Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for Season 2 of The Rings of Power.Season 2ofThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Poweris over, but it’s always special being back in Middle-earth. Despite all the fighting and destruction, the finale, “Shadow and Flame,” also takes time to end on a rather hopeful note, hinting at special locations coming in Season 3, and, of course,answering the biggest question of the series so far: who is the Stranger (Daniel Weyman), really? After two full seasons of wondering and speculating, we finally know the answer to this question, and, although it isn’t exactly a surprise, it’s still nice to finally put this mystery to bed.
Season 2 Confirms That There Is Only One Character the Stranger Could Have Been
People have argued, debated, and speculated since the beginning ofThe Rings of Power’s first season about whom the Stranger really is, and, finally, Season 2 has given us the answer. As it turns out, in “Shadow and Flame"he learnshis true name is Gandalf, meaning he has been everyone’s favorite wizard all along. Him discovering his name is the culmination of his arc in the second season, an accomplishment that comes from saving his friends and confronting his antagonist, theDark Wizard(Ciarán Hinds). AsTom Bombadil(Rory Kinnear) taught the Stranger, his name and staff would come naturally as a consequence of his understanding of his mission in Middle-earth - but more on that later.
Throughout Season 2, the series leaves countless breadcrumbs for viewers to follow, soit was possible to come to the conclusion that the Stranger is Gandalf from very early. For example, he refuses every name his friend Nori (Markella Kavenagh) gives him in the premiere, “Elven Kings Under the Sky.” In Episode 2, “Where the Stars Are Strange,” Nori and Poppy (Megan Richards), who has followed them into the eastern lands of Rhûn, discuss the Stranger’s ability and talk about getting him “a gand” to help him harness his powers. Then, in Episode 6, “Where Is He?,” he and Tom Bombadil talk about “serving the Secret Fire,” and Tom later gives him the iconic “many that die deserve life, some that live deserve death” that Gandalf (Ian McKellen) gives Frodo (Elijah Wood) inThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Finally, in “Shadow and Flame,” the Stoors call him “Grand-Elf,” from which he gets to the conclusion that people are going to call him Gandalf.
Those are enough hints for anyone to connect the dots, but there is a simpler yet reason for the Stranger to be Gandalf:he is such a beloved character that he justcan’t be left outof aThe Lord of the Ringsstory. There are timeline issues that should prevent him from being a character at the time whenThe Rings of Poweris set, but, frankly, this isn’t something the average viewer cares about. Gandalf is a direct connection to the movies and novels, making it easier for the audience to bridge the gap between them. Not just that, but the fact that people love him makes him an essential character to potentially attract viewership. Leaving all those hintsjust for him to turn out and be someone elsewould be very frustrating for anyone, let alone the casual viewer who doesn’t care about whatJ.R.R. Tolkienmay have originally written, as long as the story makes sense.
Gandalf Is One of the Istar, but What Does That Mean for His Story?
There are many hints about the Stranger being Gandalf in Season 2, but, truth be told, there were already plenty in Season 1, too, when his arc is about coming into himself and relearning the basics of his powers. After he falls from the sky on a giant meteor,fans speculated that he could be Sauron, and that fooled many people, including the Dark Wizard himself, who sent a group of minions calledthe Mysticsafter the Stranger. Their goal is to fetch “Sauron” and take him to Rhûn; when they understand they have misread the signs,they immediately call the Stranger by what he is: an Istar.
The Dark Wizard himself is also an Istar, meaning he belongs to the same order of magical beings as the Stranger.The Istariare Maiar, angelic beings that helpthe Valarto manage and shape Middle-earth. Sauron and the Balrog of Khazad-dûm are also Maiar, for example, meaning that there can be good and evil spirits among them, too. In Tolkien’s Legendarium, the Istari are an order of five Maiar who are sent by the Valar to Middle-earth in the Third Age to help rekindle the flame of resistance against Sauron’s growing tyranny. In the books,Gandalf the Grey is the Istar whose mission is to wander Middle-earthwarning the Free Peoples of Middle-earth about Sauron and spreading a sentiment of rebellion and resistance against the Dark Lord, but there are four other Istari with different, yet complementary missions.Saruman the Whiteis the leader of the Istari, embodying the struggle against the darkness and keeping tabs on the other wizards' missions. Radagast the Brown is responsible for protecting nature against the darkness, and befriends fauna and flora throughout Middle-earth to do so. And, finally, Alatar and Pallando are the Blue Wizards, whose mission is to hinder Sauron’s influence in the East and South, especially the lands of Rhûn and Khand.
At the end of Season 1, the reveal that the Stranger is indeed an Istari made some people already connect the dots and conclude that he is Gandalf. In contrast,others felt that it was too obvious and that this probably meant he was another Istari. The fact that he is wearing brown robes led some to think he could be Radagast, while others argued that he could be Saruman, since the White Wizardventures into Rhûnat an earlier point of his journey. Buthim beingone of the Blue Wizardswas the main theoryamong the people who didn’t think he could be Gandalf. After all, they are sent to Middle-earth in the Second Age, while the other three Istari only arrive in the Third Age, and the East is exactly where they go. With so many Gandalf references spread through the series, though, it would probably have been a little confusing if he turned out to be one of the Blue Wizards.
