Couldn't Sauron resurface in the future?

[blantyr]

As I understand it, if one has the gift of man one leaves the world upon death. If one hasn't such a gift, one is stuck in Middle Earth. Sauron is stuck. He isn't destroyable as such.

As I understand it, if one hasn't the gift of man, if one has a certain very large amount of power, one can manifest one's self in a body, and live physically again. Sauron managed this once, but hadn't enough power after the destruction of the ring to do so again.

As I understand it, if one hasn't the gift of man, nor enough power to remanifest one's self, the Lords of the West might choose to remanifest you. This might happen quickly, or might involve some time in the halls of Mandos.

Alternately, as with Saruman and Sauron, one might turn into a column of smoke that gets blown away by a west wind. One's soul is not destroyed. The gift of man isn't there, so one cannot leave. One is left chewing on one's malice.

[Elmo]

"In all the deeds of Melkor the Morgoth upon Arda, in his vast works and in the deceits of his cunning, Sauron had a part, and was only less evil than his master in that for long he served another and not himself. But in after years he rose like a shadow of Morgoth and a ghost of his malice, and walked behind him on the same ruinous path down into the Void."
Valaquenta

Sounds like he was kicked out of the Circles of the World like Morgy so actually wasn't still in Middle Earth.

[Glorthelion]

Hmmm...I wonder in the event that Melkor breaks through the doors of night, if he would restore power to Sauron. he he he

[PrinceOfTheHalflings]

Originally Posted by blantyr

As I understand it, if one hasn't the gift of man, if one has a certain very large amount of power, one can manifest one's self in a body, and live physically again. Sauron managed this once, but hadn't enough power after the destruction of the ring to do so again.

Sauron actually managed it TWICE while the Ring existed. His physical body was killed twice:

Once in the destruction of Númenor (SA 3319).

And then again 22 years later (SA 3341) when he was killed in battle by Elendil and Gil-galad. After this second death, Isildur took the Ring from him, and so without the Ring Sauron took far longer to reembody himself.

As for the original poster's question about whether Sauron's spirit might have affected some latter day human, like Hitler, well maybe.

[Puddleglum]

Originally Posted by PrinceOfTheHalflings

Once in the destruction of Númenor (SA 3319).And then again 22 years later (SA 3341) when he was killed in battle by Elendil and Gil-galad.

Just to clarify, the War of the Last Alliance ended in 3441, not 3341. Sauron actually took over a century (after the fall of Numenor) to prepare for his assault on the new dunedain kingdoms.