Summary
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerhas all but confirmed that the Stranger is Gandalf, and I’ll be really frustrated if season 2 continues to needlessly beat around the bush. In season 1, there were some heavy hints that the mysterious being who fell from the sky into the laps of Harfoots was Sauron, but this was only a red herring. Instead, Halbrand was revealed to be the Dark Lord, and the ominous hints surrounding the Stranger shifted to imply he is Gandalf. All thatRings of Powerseason 2 has to do is definitively confirm, but I get the feeling it won’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 Middle-earth in the form of wizards to assist in the fight against Sauron. In Tolkien canon, five were mentioned by name,each of which could technically be the true identity 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.
The Rings Of Power Cast & Character Descriptions
Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has known characters and brand new ones, all with familiar faces. Here’s where you know them from.
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 confident that he wasRings of Power’s version of Gandalf. This contradicts canon since Gandalf didn’t arrive in Middle-earth 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 hints that this Istari is Gandalf are too heavy to ignore. Firstly, Gandalf was notably the only Istari to pay any attention to Hobbits—it was what made him special—and the Stranger’s friendship with Nori is obviously meant to set this up.
Gandalf was notably the only Istari to pay any attention to Hobbits—it was what made him special—and the Stranger’s friendship with Nori is obviously meant to set this up.
While pretty convincing all its own, the Stranger’s friendship with the Harfoots isn’t even the most overthint that he is Gandalf. The writers forThe Rings of Powerwent as far as to give this character some of Gandalf’s most famous lines. At the end of season 1,the Stranger said, “When in doubt, Elanor Brandyfoot, always follow your nose,” which is precisely what Gandalf said to Merry inThe Lord of the Rings(minus the Elanor part). This is honestlytooobvious a clue for me and left no doubt in my mind that this is an early version of Gandalf. Still,Rings of Power’s showrunners are being elusive.
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 identity, I expected the showrunners ofThe Rings of Powerto simply confirm he is Gandalf leading up to season 2. The secret was already out, and the ending of season 1 felt as good as a major reveal. However,Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne have continued to beat around the bushby suggesting other possibilities for the character’s identity:
J.D. Payne: ”[W]e try to make it delightful in that there are several possibilities of what that can end up meaning. Could that mean that The Stranger is Gandalf and that he says that, then he says it later on? It could definitely mean that.
“Could it also mean that The Stranger is Saruman, and you realize that later on Saruman said that to Gandalf and then Gandalf said it. You know what I mean? There are always ways you can sort of like pinball it. There could be delightful paths that could come out of either eventuality. So, we like to keep those doors open. It’s fun to engage with the story and think of the possibilities."
While “engaging with the possibilities” is typically a good thing, 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 clues and references will “pinball” around to keep audiences on their toes. However, I don’t want to spend the next episodes wondering if the Stranger is Gandalf, Saruman, or other Istari since it’s really a fruitless mystery. There are fewer “possibilities” than theRings of Powershowrunners imply since we already know the fate of these characters thanks toThe Lord of the Rings.
The Stranger being a Blue Wizard would make more sense because they arrived in Middle-earth in the Second Age. However, this would make the Gandalf hints completely meaningless.
Beating Around The Bush For Several Seasons Just Won’t Pay Off
Despite Payne’s suggestion that the Stranger is Saruman, the chances of this are simply too low. The original White Wizard never bothered with Hobbits and only took notice of their industries because he suspected Gandalf of hiding something—assuming his fellow Istari would only befriend these creatures for personal gain. Moreover, it makes no sense that Saruman would have come up with a line about following one’s nose and that Gandalf would have picked it up further down the line. If thisisthe case, thenRings of Powerwould have put in far too much effort to needlessly mislead audiences.
Following this up with more red herrings that imply another false possible identity for the Stranger would be taking it too far, especially since there are limited options regarding who he could be.
Rings of Powerseason 1wasalready full of red herrings since the Stranger was initially presented as a possible Sauron candidate. Following this up withmorered herrings that imply another false possible identity for the Stranger would be taking it too far, especially since there are limited options regarding who he could be. Revealing that the Stranger is actually Saruman or a Blue Wizard would have almost no impact, so there’s just no need to draw this mystery out.Rings of Powerhad its fun, so now it’s time to confirm this character’s identity once and for all.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Cast
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.
