Who is The Stranger? Rings of Power S2 Trailer Drops Another Hint About His True Identity

The question of the creature that fell from the sky (he was nicknamed the Stranger, or the Meteor Man), arose after the release of the first promos and trailers for the first season of The Rings of Power.

The sneak peek even showed the meteorite fall scene almost in its entirety: a bright ball of light crossed the entire sky, caught the eyes of all the main characters, and fell in Rhovanion.

There Are Many Hints in The Rings of Power Season 1 that The Stranger is Gandalf

The man was found by two Harfoots, the curious Nori and her more cautious friend Poppy. When the man climbed out of the hole left by the meteorite's fall, several things became clear: he possesses magic, but does not speak any language known to the Harfoots and cannot remember anything, including his name.

The Stranger trusts Nori almost from the first minutes, because she does not act hostile. The girl decides to help him and hides the man's existence from his family while he follows their caravan.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay confirmed that the Stranger is one of the Maiar. In the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, and later in The Hobbit, Gandalf traditionally had a very warm relationship with the Hobbits – the wizard believed in their courage and purity of thought enough to send them on the most difficult and important journey for Middle-earth.

It is only natural to assume that Gandalf knew these people long before Bilbo and Frodo. Maybe since the adventures with Nori.

Gandalf’s Origin in Tolkien’s Books

In Tolkien's works, Gandalf was one of the Maiar sent to Middle-earth. He and other wizards, the Istari, were to help the elves, men and other creatures in their fight against Sauron. Known by many names, Gandalf often appeared among the elves and shared his knowledge with them. In the books he was described as a bearded old man with a staff, and he appeared much the same in the movie adaptations – both times played by Ian McKellen.

The role of the Stranger is played by Daniel Weyman. Fans of Tolkien and the series quickly noticed his resemblance to McKellen. Then the Stranger uttered the legendary line, "When in doubt, [...] always follow your nose." Gandalf will say the same in The Fellowship of the Ring.

The Rings of Power Season 2 Teaser Trailer Gave Fans Another Hint

The recently released trailer has further convinced fans that the Stranger is indeed Gandalf. At 1:17 you can see the Stranger with a staff, hitting the ground with it and using some powerful magic – many have compared this with the You Shall Not Pass scene in The Fellowship of the Ring.

There is one major argument against the version that Gandalf is the Stranger. According to Tolkien's lore, the Istari were not sent to Middle-earth until the beginning of the Third Age. And while this character is certainly of great importance to the world of The Lord of the Rings and is easily recognized even by non-fans of the franchise, it would have been more logical for the writers to introduce a completely new character.

But if it turns out in the end that the Stranger is not Gandalf, what were all the hints for?

The Rings of Power Season 2 Release Date

Perhaps we will find out the answer to this question when the second season of The Rings of Power is released – August 29th.

Source: Vanity Fair