'The Rings of Power' Reddit Theory Offers an Unexpected Origin of The Stranger

The Stranger has arguably been the most cryptic character in 'The Rings of Power ' so far. After he fell from the sky on a meteorite, landing right near the Harfoot settlement, fans have been hoping him to be either Sauron or Gandalf.

One Reddit theory, however, went as far as to suggest that neither of the two is true. In fact, the theory claims that the Stranger might be… Sauron's ring.

"I think part of Sauron's plan was to split himself into multiple aspects, so that the elf form Annatar has no trace of his Maiar divinity and is more likely to fool the elf lords. This could conceivably mean that Adar and Halbrand are ALL forms of Sauron, but I think it's more likely that The Stranger is Sauron's power given anthropomorphic form," Reddit user joebaka suggested.

According to the theory, this could lead to something emotionally huge later in the season, as when Sauron inevitably summons his power back to him, the Stranger might have to carry out either a sacrifice or a "gut-punch" if he stays with the Harfoots at the time.

One argument that works in favor of the theory is how the lava around the Stranger when he fell from the sky was icy cold – just like the Elden Ring never warmed up when thrown into the fire.

The guessing game around the identity of Sauron has already reached the level of being turned into a meme – up to a point where even the show's writers and Amazon promotional team weigh in and make jokes. However, this did not stop the fans from continuing to brainstorm and collect the wildest theories as to how the dark wizard has disguised himself in Middle-earth.

There are four more episodes of 'The Rings of Power' that might finally reveal the mystery of Sauron. New episodes arrive on Prime Video every Friday through late October.