Timeline for Why didn't Sauron fight in the final battle?

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Jan 3, 2017 at 17:41	comment	added	Ben Osborne		Isildur didn't beat Sauron. Sauron fought with Gil-galad and Elendil, and all three were killed. Isildur just cut the ring from Sauron's finger after that fight was over. If Sauron was able to beat Gil-galad and Elendil, Aragorn and Gandalf wouldn't have been a problem for him. But there was no reason for him even to try that, since Aragorn's army had no chance of even threatening Sauron. It took 10 years for the Last Alliance -- a much larger army -- to get Sauron to personally come out.
Jun 4, 2015 at 15:21	comment	added	Reinstate Monica -- notmaynard		I first read your answer as "Sauron had a terrible back...", which would explain it. He didn't want to through it out again, just as he was starting to feel better.
Oct 20, 2013 at 1:19	comment	added	vivaldi7		+1 for noting Sauron's 0-3 record in personal combat. He also met the Numenoreans in person and surrendered immediately. He was physically demolished when Numenor was attacked. Another point is that in spite of Peter Jackson's rewrite, in the book it was Elendil & Gil-gilad that wrestled with and brought Sauron down (even while he was wearing The Ring!) Isildur cut the ring from his finger after the fact as Sauron lay defeated on the ground. His forces did much better when he was absent.
Feb 29, 2012 at 19:13	history	edited	Kevin	CC BY-SA 3.0	added 2 characters in body
Feb 29, 2012 at 6:43	history	answered	revdjweb	CC BY-SA 3.0