Rings of Power may show 2 mysterious unseen LOTR Wizards for the first time
Prime Video/Tristan HaohaoWith speculation growing over the Dark Wizard’s true identity, some Lord of the Rings fans believe two characters may make their on-screen debut in Rings of Power: the Blue Wizards.
Even people who hate Lord of the Rings will be familiar with its most iconic Istar: Gandalf, the Grey wizard resurrected as White from the original trilogy and The Hobbit films.
Viewers will also remember Saruman, the friend-turned-foe and the first Wizard to arrive in Middle-earth in the Third Age. Overcome by his desire for power, he eventually bent the knee to Sauron. And then there’s old Radagast the Brown, less concerned with the battle between light and dark and more interested in preserving all things green and alive.
But, as Gandalf tells Bilbo in An Unexpected Journey, there are two other Wizards… and they may be lurking around somewhere in Arda.
Who are the Blue Wizards?
According to Tolkien’s writings, the Blue Wizards are two Istari sent to the far east and south of Middle-earth during the Second Age. Given that Rings of Power takes place during this (enormous, admittedly) period in the timeline, there’s a chance they could appear.
As a concept, the Blue Wizards evolved through Tolkien’s source material. Initially, they didn’t have any sort of name; we were told there were five Wizards, but we only knew three of them.
Before the Return of the King, he wrote an “essay on the Istari” that clarified two Wizards “clad in sea-blue” were sent to the east of Middle-earth, and they never returned. Many have presumed they fell under Sauron’s spell, much like Saruman (but without his incredible influence).
Later, in Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth, Tolkien gave them names (Alatar and Pallando, although these have also changed a couple of times) and noted that they arrived during the Second Age.
“They were able to hinder Sauron’s operations in the East and South, aiding the defeat of Sauron in the War of the Elves and Sauron and the War of the Last Alliance,” according to Tolkien Gateway.
The Dark Wizard and Stranger could be Blue Wizards
While the prevailing prediction is that the Stranger is Gandalf, there’s a chance he could be a Blue Wizard – which would explain the presence of another presumed Istar in Rings of Power, the Dark Wizard.
In one letter, Tolkien wrote: “I suspect [the Blue Wizards] were founders or beginners of secret cults and ‘magic’ traditions that outlasted the fall of Sauron.”
That is a big hint about Rings of Power’s mysterious character, given he seems to oversee the Cult of Melkor, his “acolyte” witches. Similarly, given Gandalf has no recorded history in the Second Age, him being one of the Blue Wizards makes sense – so don’t expect it to line up exactly with anything you’ve read.
As one Redditor pointed out, “What’s also very obvious is that the cult is not interested in killing the stranger, I think they are trying to bring back his memory, or restore his identity, specifically with that dream with the staff.”
Another wrote, “It’s the only thing that makes sense with the writing. It’s also ambiguous as to what they actually did there, especially that they technically failed their mission, although what they did helped mitigate forces from the East in the final battle of the Second Age.”
Have they ever showed up in Lord of the Rings?
The Blue Wizards have never appeared on-screen in any Lord of the Rings media. They’ve been mentioned in three titles, but that’s all.
Warner Bros.In Lord of the Rings Online, the Khundolar tribe of the Easterlings had a “Blue Caste” of sorcerers, and their master – Yirokhsar the Blue – forbade any association with Sauron, implying they may have been founded by Alatar or Pallando.
In The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Gandalf tells Bilbo about the Blue Wizards, but admits he’s forgotten their names. Finally, in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, artifacts reference two unnamed Wizards who came to Mordor, and a figurine of them is carved out of blue stone.
Speaking to Vanity Fair, co-showrunner Patrick McKay was asked about if the Stranger is Gandalf, Saruman, or Radagast and he played coy replying, “Well, I would say those are not the only beings, those names, in that class. So maybe, but maybe not. And the mystery and the journey of it is all of the fun, I would say.”
Check out our recaps of Rings of Power Season 2 Episode 1, Episode 2, and Episode 3. You can also read our guides on Morgoth’s origin, Forodwaith, and Círdan the Shipwright.