The Rings of Power‘s second season is already teasing the Stranger’s true identity. Considering Daniel Weyman’s tall, unkempt magical mystery man wanders around in rags with halflings after arriving on Middle-earth in a literal ring of fire, there’s plenty of reason to think he’s Gandalf. But he’s no longer the the show’s only Istar. Ciarán Hinds has joined the series as a powerful dark wizard. That intimidating cult leader already feels threatened by the Stranger’s presence. And combined with his appearance, loyal acolytes, hunt for Sauron, and his outpost in the East, The Rings of Power might now feature another legendary wizard from The Lord of the Rings. Hinds might really be playing Saruman.
Like much of J.R.R. Tolkien’s lore, the history of Istari during the Second Age is a muddled mess of conflicting tales, timelines, and monikers. In some accounts he wrote the Valar sent Istari to Middle-earth to undermine Sauron’s grip on the east and south. But who the Valar sent exactly and when, if at all, changed over time like so many of Tolkien’s other stories. The result is that the canonical history of wizards during this era is debatable at best.
Like with other questionable/unofficial lore, that ambiguity means The Rings of Power can pick and choose which Tolkienian elements it wants to adapt. And that means it’s possible Saruman was already living on Middle-earth during the Second Age. The Prime Video series has already given us lots of evidence he was.
Hinds—a great actor who can match the intensity and onscreen presence of the late Christoper Lee— is playing a powerful dark wizard weary of another Istar. (One who might very well be his uncorrupted counterpart Gandalf.) The dark wizard’s two-toned beard and staff that looks like the Eye of Sauron are also remarkably reminiscent of Lee’s character in Peter Jackson’s iconic films.
Just like with the future Saruman, Hinds dark wizard also has loyal followers willing to do terrible things on his behalf. He also seems obsessed with control and suppressing the abilities of another Istar he sees as a challenge to his position. The Rings of Power‘s dark wizard does not want the Stranger to remember who he is or how powerful he is.
Hinds’ evil Istar also calls Rhûn in the east home. That’s where evil will soon rise during the Second Age, and Saruman’s legacy is defined by his embrace of darkness which he personally spread into the west. And the Istar’s mystics spent season one looking for the Stranger because they believed he might be Sauron. In season two’s fourth episode Tom Bombadil also said the Dark Wizard seeks power but can only get it with the help of an even stronger ally. In the Third Age Saruman will first serve Sauron as a follower. He will then secretly try to usurp the Dark Lord as ruler of Middle-earth. Saruman’s ultimate second fall is directly connected with the Dark Lord’s growing power.
The parallels between Saruman during the Third Age and Hinds’ incredibly powerful Istar of the Second are obvious and bountiful. That doesn’t mean he’s definitely Saruman, however. Morgoth’s lingering evil, combined with Sauron’s darkness, could have corrupted any wizard present on Middle-earth during the Second Age. Hinds could be playing one of the blue wizards Tolkien said wandered the lands at this time. Or he might be another Istar entirely the show is introducing.
But if the Stranger proves to be the wizard we think he is, it seems very likely Hinds will, too. In the Third Age the Valar sent Saruman to Middle-earth ahead of Gandalf. Ultimately good defeated evil because they did. The Rings of Power might show the Valar did so because they knew it would work for a second time.
This post originally published on August 29, 2024.
Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist who prefers the color grey over white. You can follow him on Twitter and Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.