Amazon’s 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:The Rings of Power series focuses on a period in J.R.R. Tolkien’s classical tale that we didn’t see in Peter Jackson’s adaptations. Unlike both the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movie trilogies, The Rings of Powe🐬r is set in the Second Age, before Sauron was at the height of his power with the One Ring.
Various recognizable characters are alive and walking around Middle-earth, despite some not appearing for thousands of years in Tolkien’s books. However, one character that's still enveloped in a shroud of mystery as the first season concluded is the Stranger. While many fans have guessed who this character might be, their identity hasn’t been confirmed yet. We break down everything we know about the Stranger and who they could be in The Rings of Power.
The Stranger Arrives
At the end of the first episode, a mysterious man fell from the skies and crash-landed in Middle-earth. Known only as the Stranger, this man was discovered by Nori, a Hobbit of the Harfoots clan. Completely disoriented and with no idea who he is, the Stranger befriended the Hobbit. He wasn’t welcome❀d with open arms by the other Hobbits because of their innate fear of “large folks” but eventually the clan warmed up to him.
In the final episode of the series, major clues began to drop regarding his identity. First, the Stranger was ambushed by three mystics who claimed that he was Lord Sauron. Magical individuals like Sauron and Gandalf are known as Maiar. Because the mystics believed the Stranger was Sauron, that implies that he is at least a Maiar.
Still unsure of who he was and the fact that his magic nearly harmed Nori, the Stranger began to succumb to the mystics, but Nori reassured him that he was good and prevented him from potentially turning evil. The first season concluded with the Stranger and Nori traveling to Rhun in the far𝓀 east of Middle-earth, ♒so the Stranger could discover more about himself and how to control his powers.
Why The Stranger Is Gandalf
Immediately after arriving in Middle-earth, fans were quick to label the Stranger as a Second Age version of beloved Gandalf the Grey. Other than being tall with a large beard and wearing a tattered robe, there are quite a few indications that the Stranger is Gandalf. In the third episode, Nori and her friend Poppy watch the Stranger speak to fireflies in a similar fashion to Gandalf speaking to the moths when he was imprisoned by Saruman.
The other major indication is the advice he gives Nori before they travel to Rhun. He tells her “when in doubt, Elanor Brandyfoot, always follow your nose” which is nearly identical to what Gandalf said in the Mines of Moria in The Fellowship of the Ring. Although Gandalf didn’t arrive in Middle-earth until the Third Age according to Tolkien&rsq♏uo;s books, The Riඣngs of Power has already adjusted much of the source material, so it’s not inconceivable it would bring Gandalf into the fold a bit early. There’s also the chance of the Stranger being confirmed as Gandalf but dying at some point, only to be resurrected later in the Third Age, like he was after being killed by the Balrog in Moria.
Why The Stranger Is Someone Else
According to Tolkien, not only did Gandalf not appear in Middle-earth until the Third Age, but he wasn’t even the first Wizard. There were a total of five Istari (Wizards) that were sent to Middle-earth: Saruman the White, Gandalf the Grey, Radagast the Brown, Alatar, and Pallando. The latter two Wizards aren’t mentioned much in Tolkien’s writing, other than traveling to the far east and south, where they wer🧜e corrupted and formed cults based on magic.
Saruman was the first Wizard to arrive in Middle-earth, followed by Gandalf and then Radagast. Because of Saruman’s slight distaste toward Hobbits in Jackson's films and Radagast’s connection with woodland creatures, it’s safe to assume the Stranger is likely not Saruman or Radagast.
There is a slight possibility that the Stranger could be either Alatar or Pallando. Known as Blue Wizards, not much is known about these two, but The Rings of Power could explore other characters that weren’t focused on previously. They both wore sea-blue robes and according to The Peoples of Middle-earth, an extended history taken from unpublished notes of Tolkien, they arrived in Middle-earth sometime during the Second Age around the same time as Sauron. It’s a long shot, but there is a case for t🌟he Stranger being one of the Blue Wizards. Which theory holds up remins to be seen.