The Rings of Power has left us with a lot of questions after its explosive finale, but fans are taking comfort in the fact that when the show returns with a second season, they’ll at least know what Sauron will look like or what he’s been up to since we saw him last. Or will they?
As Charlie Wickers teases the deceitful nature of the Dark Lord, we try to examine all the clues that the three mysterious white-robed witches left in their wake. Above all else, these individuals seem to be the only invention of Amazon that we can’t piece together, try as we may. Still, it’s entirely possible that the showrunners have let on more than they intended, and now the community is irretrievably buzzing with speculation that might be hitting too close to home.
Who are the Istar in The Rings of Power and is the Stranger one of them?
The order of Istari, or Wizards as they’re otherwise known, came to Middle-earth at the behest of the Valar to fight Sauron and diminish his influence on the Free Peoples. They were five of them overall; Saruman the White, Gandalf the Grey Pilgrim, Radagast the Brown, and the two Blue Wizards, Alatar and Pallando. The Stranger has been revealed as one of them, most probably Gandalf, but what do we know about their origins, relative strength, and stirrings in the Second and Third Ages? Here’s a breakdown of our canon knowledge on both Gandalf and the Stranger, including whatever has been revealed about him so far.
Sauron actor teases a possible form change for the titular big bad
Most viewers only had Peter Jackson’s cinematic trilogy for reference, which is why they always thought of Sauron as a giant “lidless eye, wreathed in flame.” But as surreal as it is to see Sauron walking the earth in the guise of a man, that’s precisely what he was in the Second Age. The version of the villain we see in the movies has exhausted his strength so much that he cannot take physical form, at least not without the One Ring. Of course, Tolkien clearly states in the books that Sauron is a physical being, so as far as the books are concerned, Sauron has always been a living, breathing man. Well, maybe not a man, but you get the point.
When he was at the height of his power, Sauron could change his physical appearance at will, so there’s no telling if the villain will continue to appear with Charlie Wickers’ face in the second Rings of Power season. The actor himself recently teased fans that that might not be the case, so keep a sharp eye out for any characters who are behaving funny.
Who are those three white-robed oracles in The Rings of Power?
The Rings of Power isn’t remaining strictly faithful to the canon of the Second Age, scarce as it is. This is a multi-season television show, after all, and we knew from the get-go that the showrunners had to come up with a lot of new plot threads to fill up that 8-hour runtime per season. One of these new inventions is the mystery of the three white-robed cultists who thought the Stranger was Sauron and were willing to serve him. The Stranger banished them to the realm of shadow, and at that very last moment, they might have given us a crucial clue to work out their real identity. This is all guesswork, though, so definitely take it with a pinch of salt for the time being.
Published: Oct 16, 2022 07:00 pm