The Rings of Power on Prime Video: Who is this strange character? A theory that will drive fans crazy!

Spoilers – Warning, the article below contains potential spoilers. If you do not want to know the content, please do not read the following…

At the end of the first episode of the new series The Rings of Power (available today on Amazon Prime Video), a strange phenomenon occurs in Middle-earth. As Gil-galad, Elrond, Celebrimbor, Arondir, Bronwyn, and Nor see at the same time, a meteor lights up the sky and falls not far from the Pivelus tribe.

In the middle of this fireball: a man. Completely naked, bearded and unidentified. In short, an ideal breeding ground for all kinds of theories.

Who exactly is this mysterious character that Norris and her friend Poppy have collected? An immortal being from Valinor? evil force? A brand new hero? While some evoke Sauron in human form or the mysterious Tom Bombadil, others allow themselves to utter the name of… Gandalf.

A hypothesis that might be tempting to dismiss altogether, given that Tolkien’s work sets the wizard’s arrival in Middle-earth before the year 1000 of the Third Age (whereas the series takes place in the Second Age, many centuries earlier). However, when we carefully examine the various arguments that support the theory, it is clear that many elements agree.

Let’s go back to the various points that lead us to believe that this mysterious character is indeed Gandalf:

• Physically, this stranger’s appearance is quite similar to Gandalf’s appearance on the big screen. He is indeed gifted with a beard (admittedly much shorter in the movies) and the tunic in which he was once collected by Pivellus resembles a long gray wizard’s coat.

• His meeting with the Pyvelus (ancestors of the hobbits) may reveal his special attachment to these people and his future friendships with Bilbo and Frodo.

• Taking it, Nori feels that he is dealing with an extraordinary creature. “He could have landed anywhere, but he landed here. It may seem strange, but deep down I feel he is important.”she explains to Poppy.

• At the end of Episode 2, the stranger can be seen speaking to the fireflies in a strange language, whispering into the palm of his hand, much like Gandalf addressed the butterfly in The Fellowship of the Ring. Right after that, he uses the same glowing insects to look for figures in the sky. Perhaps this is a way to announce his future talent for two d’arts.

• A little earlier, when he tries to explain something to Nori and Pop, the first thing he grabs (to draw a shape in the sand) is… a stick.

• During the same sequence, as he starts screaming, suddenly a strong wind blows through the forest he is in. A strange power that may match Gandalf’s gifts, which, recall, is associated with the Air Goddess, Manwe.

• A meteor bearing the unknown appears in the sky just as the portal opens for Valinor to let Galadriel’s ship in. Would Gandalf leave the undead lands of the Valar at once?

• And from a purely strategic point of view, Gandalf is one of the most popular and recognizable figures in the world created by Tolkien, his presence in the Prime Video series could prove very useful in attracting a large audience.

What do you think of these different arguments? Do you think the stranger who fell from the sky and Gandalf are the same?

While you wait for all these questions to be answered, (re)discover our video dedicated to the famous magician…