The identity of the stranger in Rings of Power Season 2 explained

Warning! This article contains spoilers for the finale of The Rings of Power season 2.

The rings of power Season 2 confirms that the stranger is Gandalf, putting an end to two seasons worth of rumors and theories. Admittedly, the stranger appeared as Gandalf had expected since The rings of power Season 1’s ending. The story for the so-called giant in the show’s premiere installment surrounded his connection with the Harfoots, early versions of hobbits from “The Lord of the Rings” second age

Among many other reasons, this has caused theories to run about who the stranger, played by Daniel Wyman The rings of powers figure, was the iconic gray wizard of The Lord of the Rings. The rings of power Season 2 saw the stranger traveling to the Middle-earth lands of Rhûn to discover his identity as much as his destiny, crossing paths with old Tom Bombadil and a dark wizard. When the story came to an end The rings of power Season 2’s finale, the theories proved fruitful as the stranger was finally confirmed as Gandalf himself.

The Rings of Power finally confirms the stranger is Gandalf

The wizard is after all the wandering gray pilgrim

Although the story about Nori, Poppy and Gandalf was relatively shortened The rings of power Season 2 compared to its predecessor, it always has a narrow focus. The storyline was never about much more than the exploration of Gandalf’s identity, from his brief magical training under Tom Bombadil to his search for a staff and thus his destiny as one of the powerful Istar. Despite Nori and Poppy’s story including hints about the origins of “The Lord of the Rings” Shire, much of the Rhûn plot revolved around the aforementioned stranger.

in The rings of power Season 2’s finale, Gandalf confronts the Dark Wizard who has taken the stores – another Hobbit Hobbit – captive. The Dark Wizard promises to reveal more about the stranger’s identity, as long as he joins forces with his fellow Istar to defeat Sauron and take the Dark Lord’s place. However, the stranger echoes the darkness in his peerage and wishes, using his burgeoning magical powers to save Nori, Poppy and the stores before finding his staff and returning to Bombadil. There, he utters his name as Gandalf for the first time.

The stranger being Gandalf was heavily foreshadowed for 2 seasons

The Easter eggs to Gandalf aren’t exactly hidden

As already mentioned, there are several clues The rings of powers two seasons hinted the stranger is Gandalf. Many of these have come The rings of power Season 1, from the wizard’s connection to the Harfoots that foreshadows his fondness for Hobbits in the Third Age, to his gray robes and subtle magical spells that Gandalf is often shown using later in the Middle-earth timeline. Perhaps the biggest clue has come The rings of power Season 1’s finale, in which the stranger tells Nori to always follow her noseAn iconic Gandalf line of Fellowship of the Ring.

More Gandalf clues came in The rings of power Season 2. Once again, the Stranger’s fondness for Harfoots was evident, after teasing Gandalf’s Hobbit connection. After hints came courtesy of Tom Bombadil, who said one of Gandalf’s other lines from The Lord of the Rings When we talk about who does and who deserves death, and who has the right to provide this for a person. Then there was the foreshadowing of Gandalf’s staff and, perhaps most blatantly, the Storrs referring to him as “Grand Elf.”

How the Rings of Power introducing Gandalf compares to Lord of the Rings canon

Lord of the Rings canon is slightly changed for Gandalf’s inclusion

Undoubtedly, the biggest talking point now that The Stranger has been confirmed as Gandalf will be how this affects him The Lord of the Rings Canon. The rings of power Has long been the subject of debate about the changes it makes to the original works of JRR Tolkien, despite many of them being beneficial for narrative purposes, the changes required between books and television, while still keeping the spirit From Tolkien. That said, Gandalf’s inclusion in The rings of powerThe second age will cause some controversy.

The reason for this is that Gandalf and the other four Istari are not said to have visited Middle-earth until the Third Age in the original books. Despite being much older than this, it was only in the Third Age that the Valar sent the Wizards as physical beings to Middle-earth to aid the Free Peoples in fighting Sauron. As such, Gandalf’s appearance in The rings of powers second age is something of a canon break.

