The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has introduced a couple of new characters who have not yet revealed their identities to audiences. The Stranger, for example, hasn’t confirmed who or what he is, though we might have an idea by now. Another dark wizard who had sent the mystics after the Stranger has also been introduced in Season 2, and he is speculated to be an Istar.

The mystics have also confirmed the Stranger as an Istar, but what exactly are these beings is on everyone’s mind? Those who have read The Silmarillion already have a good idea, as the Istari play a huge role in the affairs of Middle-earth after Morgoth’s downfall.

Who Are The Istari In Rings Of Power?

The Istari are a group of powerful beings sent to Middle-earth by the Valar to assist in the struggle against Sauron. They are more commonly known as Wizards in Tolkien’s works.

While The Rings of Power has yet to explore the lore of the Istari, they’re being introduced slowly with the Stranger being everything but verbally confirmed to be Gandalf.

He is not Sauron, he is the other, the Istar!

– Mystic

The Istari are not men or elves but rather members of the Maiar. They are divine and powerful but below the Valar themselves, who serve the greater cause of protecting Middle-earth.

The Maiar are powerful and immortal. The most notable Maia is Sauron himself, who was corrupted by Morgoth, the first Dark Lord.

In response to the growing threat of Sauron in the Third Age, the Valar decided to send a group of the Istar to Middle-earth in the form of old men to help guide the Free Peoples in their fight against the Dark Lord. This group became known as the Istari.

They were chosen for their wisdom and strength, but upon arriving to Middle-earth, they were limited by physical forms and could not wield their full divine power openly. Saruman and Gandalf are important members of this order.

The Known Istari In The Tolkienverse

In Tolkien’s works, five of the Istari came to Middle-earth.

Gandalf

The most famous of the Istari, Gandalf, was a wise and powerful Istar who played a huge role in Sauron’s defeat during the War of the Ring.

His true name in Valinor was Olórin, and he was originally part of the Ainur.

Gandalf’s primary strength was his wisdom, and he was the only Istar to truly fulfill the mission for which the Valar sent them, and the only one of the five to return to Valinor.

Saruman

Saruman was the leader of the Istari, but he was corrupted by his desire for power and eventually sought the One Ring for himself, aligning with Sauron before meeting his own downfall.

Radagast

Radagast the Brown was a Maia who was associated with nature and living things. He had a deep love for animals and plants but played a much smaller role in the events of the Third Age.

He became more focused on the creatures of Middle-earth instead of the fight against Sauron, which led to some criticism of his actions from others.

Alatar And Pallando

Via: Lord of the Rings Wiki

These two lesser-known Istari journeyed far into the east of Middle-earth and did not participate in the major events of the Third Age.

Their mission was to combat Sauron’s influence in the lands of Rhûn and beyond, though much of their fate remains a mystery, as Tolkien provided little detail about their actions.

It is believed they may have failed in their task. In the Rings of Power adaptation, the prevailing theory is that the Dark Wizard chasing after the Stranger could be one of the blue wizards, however this hasn’t been confirmed yet and shouldn’t be taken as fact.

The Istari In The Rings Of Power

The Rings of Power introduces an Istar during the Second Age, which is a significant deviation from the established canon, as the Istari are not traditionally sent to Middle-earth until later.

However, Amazon’s series has already explored creative liberties with the timeline and characters, so we’ll just have to take it for what it is. It’s possible that the show might confirm the identity of the dark wizard as one of the Blue Wizards who traveled east during the Third Age.

Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger.

– J.R.R. Tolkien

The Istari are incredibly powerful beings in Middle-earth, but their power is not expressed in the same way as other beings like Sauron, despite being in the same class of divines. Since they are Maiar and below the Valar, they have a lot of power.

However, their abilities in Middle-earth are intentionally limited by the Valar, and they must rely more on wisdom and guidance. Currently, the Stranger is trying to harness his magical abilities as he relies on Tom Bombadil to show him how to use his power.

If he succeeds, then there is much more than spells and elemental powers for the Stranger to learn. But despite being incredibly powerful, there’s a long way to go before the Stranger becomes the Gandalf we know.