The Silmarillion Survivor

[The 1,000 Reader]

Originally Posted by Formendacil

Definitely Sauron.

Everybody knows that that guy is a Survivor. He survives the destruction of Utumno and Angband, he survives embarrassment at Luthien's hands, he survives the War of Wrath, he survives the war in Eregion, he survives the Downfall of Numenor, he survives his own death and the robbing of his ring, and even though he is reduced to a mere spirit by the Ring's destruction, he survives, nonetheless.

Clearly, the best Survivor of the bunch is Sauron.

++Sauron

Actually, some of what you said goes against him. Being utterly defeated by a woman and a dog, though surviving, is still something to count severely against him. Also, he
died three times. Once in Numenor, once in the Dagor Dagorath, and lastly when the ring was destroyed. Varda would be the better choice if you were going to pick an ainur.

(Everyone in Middle-Earth is a spirit housed in a body. Sauron died, it's just that his spirit was more noticeable in the physical world. If we go by your logic, Then Feanor, or even the first guy off, could win, because his spirit is still around.)