‘Rings of Power’ theory suggests the Stranger is a version of one of the franchise’s most popular characters

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the first two episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

One character has made an appearance in the Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power that has everyone on the internet trying to suss out their identity. The show has started building up the stories of several characters including the elves Galadriel, Elrond, and the newly introduced elf, Arondir, as well as the Harfoots which include the curious Nori and her friend Poppy. However, fans are most intrigued by the introduction of the enigmatic Stranger.

After crash landing near the Harfoot community, and being discovered by the curious Elanor “Nori” Brandyfoot, the Stranger, played by Daniel Weyman, displays strong magical abilities which include changing the weather and communicating with animals whilst speaking in an unknown tongue. Now, who does that remind us of exactly?

One of Tolkien’s most popular characters is also known for these abilities and many are seeing similarities between the Stranger and the wizard Gandalf. But with hardcore Tolkien fans adamant that Gandalf doesn’t appear in Middle Earth until the Third Age is the show trying to throw us off with a misdirect? Is this in fact what many are speculating, the return of Sauron? Or is some artistic license being used here in order to allow Gandalf to arrive in Middle Earth earlier than written?

Fans on Reddit are debating exactly who they think the mysterious character could be. The conversation began with a stoned OP trying to connect the dots between this character and the Gandalf we all know and love. They point out the familiar mannerisms of the Stranger, his powers, his connection to the Hobbits, even the camera work is similar to that used for Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Using the logic from the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers that saw the return of Gandalf after his battle with the Balrog, the OP wonders if we’re looking at something similar here.

One user points out that Gandalf didn’t actually body swap in Lord of the Rings and was simply sent back into his body, though apparently, this came with a trip to the salon resulting in a sleeker-looking Gandalf the White.

Gandalf existed as a Maiar called Olorin long before he came to Middle Earth as one of the five wizards, but perhaps it could be that Olorin has come in a different form.

This user is almost certain it’s the well-loved wizard and not the dark lord.

Some have suggested that it could be another of the Maiar entirely and that the transportation method doesn’t really make sense.

Fans are sitting on the edge of their seats waiting to find out if they will be vindicated regarding the mysterious characters’ identity, though with six more episodes to go in season one alone, the show-runners could really drag out the reveal. The third episode will be available to watch on Amazon Prime on Sept. 8.