Do we like Saruman?
A character from The Lord of the Rings (1954-1955)
Our score: 1 out of 10. No. He was trusted to protect Middle-earth, and he turns that trust into ambition and cruelty. You'd back him only if you wanted to be on the losing side of everything.
Saruman the White is the leader of the Istari, the wizards sent to Middle-earth to help its peoples resist the Dark Lord Sauron. He lives in the fortress of Orthanc at Isengard and has studied the enemy's lore for years. The other good powers treat him as a wise ally.
His trouble is pride. He is clever, commanding and sure that he knows best, and his voice can talk people round. He doesn't want to destroy evil so much as take the power for himself, and that ambition drives everything he does.
That is why he scores so low. A guardian who should have protected the free peoples becomes one of their most dangerous enemies. He is fascinating, and Christopher Lee's film version is memorable, but nothing he does makes him worth backing.