<P> Following the voyage of Eärendil to the Blessed Realm, the Valar finally moved against Morgoth . In the resulting War of Wrath, the Dark Lord was defeated and cast into the Outer Void beyond the world . But "Sauron fled from the Great Battle and escaped". </P> <P> Chastened, Sauron assumed his fairest form and approached Eönwë, emissary of the Valar, who nevertheless could not pardon a Maia like himself . Through Eönwë, Manwë as Lord of the Valar "commanded Sauron to come before him for judgement, but (he) had left room for repentance and ultimate rehabilitation". Although Sauron's repentance before Eönwë was genuine, if out of fear, he was ashamed to return to Valinor and receive a judgement or sentence due to his long service to Morgoth . Furthermore, the influence of his former master was still strong, so he escaped and hid in Middle - earth . </P> <P> About 500 years into the Second Age, Sauron reappeared . "Bereft of his lord...(he) fell into the folly of imitating him". "Very slowly, beginning with fair motives: the reorganizing and rehabilitation of Middle - earth,' neglected by the gods,' he becomes a reincarnation of Evil, and a thing lusting for Complete Power", eventually rising to become "master and god of Men". </P> <P> As for Sauron's "fair motives", Tolkien emphasized that at this time he "was not indeed wholly evil, not unless all' reformers' who want to hurry up with' reconstruction' and' reorganization' are wholly evil, even before pride and the lust to exert their will eat them up". </P>

Who killed sauron in the return of the king