The Stranger is a stranger no more in “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” but what does his shocking true identity mean? Since The Rings of Power’s very first episode, a veil of mystery has been cast over Daniel Weyman’s character, the Stranger. Falling from the sky in a ball of flame, Middle-earth’s  newcomer quickly befriended the local Harfoots, but couldn’t help hurting them with his powerful and uncontrolled magic.

Freshman Nate Carlien says, “I really loved the character when I thought he was evil but, I think I like him so much more when he is good.”

The Rings of Power tried very hard to convince audiences the Stranger could be Sauron, and season one’s finale goes so far as to call him by that name. The Dweller, Nomad and Ascetic (The show’s evil witches) finally catch up to the man they’ve been pursuing and worship him as Sauron. Only after spending some time with their “master” do the trio realize they’ve made a terrible mistake. The Rings of Power never actually reveals the Stranger’s name explicitly – only by the title of his order, Istar. In The Lord of the Rings, the Istari are the five wizards who come to Middle-earth and aid in fighting Sauron – but The Rings of Power goes further, subtly telling the audience precisely which Istar Daniel Weyman has been playing.

Junior Sam Whitlock says, “I was so surprised when the guy who I thought was Sauron was actually not him but a wizard.”

Audiences had long theorized the Stranger could be The Rings of Power’s version of Gandalf. Visually, the long gray hair and wild beard vaguely resemble Ian McKellen in Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” movies, and the gray clothes provided by the Harfoots further added to the physical Gandalf-isms. Moreover, the Stranger’s friendship with the Harfoots could’ve been a prelude to Gandalf’s like towards the Hobbits in The Lord of the Rings. Throw in the powerful use of magic, the desire to help, whispering to insects, and the fact that Gandalf is by far the most marketable character alive during The Rings of Power’s Second Age era, and no one could say the signs weren’t there.

Freshman Peter Cox says, “I was so surprised when he was a wizard; I want to watch season two right now!”