Theory: The Rings Of Power's Meteor Man Is Sauron (All Evidence)

This article contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power episodes 1 and 2. Second Age of Middle-earth, a time when the darkness that had once befallen the world seemed to have been driven back at last. But High King Gil-galad, ruler of the Elves, suspects evil forces are moving in the shadows.

He is clearly right. The Rings of Power episodes 1 and 2 revealed Sauron's forces are active in the Southlands, the region of Middle-earth destined to become Mordor. Villages are being attacked by armies of Orcs, their inhabitants mysteriously vanishing, potentially spirited away as slaves for unknown purposes. Gil-galad attempted to send Galadriel away, fearing she would unwittingly fan the flames of Sauron's evil once again, but she chose not to enter Valinor and instead has learned of Orcs in the Southlands. Meanwhile, there are hints other dark creatures are stirring in Rhovanion.

A mysterious meteor man has crashed down to Earth in Rhovanion, where he has been taken in by some of the proto-Hobbits known as Harfoots. The identity of this "Stranger" is clearly one of the driving mysteries of The Rings of Power season 1, and many are suggesting he could be Gandalf, sent to protect the Harfoots from Sauron. Here, however, is all the evidence he could actually be Sauron himself.

The Meteor Man In The Rings Of Power Is Clearly Magical

The Rings of Power episodes 1 and 2 clearly demonstrate the Stranger's magical power. This in itself is significant, because in Tolkien's mythology the wizards were primordial beings known as the Maiar; this means that, in Tolkien's conception, Gandalf and his kin are technically angels rather than wizards. Sauron was once the mightiest of the Maiar, but he became corrupted by a lust for power. Crucially, Tolkien's many notes contain no references to other Maiar being active in the Second Age (although one of his notes did hint that Gandalf may have a longer history with the Hobbits than he ever detailed). Still, the very fact the Stranger is magical seems to indicate he could potentially be Sauron.

The Timing Of Meteor Man's Arrival May Not Be A Coincidence

Elves on a boat sailing into Valinor in Rings of Power

It is interesting to note the timing of the Stranger's arrival; he only fell to Middle-earth after the way to Valinor was parted for the Elves. This could potentially imply he is something akin to the Maiar, sent from Valinor to battle against evil - or, at least, that he wishes to present himself as such. It's potentially significant that the way to Valinor opened up for Galadriel and her fellow Elven warriors, the last beings who were hunting for Sauron; if meteor man is indeed Sauron, he could have chosen this moment to step out of the shadows because he believed his greatest threat - the Elves who had stalked him for centuries - had finally left Middle-earth. He would have had no idea Galadriel would turn away from Valinor at the last moment.

The Rings Of Power's Meteor Man Fits Into One Version Of Sauron's Backstory

The Eye of Sauron in Mordor from The Lord of the Rings

The Maiar theory is cited as evidence the Stranger could actually be Gandalf. But The Rings of Power is, of course, the origin story of the Rings themselves. Already many key players from Tolkien lore have been brought into play, most notably Celebrimbor, whose forge will create the Rings. According to Tolkien's notes, Sauron will manipulate the Elf smiths of Eregion by taking up the false identity of Annatar ("Lord of the Gifts"), and thus guiding them into researching the power of forged rings. Significantly, Tolkien penned many different versions of this story, and in one of them Sauron claimed to have been one who had been sent by the creator Valar (essentially anticipating the wizards). This could potentially explain the meteor plotline.

The Meteor Man's Magic Seems Disturbing & Dangerous

The Stranger has landed among proto-Hobbits, who have never seen anything like him, and who have been staggered at the magic he wields. Right from the start, though, there have been hints the magic they are seeing is dark in nature. Nori first discovered the meteor man in an impact crater, with flames flickering around him for an uncertain reason. To her surprise, though, when Nori fell into the crater she realized those flames did not feel hot. This clearly signified they were magical in nature - and it corresponded with an earlier scene from The Rings of Power's premiere, where Galadriel raided one of Mogroth's old outposts in the Forodwaith. There, dialogue established that the evil of the place was so great torches could not generate heat. It seems like deliberate foreshadowing, hinting the Stranger too is so evil fire does not warm in his presence.

This was not the only moment when meteor man's magic seemed sinister. His initial reaction to Nori seemed very threatening indeed, and in a later scene he used fireflies to show his interest in the constellations. This has led some to theorize the meteor man is Gandalf, given he often used his magic to interact with living creatures as well. But there is one key difference between the Stranger's use of the fireflies and Gandalf's interactions with other animals in the time of the War of the Rings; the fireflies did not survive the meteor man's magic, as though he drew the very life energy out of them when he bent them to his will. This scene, more than perhaps any other, suggests there is truly something dark about the Stranger's magic.

The Rings of Power is to be praised for managing to introduce a mystery that even Tolkien scholars cannot easily solve. In truth, this is possible precisely because J.R.R. Tolkien never completely settled on his vision of Middle-earth in the Second Age. This allows Amazon's TV series to show a Middle-earth very different to The Lord of the Rings, and to introduce characters who don't correspond directly to the characters fashioned by Tolkien. The identity of the meteor man is clearly one of the driving narratives in The Rings of Power, meaning future episodes will surely offer more clues. At the moment, although many believe he may be Gandalf, it is disturbingly likely he is in fact Sauron himself.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power continues Thursday/Friday on Prime Video.

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