Subtle hints in the Prime Video’s The Rings of Power Season 1 finale and the trailer for Season 2 have left many fans wondering whether Gandalf has finally appeared in the show. At the culmination of Season 1, fans witnessed Daniel Weyman’s Stranger descending from the sky and landing among the Harfoots. Although many viewers first predicted him to be Sauron, their views changed after he was revealed to be an Istari, which means the wizard or wise one.
Here is an analysis of whether the Stranger in The Rings of Power is Gandalf or not.
Will Gandalf cameo in The Rings of Power Season 2?
The showrunners of The Rings of Power, J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, haven’t made any statements about Gandalf appearing in Season 2. Although, they did promise that the Stranger’s true identity will be revealed.
The makers seemingly started dropping hints about Gandalf’s possible appearance in Season 2 from the Season 1 finale itself. Introducing the Stranger as the member of Istari, a group Gandalf was a part of, and making him say the line, ”When in doubt, Elanor Brandyfoot, always follow your nose,” which Ian McKellen’s Gandalf said in LOTR, were the biggest hints by the makers.
However, the showrunners are still sticking to the hints even after the release of Rings of Power Season 2. In the first few episodes released recently, the Stranger and Nori Brandyfoot arrived in the Land of Rhûn. According to Inverse, fans also witness the Stranger on the quest to find a weapon and revive his memories. As per the outlet, the Stranger envisions the weapon as a wooden staff, which at some point in his dreams looks quite similar to Gandalf’s grey staff.
Is The Stranger actually Gandalf in The Rings of Power Season 2?
There has been no official confirmation about the Stranger’s true identity. However, the hints provided by the showrunners since the Season 1 finale have made fans believe that he is Gandalf.
As per Screen Rant, in one of the key moments from the trailer of Rings of Power Season 2, the Stranger can be seen holding a stick in his hand. He slams it onto the ground, which in return, releases some magic. The outlet suggests the scene is a close reference to Ian McKellen’s Gandalf’s ”You Shall Not Pass” moment.
Although the first three episodes of Rings of Power Season 2 haven’t announced the Stranger as Gandalf, all the hints have led fans to this conclusion.
