‘The Rings of Power’s Wizard Issue Fixes a LOTR Problem

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J.R.R. Tolkien, a renowned author and language expert, built an incredibly rich and detailed world called Arda. His most famous books, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, essentially defined the high fantasy genre. Tolkien went to extraordinary lengths to create this world, even inventing entire languages – like the Elvish languages Quenya and Sindarin, and the dark tongue of Sauron – for his characters to speak.

As a lifelong Tolkien fan, I’ve always been fascinated by the unanswered questions in his world, especially regarding the Blue Wizards. Tolkien himself seemed unsure what to do with them, and it’s something he wrestled with throughout his writings. So, I was really intrigued to see Season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power reveal the Stranger as Gandalf the Grey – one of the five Istari sent to Middle-earth. And even more surprisingly, they’ve confirmed that Ciarán Hinds’ character, the Dark Wizard, is actually a Blue Wizard – Pallando! Now, The Rings of Power is already dividing fans, and I’m sure this move will spark even more debate. But honestly, I think it’s a clever way to address a problem Tolkien himself couldn’t quite solve after 71 years – finally giving some closure to those mysterious Blue Wizards.

The Stranger and the Dark Wizard in ‘The Rings of Power’ Season 2


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In Season 2 of The Rings of Power, the Stranger, along with Nori and Poppy, journeys to Rhûn so he can understand and control his mysterious powers. Meanwhile, the Dark Wizard, from his fortress, dispatches followers to capture the Stranger, convinced he is Sauron. When that attempt fails, the Stranger meets the intriguing Tom Bombadil. Separately, Nori and Poppy encounter the Stoors and bring them back to their community. Bombadil ultimately guides the Stranger in discovering his true identity and developing his abilities.

The Stranger and the Dark Wizard eventually meet in the village of Stoor. The Dark Wizard, calling the Stranger an “old friend,” tries to convince him to help with his plan to take over after Sauron. This makes it clear the Dark Wizard is a villain in The Rings of Power. Adding to this, he was once a student of Tom Bombadil. After getting his staff, the Dark Wizard quickly gained control over much of Rhûn.

What Tolkien and His Texts Say About the Blue Wizards


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The Blue Wizards remain largely mysterious figures. They were sent to Middle-earth as emissaries after a meeting of the Valar, led by their King, Manwë. Oromë chose Alatar, who was accompanied by his companion, Pallando. Tolkien initially placed their arrival around the year 1000 of the Third Age, but later revised this to 1600 of the Second Age, making them contemporaries of Glorfindel rather than Gandalf, Saruman, and Radagast. Their purpose was to disrupt Sauron’s power in the south and east, while the other three wizards focused their efforts in the west.

J.R.R. Tolkien explores the wizards known as the Istari in his book, Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth. The fates of two of these wizards, Pallando and Alatar, remain a mystery. Tolkien suggested they may have failed in their task and possibly even sided with Sauron. Within Unfinished Tales, he indicated that only Gandalf of the five wizards ultimately returned to Valinor. In a 1958 letter (Letter 211), Tolkien expressed his uncertainty about the Blue Wizards’ destiny and acknowledged the possibility they served Sauron.

I don’t know much about the other two figures, as their stories don’t relate to the history of the Northwest. It seems they were sent as envoys to faraway lands, both east and south, well beyond the reach of the Númenóreans – almost like missionaries to territories held by enemies. I have no idea if they succeeded, but I worry they failed, similar to Saruman, though likely in different ways. I suspect they may have started secret groups and magical practices that continued even after Sauron’s defeat.

This suggests the creators of The Rings of Power are planning to portray the Blue Wizards as allies of Sauron, particularly Pallando. This aligns with the direction of the Dark Wizard’s story in Season 2, and the fact that the name ‘Rhûn’ means ‘East’ in the Sindarin language supports this idea.

Since Pallando Is Confirmed, Will Fans See Alatar in ‘The Rings of Power’ Season 3?


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As a huge Tolkien fan, I’ve been thinking a lot about the Blue Wizards, specifically Alatar. We know from the lore that two Istari, dressed in sea-blue robes, were sent to Middle-earth to help fight Sauron and discover his location in the East. The show, The Rings of Power, has only shown Pallando so far, which makes me wonder, where’s Alatar? It’s tricky because Amazon doesn’t own the rights to everything Tolkien wrote – they can only use The Lord of the Rings, its appendices, and The Hobbit. The Blue Wizards aren’t a huge focus in those books; you mostly find details about them in The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales, where their story gets a bit more attention. So, it’s understandable why the show hasn’t delved into Alatar’s journey much yet, but as a fan, I’m hoping we get some answers!

We don’t have much information about what happened to these two wizards. It seems likely Pallando and Alatar split up at some point. Pallando may have been influenced by Sauron and stayed in the eastern lands of Rhûn to grow his power and eventually try to replace the Dark Lord. The story might portray Alatar as the ‘good’ wizard, leaving his corrupted companion behind to search for Sauron in the south and remaining dedicated to his original purpose.

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Given that the show is already changing the established timeline – for example, by having the Blue Wizards arrive in Middle-earth at different times than Gandalf – it’s possible they might not include Alatar at all. Perhaps Gandalf will be presented as the benevolent wizard, while Pallando serves as his antagonist.

I’m really curious to see what they do with Palando in Season 3 of The Rings of Power. And honestly, it would be awesome if they finally introduced Alatar too – that would be a great addition!



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2026-02-07 21:34