Summary

• Gandalf's claim to be Saruman when he returned in The Two Towers was because his resurrection as Gandalf the White meant he had taken on the role and form of the White Wizard.
• The wizards in Middle-earth were avatars or incarnations of the powerful Maiar beings, with Saruman as the leader. However, when Saruman abandoned his role, this necessary position was left vacant.
• Gandalf became the White Wizard because he hadn't abandoned his mission to guide the Elves and Men of Middle-earth in their fight against Sauron. His resurrection as Gandalf the White was a recognition of his devotion and success in his role.

When Gandalf returned from the dead in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, he claimed that he was Saruman—but why? Gandalf the Gray had fallen in Moria while fighting the Balrog but had been resurrected as Gandalf the White. When he was reunited with Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas, he seemed not to , for a time, that his name was Gandalf and stated instead that he was Saruman "as he should have been." Since Gandalf's death and resurrection were only subtly explained in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, the wizard's identity has become a topic of confusion.

In The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Saruman the White, the head of the Order of Wizards (to which Gandalf belonged), turned from his path to the Dark Lord Sauron. In truth, the wizard hoped to claim the One Ring for himself and overthrow the villain, believing that his wisdom would allow him to rule Middle-earth for the better. As the White Wizard, this contradicted Sauron's role. He was ultimately "fired," in a sense, from the position, and Gandalf the Gray got a promotion to Gandalf the White. Gandalf was mistaken for Saruman when reunited with his friends, and when they asked, he said that's precisely who he was.

Why Does Gandalf Say He Is Saruman In The Two Towers? The White Wizard Explained

To understand Gandalf's words in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, it's important to understand what and who the Order of Wizards was. Long before the start of Frodo's (or Bilbo's) journey, the demi-gods of Middle-earth, the Valar, determined that Sauron was again gaining power. To help the Elves and Men in their fight against him, they decided to send a group of angel-like beings, Maiar, to Middle-earth as guides. The Maiar were shape-shifters who had helped in the creation of the universe and were, therefore, extremely powerful. However, in Middle-earth, they were required to take the form of old wizards of limited ability.

The Maia Curumo was the first to volunteer, and he was therefore made the leader, and, once in Middle-earth, he gained the name Saruman the White. Curumo would have been happy to take this task on himself, but he was forced to take others. The Queen of the Valar suggested Aiwendil (Radagast), and the King of the Valar ordered Olórin (Gandalf) to go as well, though the Maia said he was too weak and afraid to . By default, the wizards (who then became known as the Istari of The Lord of the Rings) were ranked by the order they had been chosen. Since Gandalf lacked confidence, he was okay to step back and let Saruman take the lead—until he no longer had a choice.

Ultimately, Saruman the White, Radagast the Brown, and Gandalf the Gray weren't the Maiar's true forms. Instead, the wizards were more like role-specific avatars or incarnations that Curumo, Aiwendil, and Olórin utilized in Middle-earth. So, when Saruman the White cast away his role, he became something different entirely. Similarly, when Gandalf the Gray died, this incarnation was no more. When resurrected, he became the leader—the White Wizard avatar—by default (since both other Istari had disregarded their roles). Gandalf was now "Saruman as he should have been," Olórin's essence in the role and form of the White Wizard.

How Gandalf Became The White Wizard In The Lord Of The Rings

While Saruman was planning his ascension to power rather than guiding the beings of Middle-earth, Gandalf was working tirelessly to fulfill the job the Valar had given him. During the events of The Hobbit, Gandalf ensured that the dragon Smaug couldn't lend his alliance to Sauron. Then, come The Lord of the Rings, the wizard orchestrated a plan to secretly get the One Ring to the fires of Mordor and return the rightful King of Gondor to his throne. He worked so hard toward this mission that it ultimately cost the Gray Wizard his life. This was all the proof needed that Olórin deserved to be resurrected as the White Wizard.

As an immortal Maiar, Gandalf's soul traveled to the Timeless Halls after his death, where The Lord of the Rings dwelled, Eru Ilúvatar. Recognizing that Middle-earth still needed the White Wizard and that Saruman had abandoned the role, Eru reincarnated Olórin's soul into the body of Gandalf the White. As Gandalf told Aragorn, he had been sent back until his job in Middle-earth was complete. It was a job Gandalf had never wanted, but, like Frodo, this was precisely what qualified him to do it. Once Sauron was defeated at the end of The Lord of the Rings, the White Wizard could finally return to Valinor in peace, having succeeded in his mission.