When The Stranger and Nori make to leave on an adventure together, she confesses that she doesn't know the way. He notes that the breeze coming from a certain direction smells sweet, saying, “If in doubt, always follow your nose.” A classic Gandalf quote—which means that he's not just any wizard, he's Gandalf!
The Rings of Power's earliest signals that the Stranger is Gandalf concern his physical appearance and costume. Daniel Weyman's character first drops from the sky sporting long gray hair and an impressive beard, and when Nori fashions some clothes for her new friend, the garments she picks are also gray.
As soon as the Mystics realize the Stranger isn't Sauron, they label him an "Istar." With this label, and several other hints throughout the episode and the season, The Rings of Power has all but confirmed that the Stranger is everyone's favorite wizard: Gandalf the Grey. Let's break it down.
Though the episode stops short of confirming which Istari the Stranger is (the safe money is on him being Gandalf, but there are other possibilities, for sure), the revelation gives the Stranger more control over his magic powers and he's able to speak and think clearly.
So the Stranger was revealed to be an Istari and it was heavily implied that he is Gandalf. Currently he is traveling to Rhun, and when Saruman arrived in Middle Earth, he traveled east to Rhun where he possibly met the blue wizards at this time.
Theory: The Stranger is a Blue Wizard, not Gandalf | The Rings of Power
Which wizard is the stranger in Rings of Power?
One line in the season finale heavily hints that the Stranger is indeed our beloved Gandalf. But there are compelling reasons to think that line could be a red herring. Here's everything you need to know about Tolkien's wizards, and a closer look at who the Stranger might be.
Because of Saruman's slight distaste toward Hobbits in Jackson's films and Radagast's connection with woodland creatures, it's safe to assume the Stranger is likely not Saruman or Radagast. There is a slight possibility that the Stranger could be either Alatar or Pallando.
Who is the guy who fell from the sky in The Rings of Power?
This revelation refutes any lingering theories that The Stranger (Daniel Weyman), the man who fell from the sky at the start of the season, is in fact Sauron, with the finale confirming he's actually one of the Istari, Tolkien's version of Wizards.
The thing is, while many fans took the finale as confirmation that Meteor Man is Gandalf, that was never outright said. He is a wizard, but there was no mention of Mithrandir, Olorin or any other of Gandalf's names.
The three mystics in white who have been hunting The Stranger throughout the season finally pursue him into the woods, where they say, “We've come to serve you, Lord Sauron.” But after a series of fearsome confrontations, it becomes clear that the mystics have got the wrong guy.
He knew his original name, and what he was, but not much more. When he was returned as Gandalf the White, he seemed to be able to recall much more, and seemed to have more power. When Gandalf and Saruman were in Middle Earth, did they remember living in Valinor before? To an extent, yes.
While The Rings of Power season 1 includes no overt clues to suggest a direct link between Harfoot characters and the Fellowship Hobbits in The Lord of the Rings, several subtle details indicate that Nori Brandyfoot could potentially be an ancient relative of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins.
Halbrand does not deny his heroism out of bashful humility, though; he knows that as Sauron, he's not the hero she wants him to be for the Southlands -- not when his plans involve scorching it into Mordor. No, Halbrand was never a hero, nor did he ever claim to be.
"The Stranger" was a moniker given to one of the Istari who arrived in Middle-earth during the Second Age via meteorite. The precise identity of the Stranger remains unspecified.
The Stranger's personality doesn't resemble Saruman's in any way, and both Gandalf and Radagast weren't supposed to be in Middle-earth until the Third Age, whereas The Rings of Power is set in the Second Age. All things considered, it may make more sense for the Stranger to be one of the Blue Wizards.
Though it's never entirely clear in The Lord of the Rings, it's implied that Gandalf doesn't have all the memories of his life before coming to Middle-earth. His soul was still that of Olórin, but his body and brain were of a wizard.
Nori Brandyfoot (Markella Kavenagh) and her friend Poppy Proudfellow (Megan Richards) travel to the site where the meteor crashed out of curiosity. There, they're met with a strange sight: at the center of the broken flaming meteor is a very tall man, played by Daniel Weyman.
No, The Stranger (Daniel Weyman) is not Sauron, Saruman, or even Radagast the Brown. While it is revealed in the season finale that The Stranger is an Istar/Istari (otherwise known as a wizard in Middle-earth parlance), one line clues us in even further to The Stranger's identity.
The wizards arrived in Middle-earth separately, early in the Third Age; Gandalf was the last, landing in the Havens of Mithlond. He seemed the oldest and least in stature, but Círdan the Shipwright felt that he was the greatest on their first meeting in the Havens, and gave him Narya, the Ring of Fire.
There's little doubt that the stranger is none other than Gandalf, as many theories suspected all along. There are several concrete reasons for this, paired with some subtle hints and some homages to the grey wizard of previous adaptations.
In many ways, Gandalf seems like the obvious identity of this mysterious figure. He is found and helped by harfoots, which neatly aligns with his later affection for hobbits. The nature of his arrival via flaming meteorite is also apt, in that he is the Istar associated with fire.
However, before the Harfoots could discern the meaning behind the fireflies, they were all destroyed. Season one's finale confirmed the Stranger wasn't Sauron as some suspected but instead an Istar - or wizard - and it was hinted he was Gandalf.
Who was the man that fell from the sky in Rings of Power?
The final episode of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power's first season revealed that the “meteor man” (aka The Stranger) was actually one of the Istari, or Wizards.
The character is heavily implied to be none other than the individual who would later be known as Gandalf the Grey, though this has yet to be officially confirmed in the series.
Why does Gandalf have no memory in Rings of Power?
Stars wheeled overhead, and every day was as long as the life age of the earth." From that explanation, it makes perfect sense why Gandalf wouldn't remember much. He had left the confines of time, reembodied his Maiar form and been thrust back into the mortal realm.
