LOTR: The Rings of Power May Have Just Introduced A Fan Favorite
It would explain his love of Hobbits.
Amazon’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is set thousands of years before the events of either The Hobbit or the original Lord of the Rings trilogy. But the long lives of some of those who reside on Middle Earth means there are still a few familiar characters. Galadriel, for one, and Elrond, both were introduced in the show’s premiere episode. However, Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power may have confirmed that the man who fell from the sky at the end of that episode is someone fans also know.
Warning: Spoilers for Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 1, Episode 3 follow. Since the arrival of “The Stranger” at the end of the first episode, viewers have been wondering who he might turn out to be. Early theories wondered if this was the return of Sauron. His ability to speak a dark-sounding language, and his decimation of the fireflies, suggested this man was a harbinger of nasty things. The star map he demanded (which Nori stole for him) formed the same pattern as the mountain range surrounding Mordor. It’s the same symbol Galadriel discovered Sauron’s followers treat as their plan to regroup.
The Harfoots’ distrust of outsiders also suggested it was a wrong decision by Nori to help the Stranger. However, the final minutes of the third episode showed that audience mistrust might be misplaced. As the Bradyfoot family struggled at the back of the caravan, in danger of being left behind by the Harfoot clan, the Stranger appeared out of nowhere. His larger frame and more muscular body could easily maneuver their wagon. As the family stared at him, unsure what to make of it, he reached out a hand: “Friend?”
Nori, naturally, took this as a sign that she was right. The man who fell from the sky was remarkable, and the Harfoots were meant to find and help him. Moreover, this was how they would keep up with the rest of the group; he would help them, and they, in turn, would help him. But is The Stranger a friend or a liar? And what kind of human falls out of the sky and lands in a massive crater of burning lava? If the Stranger means what he says, the going theory is this is Gandalf.
Wizards did not exist on Middle Earth when the story of LOTR: The Rings of Power began. Known as the Heren Istarion (Order of Wizards), these Maiar spirits arrived around the year 1000 in the Second Age. Embodied as older men, there were five: Alatar the Blue, Pallando the Blue, Radagast the Brown, Saruman the White, and Gandalf the Grey. They were sent by the leader of the Ainur from the Undying Lands to Middle Earth to provide aid against the growing threat of Sauron.
Not everyone is so convinced by the Stranger’s declaration of friendship. But knowing how fond of Hobbits Gandalf was and his long relationship with them, it would make sense that this is where it started. It remains to be seen if the Stranger and Gandalf are the same.
Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power continues with new episodes every Friday on Prime Video.
