The Istari were originally Maiar, an order of higher beings that served the Valar directly, acting as envoys or advisors to the races of Middle-earth from Valinor. As the Stranger explains to Nori, the term means “wise ones” or “wizards”.
According to Tolkien’s lore, there were five sent to Middle-earth by the Valar in case the darkness of Sauron should rise again. It’s now certain that the Stranger is one of the Five Wizards, but his exact identity has yet to be revealed.
5 The Maiar And The Istari
The Istari weren’t the only Maiar in Middle-earth during this time, which might be why the figures in white misidentified him. Sauron was a Maia, but not one of the five wizards. Sauron was originally a vassal of Aulë, the Vala that created the Dwarves, but eventually came to serve Melkor instead.
Another example would be Melian, the Queen of Doriath and the wife of King Thingol. A powerful Maia who instructed her daughter Luthien and her friend Galadriel in many of her magical ways, but not a wizard. Early in season one, there was a fan theory circulating that the Stranger was Tilion, the Maia that carries the moon across the sky. These might have been possibilities before, but now that we know the Stranger is one of the Five Wizards that narrows it down to five possibilities.
4 The Blue Wizards
Of the five wizards, the ones we know the least about are Pallando and his friend, Alatar. They were always good friends, even before leaving Valinor, and went east together, but the lore says little else about them. If their mission was to check the power of Sauron in that part of Middle-earth, it seems that they failed, but maybe that’s the story Rings of Power is trying to set up.
Like their peers, the Valar chose the Blue Wizards for their skills and knowledge, so they must have been fairly powerful. Their master was Oromë, the Huntsman who often rode through the forests of Middle-earth. Pallando had another name, Rómestámo, which means “East helper". The Stranger has a connection to the east through this mysterious constellation, the Hermit’s Hat, which only appears once in a millennium over the eastern land of Rhûn.
Should the Stranger be Pallando, then where’s Alatar? The clue to his whereabouts might be in his alternative name, Morinehtar, or “Darkness-slayer". Perhaps Alatar is already fighting the good fight in the east and is waiting for his friend to catch up with him. On the other hand, the Stranger has slain some “darkness” in the form of the three cultists, so he might be Alatar going east to find Pallando.
3 Saruman
Think of Saruman from The Hobbit as opposed to The Lord of the Rings. Remember how fondly Treebeard spoke of his friend in olden times, and how he had changed and betrayed them and the woodland realm? Saruman used to be a different person until the threat of Mordor and the temptation of the One Ring changed him.
Saruman was originally a Maia named Curumo and was one of the Vala Aulë’s most powerful and gifted servants, the first and foremost chosen to make the journey to Middle-earth. As heartbreaking as it is, the Stranger could be Saruman when he was still pure of heart and clear in his purpose as the leader of the Five Wizards.
2 Radagast
Think of Radagast from The Lord of the Rings as opposed to The Hobbit. The character doesn’t appear at all in Peter Jackson’s original trilogy except in a reference for book readers in the shape of a moth. In the book, Radagast was tricked into luring Gandalf to Orthanc, but he also helped to get him out with a covert little messenger.
When the Stranger turns the women in white into moths, this could be a callback to Radagast, but only for book readers. Movie fans will see this as a connection to another wizard.
In Valinor, Radagast was named Aiwendil, and he was a servant of Yavanna, a Valar that was dedicated to the growth and care of the natural world. The depiction of Radagast as a dedicated and isolated forest dweller is accurate, and maybe he retreated to the hidden woods as the Harfoots first taught him when he arrived.
1 Gandalf
That was fun, but it’s time to drop the pretenses and just admit that the Stranger is Gandalf. This might be a misdirect, as the writers have already demonstrated that they’re into that kind of thing, and there are plenty of references in the episode that indicate other possibilities. However, the character uses one of Gandalf’s signature quotes, and he seems to be sounding more like Mithrandir all the time.
Book readers and movie fans are equally familiar with the “follow your nose” quote, a memorable line from the journey through Moria. For a while, the Fellowship has to sit and wait while Gandalf tries to remember which way to go. At last, he decides on a route, not choosing by memory but by the smell of the air.
In the book, Gandalf only says that he doesn’t like the “foul air” of the way that leads downward and chooses the path leading upward instead. The movie sums it up the same way as the show; “When in doubt…follow your nose”.
More: LOTR Rings Of Power: Fun And Interesting Facts About Khazad-dum And The House Of Durin
