauron's hand killed Gil-Galad so that was probably what Sauron was going for in that scene: burning that uppity Dùnedain's face off.