Summary
The Lord of the Rings : The Rings of Powerhas all but confirmed that the Stranger is Gandalf , and I ’ll be really foiled if season 2 continue to needlessly pulsate around the bush . In season 1 , there were some heavy hint that the inscrutable being who come from the sky into the circle of Harfoots was Sauron , but this was only a red herring . or else , Halbrand was revealed to be the Dark Lord , and the ominous hint hem in the Stranger shifted to involve he is Gandalf . All thatRings of Powerseason 2 has to do is definitively confirm , but I get the feeling it wo n’t .
While theStranger ’s identity has yet to be confirmed inRings of Power , it was stated that he is an Istari . This was an order of Miar , sent to in-between - earth in the chassis of whizz to assist in the fight against Sauron . In Tolkien canon , five were mention by name , each of which could technically be the on-key individuality of the Stranger . Gandalf is , of course , among them , as well as Saruman , Radagast , and the two Blue Wizards , Alatar and Pallando . None of these are a perfect fit withRings of Power ’s Stranger , but Gandalf is still the most likely option .
Amazon ’s The Lord of the Rings : The Rings of Power has know characters and brand new ones , all with intimate faces . Here ’s where you know them from .
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Rings Of Power Season 1 Laid It On Thick With The Gandalf/Stranger Clues
Rings Of Power Basically Confirmed The Stranger’s Identity
Once the Stranger was confirmed not to be Sauron , I became surefooted that he wasRings of Power ’s version of Gandalf . This contradicts canyon since Gandalf did n’t arrive in halfway - ground until the Third Age , long after the Second Age events of Prime Video’sLord of the Ringsseries . However , this would be far from the first change to Tolkien ’s timeline , andthe suggestion that this Istari is Gandalf are too heavy to snub . Firstly , Gandalf was notably the only Istari to devote any attending to Hobbits — it was what made him special — and the Stranger ’s friendly relationship with Nori is evidently meant to lay out this up .
Gandalf was notably the only Istari to give any attention to Hobbits — it was what made him peculiar — and the Stranger ’s friendship with Nori is obviously meant to localise this up .
While pretty convincing all its own , the Stranger ’s friendship with the Harfoots is n’t even the most overthint that he is Gandalf . The writer forThe Rings of Powerwent as far as to give this role some of Gandalf ’s most famous line of reasoning . At the end of season 1,the Stranger said , " When in doubt , Elanor Brandyfoot , always follow your nose , " which is precisely what Gandalf enunciate to Merry inThe Lord of the Rings(minus the Elanor part ) . This is honestlytooobvious a clue for me and pull up stakes no doubt in my mind that this is an early version of Gandalf . Still , Rings of Power ’s showrunners are being elusive .
Set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power explores the forging of the iconic rings, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, and the epic events leading up to the stories in J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novels. The series chronicles the creation of legendary characters and the historic alliances and rivalries that shape the fate of Middle-earth.
Rings Of Power’s Showrunners Continue To Tease Audiences About The Stranger’s Identity
Come On, Prime Video, Who Do You Think You’re Kidding?
With such a major clue about the Stranger ’s personal identity , I await the showrunners ofThe Rings of Powerto simply support he is Gandalf lead up to time of year 2 . The closed book was already out , and the conclusion of season 1 felt as upright as a major reveal . However , Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne have continued to beat around the bushby intimate other possibilities for the character ’s identity :
J.D. Payne : ” [ W]e essay to make it delightful in that there are several possibilities of what that can finish up import . Could that signify that The Stranger is Gandalf and that he says that , then he says it afterward on ? It could decidedly mean that .
“ Could it also signify that The Stranger is Saruman , and you realise that after on Saruman said that to Gandalf and then Gandalf said it . You do it what I signify ? There are always way you could sort of like pinball it . There could be delightful track that could come out of either eventuality . So , we like to keep those door open . It ’s fun to hire with the story and opine of the possibility . "
While " operate with the hypothesis " is typically a good affair , Payne ’s words have me concerned . He seems to be implying that the mystery regarding the Stranger will continue intoRings of Powerseason 2and that the hint and references will " pinball " around to keep consultation on their toe . However , I do n’t want to pass the next episodes wondering if the Stranger is Gandalf , Saruman , or other Istari since it ’s really a fruitless closed book . There are few " possibility " than theRings of Powershowrunners involve since we already know the fate of these type thanks toThe Lord of the Rings .
The Stranger being a Blue Wizard would make more sense because they arrive in Middle - dry land in the Second Age . However , this would make the Gandalf touch totally nonmeaningful .
If The Stranger Isn’t Gandalf, Then Rings Of Power Worked Too Hard To Mislead Viewers
Beating Around The Bush For Several Seasons Just Won’t Pay Off
Despite Payne ’s hypnotism that the Stranger is Saruman , the chance of this are only too low . The original White Wizard never bothered with Hobbits and only took notice of their industries because he mistrust Gandalf of hiding something — assuming his fellow Istari would only befriend these creatures for personal gain . Moreover , it makes no sensory faculty that Saruman would have come up with a line about trace one ’s nose and that Gandalf would have peck it up further down the line . If thisisthe case , thenRings of Powerwould have put in far too much effort to needlessly mislead audiences .
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Set in the Second Age of Middle - earth , The Lord of the Rings : The Rings of Power explores the forging of the iconic ring , the upgrade of the Dark Lord Sauron , and the epic events leading up to the fib in J.R.R. Tolkien ’s definitive novel . The series chronicle the introduction of fabled characters and the historical alliance and contention that determine the fate of Middle - earth .
Set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power explores the forging of the iconic rings, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, and the epic events leading up to the stories in J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novels. The series chronicles the creation of legendary characters and the historic alliances and rivalries that shape the fate of Middle-earth.
