Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 finale.
It has takentwo full seasons, butThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerhas finally revealed the identity of the Stranger (Daniel Weyman).After his altercationwith the Dark Wizard (Ciarán Hinds), the Stoors are forced to leave their village in Rhûn and migrate to the West with Nori (Markella Kavenagh) and Poppy (Megan Richards). As they are all saying their goodbyes, they call him “Grand-Elf,” which leads the Stranger to conclude the truth with Tom Bombadil (Rory Kinnear):his real name is Gandalf. It’s the series' worst-kept secret, but one that kept people guessing until the end.
Gandalf Learning His Name Is Part of His Journey in ‘The Rings of Power’
Right up until the Season 2 finale, fans on the internet argued that the Stranger being Gandalf would be too obvious, but this is a game thatThe Rings of Poweralready played back in Season 1, when many (correctly) theorized that Halbrand was, in fact, Sauron (Charlie Vickers). What’s really important isn’t the number of viewers who may haveguessed it right, but the significance ofthe character’s overall journeyuntil they reveal themselves. There were countless hints about the Stranger being Gandalf, and, as it turns out, that’s the series’ way of telling us to enjoy it instead of trying to crack a secret code.
Gandalf’s arc in Season 1 was about him coming into himself and discovering his power, while, in Season 2, it’s all aboutunderstanding what his role in Middle-earth will be. Learning his name is part of the process, asTom Bombadilexplains. Gandalf has a clear enough mission, which is helping to defeat Sauron, but that has never been what his character is solely about. Gandalf is a strange wizard who is aware of his power and his purpose, buthe actually enjoys being in Middle-earth and has a deep respect for life itself. He could never have earned his name without understanding and being tested first, which is why Tom makes him choose between saving Nori and Poppy, or searching dead trees for a staff.
This is all perfectly in line with who Gandalf is among the Istari, too. As the Grey Wizard, his job is to wander Middle-earth, meet people and learn about them, and spread a sentiment of resistance and rebellion against darkness.There is no way for him to even understand it without first being tested, like he was by Tom. He really is the Gandalf we have always known, whobelieves in small actsof kindness and love as what truly keeps darkness at bay. This is why he chooses to help his friends over becoming more powerful, and why it serves him best in the end, earning him his name.
This ‘Rings of Power’ Star Suspected Who The Stranger Really Was All Along
“I definitely had my own suspicions early and I made them known.”
In the Books, Gandalf Arrives in Middle-earth Much Later
One of the reasons that led many people to think the Stranger could not be Gandalf is the fact thatThe Rings of Poweris set in the Second Age.InJ.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium, Gandalf only arrives in Middle-earth well into the Third Age. He is one of the Maiar sent by the Valar to aid the Free Peoples of Middle-earth in their growing struggle against Sauron, who is starting to stir again after losing his physical form in the War of the Last Alliance. He arrives along with Saruman and Radagast, and they are welcomed byCírdan the Shipwright(Ben Daniels).
Círdan gives GandalfNarya, his Ring of Power, believingit will serve the wizardmuch better than it ever did the Shipwright. By then, Gandalf is alreadythe Grey Wizard. Radagast is the Brown Wizard, whose job is to protect nature from Sauron’s darkness, and Saruman is the White, whose mission is to embody the struggle against the enemy and lead the Istari.Those who do arrive in Middle-earth earlier than that are the two Blue Wizards, Allatar and Palando. Their mission is to venture into the eastern lands of Rhûn to weaken Sauron’s efforts, since the people who dwell there were once aligned with Morgoth and are now siding with Sauron.
As different as it is from the original Tolkien lore, the Stranger not being Gandalf couldn’t work for a very simple reason:there have been too many hints about it. In Season 1, for example, he tells Nori to “always follow your nose.” In Season 2, the Harfoots say he needs a “gand” to harness his power, the Stoors call him “Grand-Elf,” Tom Bombadil tells him the line about “some who die deserve to live” and mentionsserving the Secret Fire…If all this had been for nothing, it would simply have been bad writing, and, despite itsmany deviationsfrom the original Tolkien writings, that’s something that the series isn’t known for, since, within its own context,The Rings of Powertells a very consistent story.
Gandalf’s Role in Future Seasons Could Break New Ground in the Lore
With Gandalf being in Middle-earth around a whole age before he is supposed to, according to the books, the big question forThe Rings of PowerSeason 3 is: what will he do? Having finally understood who he is and what his mission is, there is still a lot of growing for him to do.He is still much younger than when he appears inThe HobbitandThe Lord of the Rings, so will he get directly involved in the fight against Sauron in the Second Age?
As always, Tolkien’s writings may provide a hint. In the Third Age, Gandalf starts as the Grey Wizard, taking over the role of White Wizard inThe Lord of the Rings: The Two Towersafter Saruman’s (Christopher Lee) fall. InUnfinished Tales, though, Tolkien tells that, when the Valar send the Istari to Middle-earth,they offer him the role of White Wizard, but he refuses, feeling he is not strong enough for the task and doesn’t desire power or authority, and Saruman then jumps at the opportunity. It could be that Gandalf’s arc in Season 3 is about him refusing this position entirely, tricked by the Dark Wizard, or about his growing into his role, and becoming more experienced as the Grey One straight away. Whatever it is, we can’t wait to see our beloved wizard again.
Season 2 ofThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Poweris available to stream on Prime Video.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Epic drama set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’ follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth.
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