The series is set during the Second Age of Middle-earth. That alone would seem to rule out any possibility of Gandalf appearing in The Rings of Power. According to this history, Gandalf and his fellow wizards don't appear in Middle-earth until the Third Age, well after the events being chronicled in The Rings of Power.
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.
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.
Although the Stranger hasn't been officially confirmed to be an early version of Gandalf, the most famous of Middle-earth's wizards, the show hasn't exactly disabused that impression, either.
You probably already know about Gandalf the Gray, the wise and kind wizard, friend to hobbits, who was among the fellowship of the ring. He defeated a Balrog.
Theory: The Stranger is a Blue Wizard, not Gandalf | The Rings of Power
Is nori related to bilbo?
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.
She calls him Mithrandir. It's his name in elvish. The root word is mith which has to do with silver. Mithril, for example, is that silver armor shirt that Bill has that is later given to Frodo.
The Rings of Power Season 1 revealed that the Meteor Man is an Istar, a powerful being sent as an encourager to Middle-earth by the Maiar. The series heavily implies that the Meteor Man is none other than Gandalf the Grey, but doesn't yet introduce the other four Istar who were also sent to the physical realm.
The streaming service now has access to all five of the Istari in their show. The five Istari included Saruman the White, Gandalf the Grey, Radagast the Brown, and the two Blue Wizards. They also have access to state that they came to Middle-Earth sometime during the Second Age.
The series is set during the Second Age of Middle-earth. That alone would seem to rule out any possibility of Gandalf appearing in The Rings of Power. According to this history, Gandalf and his fellow wizards don't appear in Middle-earth until the Third Age, well after the events being chronicled in The Rings of Power.
When The Fellowship is taken to Galadriel, she and Boromir have a telepathic conversation which immediately causes Boromir to burst into tears. She senses his desires for the Ring but tells him not to give in because even now, there is hope.
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.
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.
Tolkien once described Gandalf as an angel incarnate; later, both he and other scholars have likened Gandalf to the Norse god Odin in his "Wanderer" guise.
Melkor is the most powerful of the Valar but he turns to darkness and is renamed Morgoth, the primary antagonist of Arda. All evil in the world of Middle-earth ultimately stems from him. One of the Maiar of Aulë betrays his kind and becomes Morgoth's principal lieutenant and successor, Sauron.
Morgoth, the first to reign terror upon Middle-earth, was more powerful than Sauron and commanded an army of dragons and Balrogs. While both Morgoth and Sauron were cunning, Morgoth's rule and terror lasted longer and his corruption spread further, making him more formidable in the Lord of the Rings universe.
It was said that Morgoth hated and feared the House of Fingolfin most among the Houses of the sons of Finwë, especially Fingolfin's son Turgon, as it was prophesied that his doom would come from the House of Turgon.
Vickers' comments imply that Sauron's intentions with Galadriel were primarily political in his dealings with the elves and that he was using her to elevate his power as a ruler over middle earth. The actor didn't seem to believe Sauron wanted to change at all, and that he had been manipulating her all along.
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.
During his wanderings in Eriador, Gandalf met and befriended the isolated and secretive people of the Hobbits in their country, The Shire. During the Long Winter of 2758 Gandalf came to their aid. It was then when he witnessed and admired the pity and courage the humble Hobbits reserved in their hearts.
For those that haven't read Tolkien's work, it's easy to see why many audiences suspect Gandalf and Galadriel are in love. After all, many of their interactions in The Hobbit trilogy practically scream romance. However, their relationship remains purely platonic in Tolkien's source material.
He plays a pivotal role in one final tactical battle to distract Sauron, thus enabling Frodo to destroy the Ring once and for all. After Sauron's defeat, Aragorn is crowned King Elessar of Gondor and Arnor, a name bestowed to him by Galadriel.
Thus, Galadriel's dark form in Jackson's The Lord of the Rings personified what would have occurred had the Lady of Lothlorien given in to temptation and taken the One Ring for herself. She would have succumbed to evil because the Ring was indomitable, even with her power.