Gandalf’s Mission in Middle-Earth Remains a Mystery at This Point
In Tolkien’s books, Gandalf arrives in Middle-earth inmuch different circumstancesthan inThe Rings of Power. For example, it’s the middle of the Third Age, and the threat of Sauron is perceived to be no more, whereas in the series the Dark Lord is actively working to control the whole land during the Second Age.Those are two very different contexts. While the first still allows Gandalf some time and freedom to, for example,party with Hobbitsin the Shire (as one does), the second one requires a much more objective and hands-on approach.
As a wandering wizard, Gandalf’s role in the struggle against Sauron in the Second Age is still pretty much open, although Tom Bombadil gives a hint about what it may be. In Episode 4, “Eldest,” he and the Stranger are talking about learning to wield magic and purpose, and Tom mentions that, although he is powerful, he is a wanderer, not a warrior, and that “great deeds are left to the hands they were placed in,” and that Sauron and the Dark Wizard can combine into a flame that may consume all of Middle-earth. The Stranger immediately asks if it’s his task to stop the fire and face Sauron, to whichTom answers that his task is to face them both. This immediately makes us think about the Stranger going up against Sauron himself in some sort of epic duel, but that simply can’t happen - at least not according to Tolkien.
The fight against Sauron in the Second Age is done by Elves and Mortal Men, and the enemy embodies different aspects of these races struggles. The Elves are fighting to keep theLight of the Eldar(their magical powers) alive in Middle-earth, hence why they made theirthree Rings of Power, while Men are once again being tested for their resolve and moral fiber against a cunning and seductive foe. An Istar being involved at this point is impossible to imagine because,in theory, they have nothing to gain in terms of narrative development. There is still a whole age that happens after Sauron’s defeat against the Elves and Men in which the Dark Lord comes back, so,for the Istari to be there and Sauron still, it would mean that they have effectively failedin their mission. It may be thatThe Rings of Powertakes this road, but it’s still a ways ahead. Until then, Gandalf has some growing to do.
Gandalf Still Has Many Names To Earn Before He Can Face Sauron
Now thatThe Lord of the Ringsis a successful and established pop-culture franchise, it may be difficult to think about certain characters in ways other than the ones the general audience is used to. BeforeThe Rings of Power, for example, we knew that Gandalf, Saruman, and Radagast were unique wizards, butthe term “Istar” had never been mentioned onscreen before. This is one of the things that make them such great characters in Tolkien’s Legendarium: they are known by many different names.Gandalf is but the first name that the Stranger has learned about himself. It’s certainly the most popular, but it’s one among many — five, to be precise.
InPeter Jackson’s movie trilogy, Gandalf is the name the Hobbits and the Humans use when referring to the Grey Wizard, but the Elves actually call him something else. For them, he is called Mithrandir, which means “grey pilgrim,” referring to his attire and the fact that he is constantly traveling between places. Butthere are at least three other names by which he is known, each reflecting different aspects of his identity or his role among various peoples. For example, as a Maiar, he has an “official” Ainur name: Olórin. This was the name he went by in the Undying Lands of Valinor before he came to Middle-earth, and it reflects his identity in that earlier existence. Among the Dwarves, he is known as Tharkûn, and, while its exact meaning isn’t clarified in the texts, it is believed to translate into “man of the staff,” relating to his appearance or deeds among them. Finally, among the people of the South, particularly around Gondor, he is known as Incánus, which means “Mind Master.” This is the only one to have a negative connotation, because, in those parts, he isn’t usually as welcome.In both Gondor and Rohan, he is often merely toleratedand not necessarily welcomed because of his habit of showing up bringing bad news or only when tragedy is about to strike. That is his job, though, so it’s better having Gandalf or Incánus around anyway.
And, of course, “Gandalf” also has a pretty special meaning. And not just any meaning, but one that perfectly aligns with the Stranger’s quest in Season 2.Tolkien drew from Norse mythology to create this name, which means “Elf of the wand,“a nod to the fact that the wizard carries his staff around and requires it to perform his most powerful magic. In Old Norse, “gandr” means “wand” or “staff,” and “álfr” means “elf.” Thus, “Gandálfr” (later adapted as “Gandalf”) combines these elements to form “Elf of the Wand” or “Wand-elf.” While in Tolkien’s mythology, Gandalf is not an Elf but a Maia (a lesser Ainur), the name reflects his connection to magic and wisdom, as well as his use of a staff, which is central to his identity as a wizard.
This sort ofword formationdone by Tolkien when naming his characters is elaborate, although pretty funny to read, and it’s something thatThe Rings of Powerwisely incorporated. The Stoorscalling the Stranger “Grand-Elf,” and this going on to become “Gandalf” is as funny as it’s weird, which is where Tolkien’s text is often the most fun to read. Of course, Gandalf isn’t an Elf, but, as Nori explains in “Shadow and Flame,” the Stoors have never seen an actual elf, so, to them, anyone taller than them may as well be an Elf. It’s also nice that Tom Bombadil doesn’t confirm anything when the Stranger arrives at his house claiming his name is Gandalf, because that’s the moral of the story — awizard’s name, like his staff, finds him, not the other way around. So, if Gandalf says his name is Gandalf, then it must really be Gandalf, and vice-versa. He’s not a stranger anymore.
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.
