Who is The Stranger in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?

We’ve had suspicions and questions about The Stranger since the beginning of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Now we have some answers.

When The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power began, we met The Stranger. Immediately, we had some suspicions. Based on height and actions, we were sure he was a wizard, and we even thought of Gandalf himself.

We’ve gone through the whole first season with questions. It took the finale to bring us some answers. We still don’t know The Stranger’s exact name, but we’re closer to finding it all out.

Many, including The Stranger himself, believes him to be Sauron. However, Nori comes to his rescue and it leads to him getting the mystics’ staff and showing that he isn’t Sauron but one of the Istari.

The Stranger in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

What is the Istari? This is a group of five wizards the Valar sends to defend Middle-Earth from evil. We know three of the wizards by name: Saruman, Radagast, and Gandalf. There are two unnamed wizards.

It is possible for The Stranger to be one of the unnamed wizards. We could also meet Saruman or Radagast. However, we’ve all theorized that The Stranger is Gandalf, right?

So far, we still don’t have the exact name of the wizard, but there are clues that this is Gandalf. One of them is how he offered Nori one special piece of advice: if in doubt, always follow your nose.  That sounds very similar to something Gandalf has said before.

If you were hoping for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power star Daniel Weyman to confirm anything, you’ll be disappointed. He told Entertainment Weekly that he doesn’t know anything. He’s being drip-fed the information.

Which wizard do you think The Stranger is? What did you think of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 1? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is available to stream on Prime Video.