The season finale of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power gave its fans clues about the mysterious character The Stranger's identity. This has caused quite a buzz among the viewers, who are left wondering about the character's identity. The closest clue is that he is a wizard.
On Amazon's The Rings of Power podcast, JD Payne and Patrick McKay, the show's showrunners, stated this is an "open question." However, the claim that the character is Gandalf is almost indisputable if we take every hint that the show has dropped into consideration. Here are the clues proving The Stranger is Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power:
Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. It also reflects the author's opinion. Reader'sretion is advised.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power - Every clue suggesting The Stranger is Gandalf
1. The Istari connection
The finale of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power shows that three witches tracked down The Stranger, who had mistaken him for Sauron. They wanted to teach him how to use his powers. However, one of the witches realizes he is not the Dark Lord but an Istari, meaning a wizard. This is an important revelation as it suggests that the being is not just a randomly powerful one but one of the five Istaris sent by the Valar for their mission to help the people of Middle-earth in their fight against Sauron.
In the original Tolkien work, the five Istaris are Curumo, who becomes Saruman; Olórin, who becomes Gandalf; Aiwendil, who becomes Radagast; and Alatar and Pallando, who are the Blue Wizards. These magical beings are Maiar spirits sent to Earth in human form. However, this also significantly deviates from the timeline in the original lore, where Istaris arrived in the Third Age. In the show, The Stranger arrives in the Second Age.
2. The "foll" w your nose" quo" e
In The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, The Stranger experiences memory loss, which isn't unusual, as written in the original lore that istaris have to learn everything from scratch. When the Harfoot hobbit, Nori, tells him that she has no clue which direction to go, The Stranger delivers the same advice that Gandalf has offered to Merry in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring:
“When in doubt Elanor Brandyfoot, always follow your nose.”
The strategic placement of the line right before the credits rolled feels purposeful. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power would not randomly place this advice here. This iconic line could also be seen as a deliberate misdirection planted by the showrunners to make the viewers think it is Gandalf.
3. The Harfoot connection
In season 1 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, we notice a friendship between The Stranger and the Harfoots. He becomes fond of them, and they form a deep bond. This kind of affection mirrors Gandalf's love for his Hobbit folks.
This could be a possible hint that the character is Gandalf because of his close connection with the Shire, where he visited the Hobbits. Moreover, the fact that he fought beside a harfoot and was saved by one when he arrived explains why he loves his little friends.
4. The Moths and Light Motif
When The Stranger fights the witches who mistook him for Sauron, he defeats them and sends them to the Unseen Realm using a bright glow of light. This motif of bright white light is similar to the blinding light used by Gandalf to fight Saruman and the Balrog.
In the second episode of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, lanterns using fireflies are brought to The Stranger, who whispers to them to make a constellation of stars in the sky. This resembles how Gandalf calls for aid from an eagle by speaking to a moth to escape Saruman in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
These similarities between the two characters are a definite nod to the possibility of The Stranger being Gandalf.
5. Physical appearance
Furthermore, The Stranger's appearance in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is strikingly similar to Gandalf's. He wears gray, and we all know Gandalf is our very own gray Istari. The Istaris Saruman and Radagast are white and brown, respectively. Blue is the color of both Alatar and Pallando.
Another giveaway is The StranStranger'sd and the color of his hair. Moreover, Nori picks gray clothes for him. These are pointers that The Stranger could be Gandalf.
Whether the showrunners intend to evoke nostalgia among fans or deliberately plant hints for them, viewers of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power are eager and awaiting the character reveal. The evidence strongly points to The Stranger being Gandalf. However, there is still room for interpretation.
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