It seems like Gandalf has made his presence felt in Amazon Prime's Lord Of The Rings show titled The Rings Of Power. In the first episode, a mysterious character fell from the sky and was rescued by two Harfoots, creatures similar to Hobbits. Ever since he has continued his journey on the show with the creatures as he mumbles to himself, uses a grey cloth to cover himself, and uses enchantments similar to those of Gandalf from the Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit movies. Plus, there isn't much proving otherwise.
The character in the credits has been noted as "The Stranger" but widely known as "Meteor Man", is one of the biggest mysteries of the show. The Rings of Power based on the lore of Tolkien's books somewhat works as a direct prequel series to The Lord of the Rings to uncover the history of Middle Earth. The show is set to explore the war with Sauron in the Second Age and how the Rings first came to be forged.
Meteor Man's odd soul falls from the skies of Middle-earth and is watched by Gil-Galad, Elrond, Celebrimbor, Bronwyn, Arondir, and the young Hartfoot Nori Brandyfoot who finally comes to his rescue. The scene in itself could be a hint of who this character could be. Someone who is known to have something in common with all the species - Elves, Drawves, Men, and Hobbits. It could as easily be a Sauron who is a strong contender but the fact that fellow Hobbits/ Harfoots found him makes him more likely to be Gandalf.
Their budding relationship could also explain why Gandalf has always been so fond of Hobbits. The early episode also hint at some darkness in him. When he first lands a leaf falls before Gil-Galad in Lindon. In a fit of rage, he seemed to have broken Largo Brandyfoot's ankle, then he also killed the fireflies by enchantments. It could be the makers exploring how Gandalf would easily have ended on the wrong side of the war.
Meanwhile, the trailer for the next episode hints at Meteor Man helping Nori and her family moving, traveling with them, and keeping them safe. Could it be that Gandalf helped build a safe haven for Hobbit/Harfoot folks that we get to know as the Shire?
Gandalf is known to be Maiar, a god-like creature, spirit-beings who were sent from Valinor to help in the war against evil. However, majority of lore suggests Gandalf was active on Middle Earth during the Third Age. One known to be active during the Second Age is Olorin. Olorin is also known to be Gandalf. Olórin who lived with the other Maia in Aman harbored a curiosity about the Children of Ilúvatar (Men and Elves) and was known to walk among them.
SEE ALSO: Why All Elves Cannot Return To Valinor? 'The Rings Of Power' Reveals Little Of Tolkien's Lore
The lore never suggested how Maiar were sent to Middle Earth and The Stranger's meteor-like landing has made him a possible contender for the role. Gandalf or Olórin is known to be thousands of years old and is friends with Elrond, Galadriel, and is known among Dwarves. He traveled across Middle Earth and went by many other names in the books. He has been called Mithrandir (the Grey Pilgrim) by the people of Gondor, the White Rider by those who had seen him on his horse, Incanus (grey-haired) in the Southlands, Tharkun (Staff-man) by the Dwarves, Greybeard by the peoples who followed Sauron, and is finally as Stormcrow among the Hobbits.
There are also many references about wizards in the First Age fighting Morgoth, some could have also been sent in the Second Age during the battle of Sauron. And Gandalf always seemed to possess the knowledge of the Second Age as if he had seen it with his own eyes. Meteor Man's physical appearance, general demeanor, and use of enchantments also point towards him being Gandalf The Grey.
There is also the possibility that Meteor Man is an entirely new creation made especially for the Amazon show. He could also be any one of the unseen and unheard Vala and Maia characters from the lore. As episodes continue to reveal more about his nature, it could become more clear if The Stranger in fact is Gandalf or a new creature created for the prequel show.
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