Movies News Talk

The Rings of Power: Is the Dark Wizard Really Saruman?

Fans of The Lord of the Rings love to watch and get invested in their favorite stories! The newest Amazon Prime series, The Rings of Power is attempting to give those who are dedicated Tolkien readers another exciting part of the stories.

id="the-rings-of-power-and-saruman">The Rings of Power and Saruman

One thing the series is known for? It's those twists and turns, or as they're saying, these big mysteries. Right now, the biggest question: Who is this Dark Wizard and is he connected to Saruman?

The latest season of "The Rings of Power" did drop some major hints but it seems like audiences have an interesting theory about this evil character!

Also Read: The Rings of Power Season 2: Adar's Sauron Revelation and Mordor's Origins

Istari, the Wizards of Middle-earth

The Dark Wizard in Rings of Power next to Saruman in The Lord of the Rings The Return of the King Image

It is so compelling to imagine the most famous wizards! It is well known for anyone familiar with "The Lord of the Rings", that Gandalf, Saruman, Radagast, and the mysterious Blue Wizards had a huge part in the stories and a really big impact. There's something very special about these characters and they helped make the entire fantasy series a fan favorite! The big secret about these iconic wizards. They weren't born this way!

They're powerful, but had an original form! In Tolkien lore. They're considered Maiar - supernatural shapeshifters! And also helped the god of The Lord of the Rings with all the grand designs for Middle-earth. These figures had so much influence! Their mission was pretty straight-forward as they were supposed to make sure that the free peoples who live in this world are ready to face off with Sauron who is also an awesome and super powerful figure known as Maia. It's a very interesting contrast!

Also Read: Celebrimbor & Sauron's Deception in The Rings of Power Season 2: Is It a Plot Hole?

The Rings of Power Dark Wizard

The Stranger (Daniel Weyman) looking shocked in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 Episode 6 Image

Fans might have their thoughts but Rings of Power gives us a great deal to discuss, even more so with Tolkien's mythology, as a really interesting world with awesome and complex characters to learn from!

  • The Dark Wizard could be any of these legendary wizards!
  • If you think that, Gandalf may be an obvious choice because they just established that in season 2, and that Radagast is the second. Then we need to look to the other possibilities!

You can't discount the mysterious Blue Wizards! The question is will this story, the series, show more. We might find out very soon! As this amazing Prime show, goes on, and new seasons are released there may be an ability to reveal this key piece! You also get these strange and curious things. There is a vibe, and even that manner of speech that’s given out by the Dark Wizard, making fans wonder.

Also Read: Galadriel & Adar Team Up in The Rings of Power Season 2? Here's What It Could Mean

The Dark Wizard Is Not Saruman...At Least in the Second Age

Lord of the Rings The Rings of Power Season 2 Poster Showing Charlie Vickers as Sauron Image

It might seem very compelling! It's a story of betrayal and how this could completely transform "The Rings of Power!" The reality is this might make more of a mess out of this fantastic story! That is because Saruman, though not as heroic, never really became that wicked character before The Third Age in the classic "Lord of the Rings."!

Fans may want to learn more! And there may have been signs that Saruman might have this other side but that doesn't mean this wizard wasn't in a good place as a great companion, who could give you some solid, advice, so to speak!

Also Read: The Rings of Power Season 2: Celeborn's Return and the Fate of Galadriel-Halbrand Romance

Problems For The Rings of Power

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There are big risks when writing and producing this epic show and Amazon Prime, along with the series writers, took some major creative risks, making sure the series stays true to Tolkien and creates some engaging narratives for those who are glued to their TV's!

  • To go down a route that may end up contradicting some known details may leave viewers frustrated.
  • Saruman had been a true ally to Gandalf and even later, "The Lord of the Rings" would make his evil plans unfold. Having Saruman become the evil, wicked character would feel incredibly odd. You could say, it could create some confusion if it all of a sudden gets retconned!

You've got to respect that the series creators want to create this massive, engrossing universe and have an amazing experience for their audience!

id="a-better-alternative"> A Better Alternative

There could be some real surprises down the road, and it will be interesting for the series to make it believable that there's another side to Saruman! It will make a major shift, however! It may not make much sense given how Gandalf would later trust Saruman to an extreme degree. This means he wouldn't be aware of these previous events that the series is trying to introduce! That could make this plot completely incoherent.

We might be getting another option, one that is going to really make this show even more interesting.

The only possibility, as we all know that there was some mystery in the lore, and those are the Blue Wizards! The series doesn't really have any direction in that direction but if we look at the plot. Those who were fans from the beginnings have realized that "The Blue Wizards" created something so mystical as well, they created special places dedicated to them. It could make an incredible amount of sense if it were "The Blue Wizards!"! It may not be as obvious because audiences aren't familiar with those, as much as the most iconic "The Lord of the Rings" characters!

So the idea is that Amazon Prime really wanted a dramatic introduction for their fans! Even though that might have confused audiences about what really could have happened!

id="the-mystery-continues"> The Mystery Continues:

All of the clues could lead down different paths! If it were to come true then "The Rings of Power" is going to create a lot of new narratives.

It is almost certain the "Rings of Power" will release in 2026, so fans will be eager for answers. If not for the next season. Hopefully they will continue to entertain audiences as they go deeper into Tolkien lore. We are still going to need those twists and turns for sure.

There is something about Middle-earth that never gets old! Even though there might be a few concerns. What it will end up giving viewers is an incredible ability to dive deep into those mythological worlds and even get to meet a new group of characters, a whole set of lore to be inspired by!

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