Who is the Dark Wizard in Rings of Power? 5 theories for Lord of the Rings fans

Rings of Power has introduced a mysterious new character: the Dark Wizard, set to collide with the Stranger sometime in Season 2 – and he could be one of five people.

In Rings of Power Season 1, speculation surrounded the Stranger, the ‘meteor man’ who crashed to Earth and emerged mute, armed with extraordinary (but terrifying) abilities.

By the end, his true identity (while still unconfirmed) seemed obvious. He’s a tall Istar, he’s a friend to “halflings” like Harfoots (who are technically hobbits) and Tom Bombadil, and at his core, he wants to be good… that sounds like Gandalf, to me.

The Dark Wizard isn’t as straightforward. If it is Gandalf, it’s already breaks Tolkien’s lore slightly, so it’s not just a question of which Istar he is – it’s whether he’s even a Wizard at all. After Episode 4, these are our predictions.

Saruman

Let’s get the ill-dreaded possibility out of the way: if the Stranger is Gandalf, there’s a chance the Dark Wizard could be Saruman.

New Line Cinema

There may be five Istari, but Gandalf and Saruman is the ultimate wizarding two-hander; one represents the steadfast light, the other can’t resist the draw of power in the dark. They go together, so Rings of Power may manipulate Tolkien’s lore to include him.

Admittedly, the prediction is based on the surface details: he’s clearly a villain, which makes the Saruman comparison easy; his beard has streaks of grey, potentially hinting at his eventual white facial hair in years to come; and he already has loyal acolytes and potential priestesses of Melkor at his behest.

Crucially, the emergence of another Istar in Middle-earth is already his number one priority – does he want to find the Stranger to corrupt him, kill him, or perhaps even recruit him? Also, considering he resides in Rhûn and evil rises in the east during the Third Age, he’s already well-placed to plant seeds for the Dark Lord.

There are two problems. One, much like Gandalf, Saruman doesn’t come to Middle-earth until the Third Age.

Secondly, and this is a big one, through The Hobbit and at the start of Fellowship of the Ring, Saruman is still well-regarded – something surely contradicted by his nefarious dealings in the Second Age, if it is him. How could an evil wizard become the Istari’s most respected leader?

Blue Wizard

This one is far more likely: the Dark Wizard could be one of the fabled Blue Wizards, two Istari who came to Middle-earth during the Second Age.

Warner Bros.

They evolved through Tolkien’s source material, but here’s roughly what we know: two Wizards “clad in sea-blue” traveled to Middle-earth in the Second Age, where they hindered Sauron’s operations and even aided in his defeat. Their names may be Alatar and Pallando, and they never returned to Valinor.

Now, given all of the contradictions and uncertainty about the Blue Wizards, one of them being evil isn’t a hard pill to swallow (and given they’ve never appeared in any Lord of the Rings media, it’d be a long-awaited reveal).

Also, here’s a good hint: in one letter, Tolkien said they may have been “founders or beginners of secret cults and ‘magic’ traditions that outlasted the fall of Sauron.”

We know the Dark Wizard works with (or likely commands) the Dweller and the other acolytes. What if the Stranger is the other Blue Wizard; one good and one bad, an early forecast of their conflict?

The Witch-king of Angmar

Now we’re onto the good stuff! What if the Dark Wizard becomes the Witch-king of Angmar, the Lord of the Nazgûl?

New Line Cinema

Remember, just because he has magical powers and wields a staff doesn’t mean he’s an Istar: he may just be a sorcerer masquerading as an Istar, given their power and connection to the Valar.

Tom Bombadil suggested he is an Istar – but just because he’s the “eldest” doesn’t mean he knows everything, and the Dark Wizard may have lied to him.

The question of whether or not men can wield magic is something Tolkien couldn’t seem to decide on. For example, in one letter, he said, “It is an inherent power not possessed or attainable by Men as such.”

However, he also acknowledged that Númenóreans used “spells” on their weaponry, and it’s believed men may have inherited “gifts” from Morgoth, with “knowledge that they kept secret” that made them “powerful and proud.”

In other words, it’s definitely possible that a normal man could learn – likely over a long period of time – to use magic.

So, where does the Witch-king come in? Well, he’s given one of the Nine Rings for Mortal Men, but little is known about who he was before he became one of the Nazgûl. Many people believe he was a powerful sorcerer, though nobody knows his true name – perhaps there’ll be more than one reveal with the Dark Wizard.

Mouth of Sauron

Rubbing my hands together for this one: could the Dark Wizard be the Mouth of Sauron, one of his most devoted servants who, crucially, doesn’t have a lot of backstory?

New Line Cinema

If you’ve only seen Return of the King’s theatrical release, you won’t have a clue who I’m talking about. He appears briefly in the extended edition, and he’s swiftly killed by Aragorn.

He may be a Black Númenorean (that’s a whole other story; in short, they’re King’s Men who largely serve Sauron after the fall of Númenor), and it’s believed he was interested in Sauron’s “evil knowledge.”

He was said to have been taught dark sorcery after currying favor with the Dark Lord – but what if was already a capable sorcerer who furthered his skills under Sauron’s tutelage?

Khamûl the Easterling

Admittedly, this is a bit of a deep cut (sorry Lord of the Rings fans, but it definitely is for the normies): the Dark Wizard could actually be Khamúl, a man given one of the Nine Rings who lived in Rhûn.

New Line Cinema

Similarly to the Witch King and Mouth of Sauron, we don’t know much about Khamûl (that’s a good thing). He was definitely a mortal man who held some position of power in Rhûn, but he became corrupted when Sauron gave him one of the Nine Rings.

Later in the Second Age, he appeared as one of the Nazgûl.

That makes him a great choice for the Dark Wizard: it doesn’t break anything in Tolkien’s canon, and it’d add an interesting backstory to one of Sauron’s lieutenants. Here’s a cool detail, too: Khamûl is the Ringwraith who nearly catches Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin as they’re leaving the Shire in Fellowship of the Ring.

Make sure you check out our recaps of Rings of Power Season 2 Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, and Episode 4. You can also read our guides on Morgoth’s origin, Forodwaith, and Círdan the Shipwright.