The Istari all had the same mission in The Lord of the Rings — to aid Middle-earth in the fight against Sauron — but some of them pursued this task more effectively than others. The Istari were some of the strongest beings in J.R.R. Tolkien’s books, created by Eru Ilúvatar, The Lord of the Rings’ god, and given wisdom and power for their purpose. The Valar sent the wizards to Middle-earth during its Second and Third Ages, and they all underwent very different journeys upon arriving there (some of which got more attention from Tolkien’s works than others).

In the end, only one of the five Istari in The Lord of the Rings fulfilled his purpose completely, seeing Sauron’s defeat all the way through. Based on Tolkien’s writings, there’s evidence that the others played their parts in the Dark Lord’s demise, but they also got sidetracked or turned away from the light. If nothing else, the Istari’s journeys were proof that even the most powerful entities in Middle-earth weren’t infallible. Of course, some of them did a better job at sticking to their mission, while others seemed less invested from the start.

Saruman

Did The Opposite Of What The Valar Intended

Perhaps it’s no surprise that Saruman failed the worst in his mission to work against Sauron, as the Istar ended up joining the Dark Lord in The Lord of the Rings rather than thwarting him. Prior to this turn of events, one could say that Saruman was actually more committed to his purpose than Radagast and even the Blue Wizards. After all, Saruman wasn’t always evil, and he initially led the Istari and the White Council. Unfortunately, his lust for power and desire to utilize the One Ring took over, ensuring his failure.

Even if Saruman made efforts to sqaush Sauron’s rise to power earlier, he fell the farthest of the Istari in the end.

Because Saruman wanted the One Ring for himself and was willing to join Sauron in order to obtain it, there’s no question that he’s the Istar who abandoned his mission the most. Even if Saruman made efforts to squash Sauron’s rise to power before, he fell the farthest of the Istari in the Third Age. He wasn’t even able to return to Valinor, highlighting the depth of his failure.

Radagast

The Brown Wizard Became Preoccupied With Middle-earth’s Nature

Originally known as Aiwendil, Radagast never turned his back on his mission in the way that Saruman did in The Lord of the Rings. However, the Istar got sidetracked from helping the people of Middle-earth, lessening his contributions to the efforts against Sauron. Radagast the Grown barely involved himself in the War of the Ring, and he spent the majority of his time on Middle-earth focusing on its plant life and animals. Radagast had a better understanding of nature than the races of Middle-earth and their power struggles, and he disappeared into that.

To be fair, Radagast did use the creatures he connected with to help Gandalf and Saruman at times, aiding in the search for the One Ring and agreeing to relay communications between Gandalf and Saruman. It’s also thanks to Radagast that Gandalf escaped Orthanc, as the other Istar sent the eagle Gwaihir. So, while Tolkien himself admitted that Radagast lost sight of his purpose, he still made choices that positively impacted the outcome of the War of the Ring. He simply wasn’t that active in his efforts.

The Blue Wizards

Tolkien’s Later Writings Suggested They Made An Impact

It’s difficult to rank the Blue Wizards’ effectiveness in the fight against Sauron, as Tolkien wrote about the two Istari so sparingly. In fact, they’re grouped together because that’s how Tolkien described them. The Blue Wizards were among Tolkien’s most mysterious figures. We know that they traveled east and south with the purpose of turning the Men of Middle-earth against the Dark Lord. However, Tolkien’s thoughts about what happened next varied from text to text, making it harder to piece together their part in Sauron’s defeat.

Some might place Radagast as more effective for this reason, but Tolkien specifically called out Saruman’s and Radagast’s failures — and his final sentiment about the Blue Wizards suggested they might have succeeded in aiding Middle-earth in the end. Although Tolkien initially wrote in a letter from 1958 that he believed “they failed, as Saruman did, though doubtless in different ways,” and that they became cult leaders, he later offered a more optimistic perspective.

Tolkien’s unfinished works published posthumously claimed the following: “They must have had very great influence on the history of the Second Age and Third Age in weakening and disarraying the forces of East … who would both in the Second Age and Third Age otherwise have … outnumbered the West.” Going by Tolkien’s final sentiments, the Blue Wizards actually did play a pivotal role in the War of the Ring and its outcome, even if they didn’t succeed to the same extent as Gandalf.

Gandalf

Gandalf Actively Saw His Mission All The Way Through

Gandalf was clearly the most effective when it came to his mission, as he was the only Istar to actively play a role in Sauron’s defeat during the War of the Ring. Gandalf fulfilled his duty by guiding Frodo on his journey to destroy the One Ring, and he never strayed from working for the good of Middle-earth. This was why Gandalf was able to return to Middle-earth as Gandalf the White after Saruman turned his back on his purpose.

Gandalf’s success also explained why he was the only wizard who went to the Undying Lands at the end of The Lord of the Rings. The fates of the others — except for Saruman — were left up in the air. Given that Gandalf was the only one of the Istari who clearly completed his mission, it’s fitting that he got the most straightforward positive ending. He was rewarded for his efforts in a satisfying way after The Lord of the Rings.