Interestingly, there are some elements of Tolkien’s writing that may indicate the wizards visited Middle-earth before this and are thus open to interpretation. For example, Tolkien’s book The peoples of Middle-earth including this passage: “That Olorin, as was possible for one of the Maiar, had already visited Middle-earth and was acquainted not only with the Sindarin elves and others deeper in Middle-earth, but also with men, is likely…” With that in mind, The rings of power Could simply be interpretation of this passage as Gandalf is part of the Second Age.

The Rings of Power explains the origins of Gandalf’s name in Middle-earth

Gandalf’s name was given to him by the Storks

Regardless of how Gandalf is Rings of power Appearance fits in Middle-earth canon, it is a fact that he is part of the show. The rings of power Season 2 is unabashed in this, as evident by teasing several elements of Gandalf’s character. One such element came in Gandalf’s final scene in The rings of power Season 2 in which Tom Bombadil implores that a wizard cannot find a staff nor a name, but that both find the wizard.

The stranger considers this for a moment before thinking back to the Storrs. He says “Gandalf, that’s what they’re going to call me, aren’t they?” To which Bombadil smiles. This is linked to another of Gandalf’s lines from The two towers After he rose as Gandalf the White, “Gandalf? Yes… that’s what people used to call me. Gandalf the Grey. That’s my name.” Given that the Istari is named Olorin, Gandalf’s name being given to him by the peoples of Middle-earth makes a lot of sense.

Gandalf’s staff gets an origin story in The Rings of Power Season 2

The staff found the wizard

Another element of Gandalf’s character established in The rings of power Season 2 was his staff. The Istari faced a choice earlier in the season, find his staff or save his friends. As Gandalf discovers, this is not a choice but a test; As an Istari sent to help the peoples of Middle-earth, he was never meant to choose power over friendship. In choosing the latter, he finds his staff in the ruined village of the Storrs, cementing his status as not just a wizard of Middle-earth but Gandalf the Grey.

What Gandalf’s presence means for The Rings of Power Season 3

Where will the wizard’s path take him in the future of the show?

Naturally, Gandalf’s discover in The rings of power The ending of season 2 will lead to questions about what his story will be going forward. Now that one of the most iconic characters in Tolkien’s legendarium has joined another of the same in The rings of powerThere are many possibilities ahead. The most immediate is Gandalf’s confrontation with the Dark Wizard. in The rings of power At the end of season 2, he and Norrie parted ways and the wizard returns to Bombadil, who previously told him that it was his destiny to stop the Dark Wizard and thus Sauron.

This seemingly teases further exploration of the dynamic between the two Istar The rings of power Season 3’s story. With Gandalf now aware that the Dark Wizard only wants to defeat Sauron so he can take his place as an evil ruler of Middle-earth, it is unlikely that the good Istar will leave his opposite unopposed. Beyond that, what are the possibilities for Gandalf’s role in The rings of power Season 3 are admittedly lackluster.

Given that Gandalf is a character with no outright record of being involved in Middle-earth’s Second Age, it is uncertain what direction the creators of The rings of power will take his bow. It may be the case that Gandalf remains confined to Rhûn until now The rings of power ends, thus fitting with Tolkien’s canon a bit more, as his secluded arc wouldn’t clearly blend with that of Galadriel, Sauron, or Elrond, for example. This would explain why there are no records of Gandalf in the Second Age, as he stayed in Rhûn.

The other possibility is that The rings of power Gandalf is very involved in the overarching story of the show. After defeating the Dark Wizard, Gandalf could meet up with the other characters from the show and immediately confront Sauron in what will likely be the War of the Last Alliance. If the opportunity comes to pass, The rings of power Would need to explain why the record of Gandalf’s involvement in this war was unheard of by most, or change Tolkien’s knowledge and beat his own way through Middle-earth’s legends.