The Rings of Power: Gandalf Revealed & A Dark Wizard Twist! | LOTR Canon Changes

Ring of Power’s Shocking Revelation

With a recent episode that brought the second season to a close, a big reveal has had fans looking for clues and answers.

This story of the great Istari, characters that make up a key group of wizards who have the power to save Middle-earth!

The Stranger’s Big Reveal

With a major mystery for The Rings Of Power is the identity of the "Stranger" character who had so much to do with bringing this powerful series to its peak, in this new story! As the second season closed, the Stranger is officially introduced as Gandalf!

But The Rings Of Power does a remarkable job of giving viewers a different angle than the beloved LOTR films! Gandalf as he arrives as a meteor, and also forms a powerful friendship with some Harfoots (those awesome hobbits! Even as he makes an impressive visit to the powerful land called Rhûn

A major element was this concept of an original character. But a small part of Rings Of Power shows up in the last episode and puts the kibosh on any further mystery for those trying to unlock this massive puzzle.

There's no longer a need to keep this under wraps!

The Dark Wizard's Identity:

A big question surrounded the identity of this evil, mysterious figure! However, when you take a closer look at the storyline it might be apparent that this figure was truly, an Istari, that wasn't one of the wizards. As viewers made predictions there was a chance that the Dark Wizard was actually one of those characters from the series. But a line delivered by this amazing, but powerful and memorable figure, played by the talented Ciarán Hinds, let the audience know this was a big, but subtle change for Rings Of Power!

What the dark wizard really reveals is a change to the timeline of LOTR!

Breaking With Canon For Rings Of Power

While The Rings Of Power did a fantastic job with a mostly accurate adaptation of "The Lord of the Rings" and taking audiences on an incredible journey through history, but there are times, it veers away, to give viewers something unique and entertaining.

• The most jarring part of this, is that the wizards had a different time as they showed up in Middle-earth!
• The Lord Of The Rings (LOTR), was all about a world of wonders. Tolkien is known as a great, imaginative storyteller, who brought a fantastical and powerful universe into play with his writings.
• Rings of Power showed a different history for this famous group and introduced Gandalf. They also gave audiences new details and perspectives. It certainly caused major, massive discussion.

You see the great Istari characters had the need to move to a different time! It didn't make much sense, at first for Gandalf and all these other iconic wizards were not even around. They came in after a time called the Third Age!

And that isn't all. What made it such a crazy twist! These characters may not be the same ones who have taken the audience on journeys! That includes the Blue Wizards and the crazy time in LOTR lore, and it just didn't add up to those characters. They never even made contact with the Harfoots! Gandalf, and this evil Dark Wizard seemed to clash with the narrative as everyone had envisioned it. But there's always a twist.

The Dark Wizard’s Identity Unveiled

Now the question remains, which of the powerful, memorable Wizards is truly hiding under this new mask?

We got our answer, "Rings Of Power"! They took one of those crazy moments from a storyline, gave it a tweak, but left many wondering about the details! One of these moments, was that there were only five Istari!

• Saruman
• Radagast
• The Blue Wizards

Radagast seems pretty easy to rule out of this special mystery and for all those who are trying to unravel what truly happened! He may be able to have a special bond with nature but an evil cult in Rhûn, Radagast really had no prior ties to this event. The whole plot, feels like a pretty strange one.

Who Is The Dark Wizard In Rings Of Power?

There's this mysterious element! Fans might feel like Saruman played a really bad guy in LOTR! But in "Rings Of Power" that's a super intense and outlandish stretch of imagination that leaves audiences wondering about the creators of this incredible series, as to whether they are just playing tricks.

It's possible, though. The real explanation. In The Lord Of The Rings, you'll see two figures who really stood out for those that are following the story of wizards:

• "Alatar" and "Pallando"

Fans have been debating, who it might be, in terms of the dark wizards. In "Rings Of Power"! But Tolkien himself has created conflicting stories that made things even more difficult for audiences, as to how these two powerful wizards would truly end up.

This big new development was really, truly exciting and those that are so engrossed in the series really get into the history of all these beloved LOTR figures.

For some, it was really amazing, as they may not be a new original creation and as "Rings Of Power," tries to navigate through a well established canon it will require more attention to make it a big, iconic series. Fans are still excited for the return of "Rings Of Power," as it continues its legacy.