The final episode of the first season of the Lord of the Rings series finally reveals the identity of Daniel Weyman’s character
One of the biggest questions in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, if not the biggest, was who the Stranger played by Daniel Weyman is. Ever since he fell to Middle-earth in a meteor and became friends with Nori (Markella Kavanagh), the giant has been the source of many theories. Now, “The League,” the final episode of the first season, has confirmed his identity as Gandalf.
First, the Mystics finally catch up with the Stranger and call him Sauron. They say that a veil has been drawn over his mind and that it is necessary to go to Rhûn, in the far east of Middle-earth, to remind him of his true identity, and they are even willing to tie him up to take him. Then Nori and the Hairy Feet show up to try and save him from the women. The attempt seems destined to fail. The little ones are unable to defeat these emissaries of the shadows and the Stranger is unwilling to help, fearful of hurting his friend again.
Then, encouraged by Nori, he takes the staff of one of the Mystics and uses the light to defeat them. Just before he does, his enemies declare that they have made a mistake. He is not Sauron, but an Istar.
What is an Istar?
An Istar (plural Istari) is a wizard. In particular, they are five Maiar spirits sent to Middle-earth as men to help the people in the fight against Sauron. These are Curomo (later known as Saruman), Alatar, Aiwendill , Pallando and Olórin.
These Maiar (spirits created by the Valar, powers that govern creation under the command of Ilúvatar, the creator) changed their names over time. Curomo, for example, became Saruman. Olórin, on the other hand, is better known as Gandalf. This is the character played by Weyman as the Stranger. According to Tolkien’s works, he had several names and spent years living and learning among the inhabitants of Middle-earth.
So the Stranger is Gandalf?
Perhaps The Rings of Power ends up calling the Stranger Olórin. Perhaps he will only take on the name Gandalf at the end of the fifth and final season planned by Amazon. But regardless of what he’s called, the character is definitely Gandalf.
Any doubts that he might be one of the other Istar are put to rest in his last conversation with Nori, when, on smelling a sweet smell in a certain direction, he tells them to follow their noses to find the path of their adventure. The phrase is used by Gandalf in The Fellowship of the Ring, and serves as definitive proof of his identity.