Who 'killed' Sauron

[Yazad]

Hiya everyone!

This is probably an old topic and probably more suitable in the books section, but since it's been interpreted in both films this way, I figure it's good hear. I didn't find the old argument if there is one - could someone point me in the right direction.

Okay, it's always been my interpretation that Gil-Galad and Elendil slew Sauron at the end of the 2nd age. This is supported by Gandalf's account in "Shadow of the Past" and also in one passage in "On the Rings of Power and the Third Age" (?) in The Silmarillion. Especially in the Silmarillion it's represented in a classic Beowulf way - Sauron came out and wrestled with Gil-Galad and Elendil and they were slain, but so was Sauron (my reading of it). *And then* Isildur came along, vulture like, and sawed the ring of Sauron's hand. Damn, I love it that way. However, in The Silmarillion Isildur also says "was it not I who dealt him the death blow?" which leads me to wonder if perhaps it was the taking of the ring which really did do in Sauron.

Personally I think the removal of the ring = Sauron's demise is really, really silly.

Take for example this scenario: Sauron is out and about, having a grand time slaying elves and men. Try though he might, he can't help but get blood all over his hands. Now elf blood, as we all know, is really tough to get off, so he goes home and uses some of that Orange Goop to help remove the stains. As we also all know Orange Goop really makes things slippery, and *oops!* the ring accidentally slips off his finger. Doh! Sauron blows up and his body burns away.

Sounds kinda foolish to me, don't you think?

Yazad