Saruman

"We can deal with Sauron ourselves, Gandalf. You and I, one way or another. [...] It is time for us to choose. A new age is upon us. A new Power is rising. Nothing that Men or Elves or Wizards can do will avail against it. Its enemies are utterly doomed! But its friends..."

- Saruman, to Gandalf Saruman was one of the Wizards, guardians of Middle-earth robed in the hues of wizened old men sent to help the fair folk counter Sauron. Having delved too deep in his studies of the Enemy's ways, however, he came to secretly praise his works and thus gained an interest in the area of the Rings of Power.

As he yearned for more power, Saruman turned away from his mission with time and slowly fell under the temptation of Sauron, becoming one of his servants - although eventually proving a faithless one. From his fortress of Orthanc the corrupted wizard deviously plotted to attain his master's favor in victory as his almost-equal lieutenant, or be the first to seize the One Ring, when the ripe opportunity arose.

The Lord of Isengard
Saruman the White was one of the Wizards whose purpose in Middle-earth was to help the Free Peoples defend themselves from and combat the threat posed in the event of Sauron's return. Nominally the head of the order, he became learned in the devilish arts of the Dark Lord, whom instead of holding in contempt he was now awed, envious and fearful of. What fascinated him the most was Ring-lore and especially everything related to the One Ring, secrets which he came to covet for he wanted to share in the Enemy's terrible power.

Abandoning his mission to turn to other matters, that of expanding his personal power, Saruman eventually fell prey to the persuasive will of Sauron and his mind was dominated - unwittingly, he became more of a tool for this cunning puppeteer than he realized. He desired his victory over the Free Peoples, or no longer cared to oppose it, justifying his actions through his professed belief that order should at all costs be installed in world even if it meant enslavement by him or by his new master. Wishing to spread his influence over the neighboring lands of Rohan, Saruman bought royal counselor Gríma and used him to sap the ailing Théoden's strength and to ill-advise him, making the king susceptible to his control and the realm vulnerable to Sauron's conquest. Both in employ and in rivalry of his master, the Wizard ensnared some of the fell races to his side, amassing an impressive following of Orcs and Wargs who toiled in the hidden pits dug around Isengard to arm themselves for the upcoming war. Saruman's plan was two-fold: either be the pillar of his Lord Sauron's ascension and so enter his good graces as a servant proven friend or to cheat him by uncovering the One Ring on his own account.

True Colors
As Frodo Baggins and his companions left the Shire with the One Ring to flee from the pursuing Nazgûl, Gandalf the Grey rode to Isengard seeking the counsel of Saruman the White, the head of the order of wizards, against the resurgence of Sauron. The latter greeted him into the Tower of Orthanc, but seemed unimpressed by the news of the Nine Black Riders' appearance. Saruman then held a speech on the state of things as he saw it and, much to Gandalf's shock, implied his allegiance to Sauron he claimed that nothing the Free Peoples would do would avail them and that the only hope for and prosperity was to submit

Urging Gandalf to join with the new "Power" or if not to assist him in his own efforts, Saruman demanded to know the whereabouts of the One Ring and why the Nazgûl were looking for the One Ring in the Shire. When Gandalf refused to reveal anything to him, Saruman openly shed his epithet of the White and stood forth as Saruman of Many Colors. Once his agent Gríma brought him his staff, the turncoat Wizard used it to cast a spell to imprison his guest in Orthanc. The latter warned him, though, that his delay would only ensure the Dark Lord obtaining the Ring. Undisturbed, Saruman claimed that Sauron would at least acknowledge the aid of a servant such as he and find a fitting reward for him, as well as a suitable punishment for Gandalf's insolence. With that he mockingly left his desperate former friend atop the tower of Orthanc.

War with Rohan
Revealed as a traitor to the fair folk after Gandalf's escape from Orthanc's rooftop on the back of Gwaihir, Saruman's hand was forced - like that of Sauron - and he began setting his plans into motion. The Orc-troops he had organized into his legions at Isengard readied for open war, the Wizard dispatched raiding parties to waylay the neighboring Rohirrim as part of his master's southern campaign and also to potentially harry the Fellowship of the Ring on likely routes he assumed they would take on their journey. One such company out of Isengard, joined by fellow Orcs from Mordor, ambushed the group at Amon Hen and captured two of the halflings per Saruman's command. However, the in-fighting between Sauron's minions and Saruman's own agents coupled with attacks from the Rohirrim led to the failure of the Wizard's attempt to get his hands on the One Ring. Further, Théoden was freed by Gandalf the White from Gríma's clutches ruining Saruman's designs for virtual rulership over Rohan.

While the Rohirrim now gathered at the fortress of Helm's Deep to defend themselves against the looming threat posed by Sauron, Saruman assembled his ten-thousand-strong Orc army on the grounds of Isengard. Inciting his soldiery with promises of plunder, spilling of blood, annihilation of Rohan's folk and dominion over Middle-earth, Saruman unleashed the terror he had until then contained upon his adversaries. During the Battle of Helm's Deep, the Wizard assisted his hosts by casting fiery spells that crippled the stone walls of the fortress, allowing his creatures to enter the Keep and force the Rohirrim warriors into hiding. However, all of Saruman's vain efforts were rendered useless when Aragorn and Théoden headed a charge upon the Orcish ranks and Gandalf the White arrived with reinforcements, scattering what little remained of his army and therefore effectively removing the Wizard from the Dark Lord's arsenal.

Behind the scenes

 * Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings is one of the few adaptations to retain Saruman's assuming of the title "Saruman of Many Colours". However, robes are depicted as neither a dirty white nor as shimmering hues but as wholly red, perhaps meant as a visual suggestion of the Wizard's association with the Dark Lord Sauron. Also, his beard and hair are plain white, as opposed to several black-grey strains in-between as mentioned in the novels.
 * During production the writers deemed the names Sauron and Saruman to be too similar and therefore changed the latter's name to Aruman in the hopes of avoiding confusion, before the idea was dropped. Despite these, several occurences of Aruman remain in the final cut.