IN THE RINGS OF POWER, FIND OUT WHO ISTAR IS! IS ISTAR GANDALF?
Amazon Prime Video now has The Rings of Power! Continue reading to find out if Istar is Gandalf!
Since the beginning of The Rings of Power series, one of the series’ biggest mysteries has been: Who is the Stranger? We now know, thanks to the conclusion. Somehow.
In Episode 1, the Stranger crash-landed in Middle-earth and has been with Nori Brandyfoot ever since.
Her appearance and magical abilities, which drew the attention of a group of white-capped women known as the Mystics, are the only clues we have to her identity due to her memory loss.
The Mystics finally catch up with the Stranger and hail him as Lord Sauron at the start of the Rings of Power season 1 finale.
That, as we’ll see in the rest of the episode, is not the case. Sauron is a completely different character.
The Mystics realize their error and fight, but the Stranger takes one of their staffs, proclaims himself a force for good, and magically vanishes them.
When the Mystics realize the Stranger is not Sauron, they address him as “Istar.” The Rings of Power leaves us wondering if Istar is Gandalf, thanks to this tag and several other clues throughout the episode and season.
IS ISTAR GANDALF?
When the Stranger recalls his memories of meeting the Mystics, he tells Nori that “Istar” means “Sage” or “Magician.”
Gandalf, however, is far from the only wizard in Tolkien’s canon. There are a total of five Istari who visit Middle-earth. Saruman the White, Radagast the Brown, and two Blue Wizards accompany Gandalf.
In theory, the Stranger could be any of these Istari, and it would be exciting to see the Blue Magicians in action for the first time.
Gandalf, on the other hand, is by far the most popular and well-known of the five. Gandalf will be one of the wizards if the Stranger becomes one.
He dresses in grey, enjoys adventures with the Hobbit’s Pievelus, and converses with fireflies. It’s here where you can find out when Season 2 will be released.
When he exiles the Mystics, a magical form of a moth appears, strengthening the bond even further.
But the most obvious indication that the Stranger is Gandalf comes near the end of the film. Istar chooses a direction because the air there is cooler. “When in doubt, always follow your nose,” he advised her.
You’ve probably heard these words before if you’ve seen The Fellowship of the Ring. As they pass through Moria’s mines, Gandalf addresses them to Merry.
When faced with a choice between two paths, Gandalf takes the one that smells the best, saying, “When in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose.” The full explanation of the end of Season 1 can be found here.
What makes these allusions perplexing is that Gandalf is not present in the Second Age, according to Tolkien’s writings.
Most wizards aren’t. Tolkien is contradictory on this point, but according to some of his works, the two blue wizards, about whom little is said, appear in the Second Age.
We are almost certain that Istar is Gandalf, but we must wait to find out for certain!
