Warning! Spoilers for The Rings of Power Season 2, Episode 4 ahead!
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power introduced a new wizard character, but it is still unclear whether he shares the same story as other Istari. In Tolkien Lord of the RingsThe IStari, or wizards, were originally angel-like beings called Maiarwho helped in the creation of the world. In Middle-earth they were humble wizards, and their natural power was limited. Rings of power has already revealed that the stranger is an Istar and therefore a Mayan, and there are hints that the newly-entrant Dark Wizard is too – but there may be more surprises in store.
at the end of The rings of power In Season 1, three cultists called the Mystics confronted the Stranger, revealing that he was an Istar (and not Sauron) and attempted to bring him to their leader. Now, season 2 has officially revealed who sent the three on their mission. The cult in Rhûn follows a character so far known only as the Dark Wizard (Ciarán Hinds). He carries a staff, performs magic, and of course brings to mind Lord of the Rings Wizards like Gandalf or Saruman. However, does this definitively mean that he is a Maya?
The Rings of Power Season 2 hints at Rhûn’s dark wizard being another Maya
It is implied that the Dark Wizard has the same history as the Stranger
The identity of the Dark Wizard is still a mystery Rings of power Season 2, Episode 4 – Just as the true name of the stranger has not yet been revealed. However, the appearance of this new character certainly indicates that he is an Istar and, therefore, a Maya. The stranger’s conversation with Tom Bombadil reinforces this since Old Tom said he had trained the Dark Wizard in magic and would also train the stranger. However, it is never explicitly stated that the Rhûn cult leader shares the same history as the founder. Lord of the Rings Maya.
It is possible that the Dark Wizard is trying to mislead his cult followers into thinking he is a divine being when he is really just a man trained in magic. After all, Tolkien canon indicates that the Blue Wizard came to Rhûn and taught the people there to use magic, establishing cults in their own honor. The Dark Wizard could have just been someone who found Tom Bombadil, learned from the being, and took advantage of the Blue Wizards’ following. At this point in the show, it’s hard to say — especially considering how much Rings of power Seems to enjoy misleading audiences.
Could the Dark Wizard of Rhûn be one of the Blue Wizards from Lord of the Rings?
The Blue Wizards established cults in Rhûn according to Tolkien canon
until now, The rings of power seems to lead audiences to the conclusion that the Dark Wizard is one of the two Blue Wizards of Lord of the Rings. The Istari, called Alatar and Palando, were the first to arrive in Middle-earth since the others did not arrive until the Third Age. Their task was to travel east to Rhûn and convince the people who had once been loyal to Morgoth not to join Sauron. While Tolkien noted that they were successful in this, to a point, he also said that They began teaching the people magic while encouraging their own worship.
Of course, this brings into question the fate of the other Blue Wizards.
Since the Dark Wizard is in Rhûn and is worshiped in Rings of power season 2, It certainly seems likely that he is meant to be the Prime Video version of ​​​​a Blue Wizard. Of course, this brings into question the fate of the other Blue Wizards. Although it has been heavily hinted that the stranger is Gandalf, his presence in Rhûn during the Second Age has led to theories that he is actually either Alatar or Pallando. This could be an interesting twist, especially since Rings of power Season 2, episode 4, has teased a showdown between the two wizards.
Is the dark wizard Saruman (if the stranger is Gandalf?)
Power Rings can make a Saruman Twist work
There are still more possibilities for who the Dark Wizard could be, besides the Blue Wizards or a brand new Istar invented by Rings of power. Five entire Istari are sent to Middle-earth in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. We can safely assume that the Dark Wizard is not Radagast the Brown. However, it is still possible that this is an early version of Saruman. The White Wizard canonically came to Rhûn during his early days in Middle-earthAlthough what he did there is not entirely known. Maybe Rings of power is trying to fill in the gap in this story.
That would be another interesting revelation. The Lord of the Rings reveals that, even before his final turn to evil, Saruman was prone to pride and jealousy. It does not seem out of the realm of his character to say that he tried to lead a cult far away while he thought no one was looking. If the stranger is Gandalf and eventually confronts the Dark Wizard, This character was able to put on a good face and convince his friend Istar that he was on his side.. This would be especially effective if the stranger/Gandalf gets his memory back and remembers Saruman as an Istar and friend.
The Rings of Power adding more istari breaks Tolkien canon
The dark wizard could be an original character
No matter what Rings of power Going forward, there will be a change of canon. The Dark Wizard is a blue wizard who would be close to Tolkien’s account, but the characters were certainly never trained by Tom Bombadil, and they did not rendezvous with the stranger. The Saruman option would also tie into canon in at least the tiniest way, since the wizard actually travels to Rhûn. The same is true if the Dark Wizard is actually just a man trained in magic and claiming to be an Istar – that fits within the realm of possibility for The Lord of the Rings.
The five Istari are an important feature of Middle-earth’s lore, and adding in even one more throws the doors wide open for other uncomfortable changes….
However, if the Dark Wizard is a brand new Istar invented by Rings of powerThat would be a pretty significant change. The five Istari are an important feature of Middle-earth’s lore, and adding in even one more throws it wide open for other uncomfortable changes—perhaps even indicating that the stranger is not one of the five. All this would be a touch disappointing. Part of the fun with these characters is guessing how they fit into canonAnd the revelation that they are just new characters would take away from the experience. For now, all we can do is wait and see.