Istar: Why Rings of Power Season 2 may introduce another wizard

The Season 1 finale of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power resolves many of the series’ biggest mysteries. The episode finally confirms that The Stranger (Daniel Weyman) isn’t Sauron in disguise but is, instead, an Istar — a.k.a. Wizard — sent to Middle-earth via an otherworldly meteor strike. That said, the Rings of Power finale, titled “Alloyed,” stops short of confirming which of the Istari from J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium The Stranger is.

While the episode sees him utter one of Gandalf’s most famous lines, it also places him on the same mission given to the mysterious Blue Wizards who came to Middle-earth during its Second Age. Tolkien fans, consequently, remain uncertain about The Stranger’s true identity.

If he is a Blue Wizard, though, it is fair to assume that The Rings of Power Season 2 may add a second wizard to the Lord of the Rings prequel’s already sprawling cast of characters.

One of Two — Throughout his life, Tolkien wrote that there were five wizards/Istari who the Valar sent to aid the citizens of Middle-earth in their fight against Sauron (Charlie Vickers). Three of the wizards come during Middle-earth’s Third Age, and they come to be known as Saruman, Gandalf, and Radagast. But Tolkien wrote that the other two Istari, the Blue Wizards, came to Middle-earth thousands of years before their fellow Maiar.

Tolkien wrote that the Blue Wizards were initially charged with exploring the eastern and southern regions of Middle-earth. However, while he originally claimed that the Blue Wizards were unsuccessful in quelling the growing support for Sauron among Middle-earth’s Easterlings and Southerners, Tolkien later revised that plot point.

Before he died, the author revealed that the Blue Wizards played a key role in ensuring that Sauron’s forces in the East and South never outnumbered the forces of the West. Taking that into account, if The Stranger is a Blue Wizard, then we could meet his Istar companion at some point in The Rings of Power Season 2.

A Trip to Rhûn — This theory is, notably, one that Tolkien fans have had ever since The Rings of Power premiered. One of the most popular fan theories surrounding the show even suggests that The Rings of Power Episode 1’s ending montage may show not just The Stranger’s meteor strike but also the arrival of another.

If true, that means another Istar has already landed in Middle-earth and, much like The Stranger, may be traveling to the Eastern lands of Rhûn. While that may seem far-fetched right now, it’s worth noting that there are plenty of places in Middle-earth yet to be explored in The Rings of Power. These locations may be where a potential second meteor landed.

Another compelling fan theory, meanwhile, speculates that The Stranger may face another Blue Wizard in The Rings of Power Season 2 only to discover that his fellow Istar is corrupted and evil. Not only would that twist prove how instrumental Nori (Markella Kavenagh) was in saving The Stranger in The Rings of Power Season 1, but it would also allow the Amazon series to pay homage to the two versions of the Blue Wizards that Tolkien envisioned when he was still alive.

The Inverse Analysis — Unfortunately, Tolkien fans will likely have to wait a while before they find out whether The Stranger is Gandalf or a Blue Wizard. Right now, both options seem equally possible. However, if he does turn out to be one of Tolkien’s mysterious Blue Wizards, then it seems like only a matter of time before it’s revealed that The Stranger isn’t the only Istar who is currently roaming the lands of Middle-earth in The Rings of Power.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 1 is streaming now on Prime Video.