Summary

• The Stranger in The Rings of Power season 2 is likely Gandalf, not Sauron as previously thought.
• Tom Bombadil's inclusion will provide a unique dynamic and challenge for the Stranger's character development.
• Gandalf's knowledge of Tom hints at a key relationship in season 2 that may impact the outcome of the show.

The Rings of Power season 1 ending explained. Thus, going into season 2, the Stranger looks like Gandalf more than ever before. Speaking to Vanity Fair, showrunners revealed Tom Bombadil’s inclusion in season 2 will see him meet the Stranger and influence him.

J.D. Payne stated that Bombadil “can be a force for good, but he is challenging to integrate dramatically in that he doesn't have an agenda. He’s not driving forward and pushing people to arrive at any particular end.” It sounds like the show will follow the books’ portrayal of this character, more or less - at least in theme. Bombadil has never been seen live-action before, and if the Stranger is Gandalf, it would be incredibly significant to see the two Rings of Power characters meet on screen.

The Rings Of Power Can Show How Gandalf Knew Tom Bombadil Before The Lord Of The Rings

Tom Bombadil And Gandalf Crossed Paths Before The Fellowship Of The Ring

In Tolkien’s work, it is evident that Gandalf knew Tom Bombadil, and if the Stranger is Gandalf, then The Rings of Power season 2 can show him meeting Bombadil on screen for the first time. The show is adapting Bombadil for the screen, taking advantage of its television format. Payne confirmed Bombadil is hard to fit into a tight narrative, which is the same reason he was left out of the Peter Jackson films. But now, the Rings of Power show can tell the stories hinted by Gandalf in the books when he spoke of his former run-ins with Bombadil.

Even The Rings of Power season 2 trailer drops hints about Gandalf being the Stranger, having him thrust his staff into the ground in an act reminiscent of his famous “you shall not ” moment in The Fellowship of the Ring. With this developing character bumping into Bombadil in the far east of Middle-earth in season 2, it is likely the show can elaborate on mystifying details Gandalf dropped about Bombadil in the books. For example, Bombadil’s adventures in Rhûn are an invention of the show, but the books never stated that he didn’t go there.

How Much Gandalf Knows About Tom Bombadil In The Lord Of The Rings Explained

Gandalf Gave Frodo And Co Some Interesting Insight Into Tom Bombadil

In the books, Gandalf knew that Tom Bombadil was so powerful that the One Ring didn’t affect him, although he couldn’t defeat Sauron - “Could that power be defied by Bombadil alone? I think not. I think that in the end, Bombadil will fall, Last as he was First.” Judging from showrunners’ comments, Tom Bombadil reflects canon in Rings of Power season 2, powerful enough to deal with the Stranger, but not likely to get involved in the coming war. In the Council of Elrond, Gandalf says:

Say rather that the Ring has no power over him. He is his own master. But he cannot alter the Ring itself, nor break its power over others. And now he is withdrawn into a little land, within bounds that he has set, though none can see them, waiting perhaps for a change of days, and he will not step beyond them.

In The Fellowship of the Ring, Gandalf also displayed insight into Tom Bombadil’s name and origins: "Iarwain Ben-adar we called him, oldest and fatherless. But many another name he has since been given by other folk: Forn by the Dwarves, Orald by Northern Men, and other names beside.” Gandalf knew he was “older than the old”. Overall, it was evident that Gandalf had insight into Tom that most others lacked, as a primordial being himself. Gandalf visited Tom after The Return of the King, hoping Tom’s calm would help him settle after the traumatic War of the Ring.

Tom Bombadil & The Stranger Will Be A Key Relationship In The Rings Of Power Season 2

The Stranger and Tom Bombadil Will Have A Big Effect On The Show

Tom Bombadil will meet the Stranger in season 2 and have a decisive effect on his choices, nudging him in the right direction. This is important because the Stranger is a main character in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, regardless of whether he turns out to be Gandalf or not. Tom Bombadil’s power in season 2 may provide the Stranger a vital leg up. However, it’s important to Tom’s character in the books that he plays more of a symbolic role than a narrative one, and it will be important that the show respects this logic.

The show may compare and contrast the Stranger and Tom Bombadil. Gandalf was an Istari, one of five wizards sent by the world’s Gods, the Valar, to help in the fight against Sauron. In keeping with the Valar’s opposition to Sauron’s methods, the Istari weren’t meant to use their power to lead, they were meant to blend in and guide the course of events gently. They weren’t meant to put on impressive displays of power. Gandalf couldn’t use his full power in The Lord of the Rings, likewise, Tom Bombadil doesn’t exert anywhere near the full extent of his power.

J.R.R. Tolkien also published poems about Tom Bombadil in The Adventures of Tom Bombadil

The One Ring’s devastating effect doesn’t even touch the sides of Tom’s vast power - he could probably tip the scales in any war. However, he is a non-interventionist representative in the books of nature running its course. If the Stranger is Gandalf, then The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will bring together two modest titans of understated power. Perhaps Tom’s restraint is key to guiding Gandalf’s. Tom may be neutral, but the Stranger is “good” - he says so himself. Tom’s guidance of the Stranger could be an indirect factor in the protagonists beating Sauron in the Dark Years, in the show.

Source: Vanity Fair

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 will air on August 29, 2024