This article contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1.Stranger will become Gandalf the Grey. The Dweller, Nomad, and Ascetic initially mistook him for Sauron himself (their confusion mirroring that of many viewers), but he insisted he was good, and ultimately used a line of dialogue associated with Gandalf himself in Tolkien's writings.
The Stranger's story ends with him heading on a quest - or, rather, an adventure, for he was accompanied by Nori. Sauron's agents mentioned the land of Rhûn to the Stranger, and he senses the answers he still seeks will be found there. It seems Gandalf has had a habit of traveling Middle-earth in the company of hobbits since he first arrived from Valinor, with the friendship he received from Nori and her proto-hobbit Harfoots clearly leaving a lasting impression on him. It's surely only a matter of time before Gandalf and Sauron, also revealed in The Rings of Power episode 8, come face to face. That confrontation could well take place in the lands of Rhûn.
Lands Of Rhûn Explained
Tolkien revealed very little about the lands of Rhûn, which is simply named after the elvish word for east; Tolkien's stories didn't explore this region much, and indeed only part of the lands of Rhûn is visible on Tolkien's maps of Middle-earth. Although Tolkien's lore established that both humans and elves were born in the east, this region was ultimately considered the domain of darkness; it was farthest from the light of the Valar in the west, and thus a sanctuary for Morgoth and Sauron. The Easterlings - humans from Rhûn and further afield - had followed Morgoth, and they chose to follow Sauron in turn. One of Sauron's Nazgûl (or Ringwraiths) was named Khamûl The Easterling, perhaps signifying he was a king among those people who fell to the power of the rings.
Gandalf's Connection To Rhûn In Lord Of The Rings
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is largely inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien's notes and appendices on the history of Middle-earth, and in the essay "Glorfindel" he hints that Gandalf (also called by the name Olorin) had visited Middle-earth before the Third Age seen in The Rings of Powers is showing Gandalf in his previously untold past, including an adventure in the lands of Rhûn.
Gandalf has no known connection to Rhûn in the lore of The Lord of the Rings. Indeed, by the Third Age he insisted he would never go to the east of Middle-earth, leaving that area for the Blue Wizards. Ironically, until now it had seemed his ally Aragorn was more familiar with Rhûn than Gandalf himself; speaking at the Council of Elrond, Aragorn claimed he had "crossed many mountains and many rivers, and trodden many plains, even into the far countries of Rhûn and Harad where the stars are strange." Gandalf is seeking the lands of Rhûn based in part on his sketch of constellations, so Aragorn's comment can be taken as confirmation he will indeed find answers in Rhûn in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2.
All episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power are streaming now on Amazon Prime.
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