The Stranger finally gets a name in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has finally stopped being coy about one of its biggest mysteries: the identity of the Stranger (Daniel Weyman).

Ever since the Stranger fell into Middle-earth in Season 1, he and his Harfoot traveling companion Nori Brandyfoot (Markella Kavenagh) have been trying to figure out who he is. But while they're in the dark, viewers are familiar with JRR Tolkien's work and Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings Films will have recognized some not-so-subtle clues to the stranger's true nature. From his gray robe and beard to his status as an Istar, or wizard, the Stranger has been giving off Gandalf vibes since day one. Do you need more evidence? How about his affection for Harfoots, also known as the Hobbits of the Ancestors? Or the fact that he quotes Gandalf in full The Fellowship of the Ring in the first season finale?

Now, in the season two finale, The Rings of Power finally confirms what audiences have suspected for some time and officially reveals that he is Gandalf.

How do we know the stranger is Gandalf? The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?

Daniel Weyman in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Prime Video

The reveal of Gandalf's name comes after the stranger defends the Harfoots and Stoors from the still-mysterious Dark Wizard (Ciarán Hinds). While the Dark Wizard claimed to know the Stranger from their time before his arrival in Middle-earth and even promised to tell him his true name, it is the Stoors who give the Stranger his new name in gratitude for his help.

The Stoor leader Gundabale Earthauler (Tanya Moodie) goes first and thanks him as a “great elf”. As the thanks to Stoors continue, “Grand-Elf” becomes something closer to “Gandalf.” Think of it like a big Tolkien game of telephone.

Gundabale called the stranger “Great Elf” and it was no coincidence. When Nori and Poppy (Megan Richards) first encounter the Stoors in Episode 4, they describe the stranger as a giant.

“What, like an elf?” asks Merrimac (Gavi Singh Chera).

“Bigger than that,” Poppy says.

“So he’s a great Great Elf,” replies a skeptical Gundabale.

This exchange is not the first time The Rings of Power indicated that the stranger's name was Gandalf. A discussion in Episode 2 about his need to find a “Gand” – from the Old Norse “gandr”, meaning “staff” or “wand” – is an homage to the fact that the name “Gandalf” means “elf with a magic wand”. means .”

Of course it's not Gandalf Strictly speaking an elf, but in The Rings of Poweras in Tolkien's Legendarium, he doesn't seem to mind the name. “That’s what they’re going to call me,” he tells Tom Bombadil (Rory Kinnear) when he realizes that Gandalf is the first name he’s been looking for all season. (He also found the perfect “Gand” after the battle, so it's a great day of discovery all around!)

How many elements of The Rings of Powerthe stranger – let’s just call him Gandalf now, shall we? – The name reveal differs from Tolkien's lore, but still keeps its spirit alive. With Tolkien Unfinished StoriesHe writes that “Gandalf” is the name given to the wizard by the people of Middle-earth. Other names he has are Mithrandir of the elves; Tharkûn, of the dwarves; and Olórin, his original name in Valinor and likely the name the Dark Wizard wanted to share with him.

Given Gandalf's deep connection to the hobbits The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings In the trilogy, it's a nice touch that he gets a name from their ancestors, which is to come. The added focus on the linguistic journey of his name, from the allusions to “gand” to the evolution of “Great Elf” to “Gandalf,” also feels like another homage to Tolkien, himself a language nerd.

Gandalf's official arrival The Rings of Power raises a few more questions. First of all, this is not the Gandalf we know from the Third Age, at least not yet. What will the rest of his journey look like before we take on the role of Gandalf the Grey? Will the next seasons of The Rings of Power be fundamental Gandalf: Origins?

Second, according to Tolkien lore, Gandalf and the other Istari were not present in Middle-earth during the Second Age. The Valar sent them there for centuries until the Third Age. The Rings of Power has already greatly compressed Tolkien's timeline, so this is par for the course for the show. But how will Gandalf's presence in Middle-earth affect or hinder Sauron's (Charlie Vickers) rise? How will the presence of the rest of the Istari, including the Dark Wizard, affect the battles to come?

We'll have to wait until season three to see it. For now, I'm happy to no longer have to ask myself, “When will we find out that the stranger is Gandalf?” Instead, my greatest Rings of power The question is now officially: “When will we find out if the Dark Wizard is a Blue Wizard?” Bring on the answers!

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 is now streaming on Prime Video.