By The Rings of Power‘s showrunners promised us we’d learn The Stranger’s name by the end of season two. They proved true to their word. Nori’s tall magical friend is exactly who we suspected from the moment he arrived on Middle-earth in a literal ring of fire. The Rings of Power‘s “The Stranger” is Gandalf, the most beloved wizard in all of The Lord of the Rings. How did we finally learn his true identity in the season finale? In a very silly manner that is true to J.R.R. Tolkien’s lore.
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The Stranger and Nori are going their separate ways on The Rings of Power. But before they said goodbye to one another, the Stoors helped the wizard finally discover his own name. “Thank you kindly, Grand Elf,” said Merimac before Gundabel added, “Goodbye, Grand Elf.”
Hearing the phrase “Grand Elf” unlocked something in The Stranger’s mind. When he got back to Tom Bombadil’s cottage he knew what he’d be known as on Middle-earth. “Gandalf. That’s what they’re going to call me, isn’t it?” the wizard said on The Rings of Power season two’s final episode.
By the time the wizard spoke his own famous name it felt less like a revelation and more like a confirmation of something we already knew. From the moment he appeared on The Rings of Power all signs have pointed to The Stranger being Gandalf. The Valar sent him naked to Middle-earth in a comet. Nori found him in a ring of fire and Gandalf will one day wear the Elf ring of power Narya which represents fire. He is also immune to flames and can speak to creatures. Combined with both his appearance and his fondness for halflings, it would have been shocking if The Rings of Power‘s Stranger was anyone but Gandalf. The one thing we couldn’t predict was how he would learn his name.
One of the most famous, consequential figures in all of Middle-earth history getting his iconic name from a clunky blending of two words is silly enough on its own. But this reveal really doesn’t make sense in the context of the show. The Stoors might have never met an elf before, but they almost certainly know they have pointed ears and don’t grow often grow beards. Plus they know plenty about wizards thanks to the presence of the Dark Wizard in Rhûn. Also, Nori and Poppy were right there. They would have told the Stoors their heroic tall friend is a wizard and not an elf.
Merimac being confused about The Stranger’s identity might have worked on its own. However, Gundabel is too smart to make that kind of mistake. There was simply no good reason for the Stoors to call him a “Grand Elf.” But while the execution left something/a lot to be desired, the actual connection between the name “Gandalf” and calling him an “elf” on The Rings of Power comes from Tolkien.
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Gandalf translates into “elf-of-the wand.” Originally the people of Middle-earth thought anyone who was immortal must be an elf. It made sense to call a magical being who couldn’t die and walked around with a big staff a “wand elf.” By the time everyone realized a bearded figure who aged could not be an elf it didn’t matter. The name had stuck and Gandalf used it when meeting new people.
The Rings of Power said a wizard does not find his name anymore than he finds his staff. They both find him. Turns out sometimes, even when it’s a name we fully expect, it finds him in a silly way. And so, we extend an official welcome to Gandalf on The Rings of Power. Hopefully, Ian McKellen doesn’t mind too much no longer being the only person to play.
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Nermeen Nabil Khear