The final episode of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power started with one revelation and concluded in a completely different way. Although the Mystics initially reveal The Stranger to be Sauron, it turns out that he is actually somebody else. But are they similar in their own way? Co-showrunner Patrick McKay has just addressed the connection between Sauron and The Stranger.
Patrick McKay recently took part in Deadline's Inside the Ring podcast where he pointed out that The Stranger finally learned more about himself from the Mystics who have been looking for him.
"The Stranger's journey and Nori's journey with him is one of discovery," McKay said. "And for him, it's one of self-discovery. He has discovered some things. The stars he's looking for are far to the east in Rhûn, where the stars are strange."
He then adds that the Stranger learned two other important things about his own identity.
"He has learned that he is, ostensibly, an Istar, which means 'wizard.' And he's learned something else from the Mystics, we call them. They say he is not Sauron, he is 'the Other.' Which sort of implies that potentially his destiny's entwined in some way with Sauron's," McKay said.
McKay adds that there is still a lot to learn about The Stranger and hopefully, the truth will be revealed in the next season.
"That's all he knows at this point, and he's gonna have to go on another journey to learn more. And maybe a name, or his name, becomes a part of that journey, but at this time, we only know what he knows," he said.
Of course, fans already know that The Stranger is actually Gandalf and that he might be the one being who could be considered a major threat to Sauron. With that in mind, we can't wait to see more of his journey in Season 2.
All episodes of the Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power are now streaming on Amazon Prime.
Related: Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Star Weighs in on Possible Galadriel and Sauron Romance
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