Warning: spoilers ahead for The Rings of Power episode 7Thanks to the Stranger's magical exploits in Amazon's The Rings of Power, none are quite so curious as the man who fell to Middle-earth as a meteor and befriended the local Harfoots. Credited as "the Stranger," this weathered nudist possesses powerful magic but landed as a complete amnesiac, with Markella Kavenagh's Nori teaching him the basics of speech and eating.
The Stranger's true identity remains a closely guarded secret in The Rings of Power, but one of the biggest theories suggests he's actually Sauron. The Dark Lord's absence in Second Age Middle-earth is odd indeed, and Meteor Man's fearsome power - combined with hints of a sinister side - mark him out as a prime Sauron candidate. Equally prominent among The Rings of Power theorists is the idea that Daniel Weyman's Stranger is a wizard such as Gandalf. His magical gifts, gray appearance, and friendship with Hobbits (their ancestors, at least) all point in a wizard-like direction. The Rings of Power episode 7 blows big holes in both theories.
How The Rings Of Power May Debunk The Stranger Being Sauron
The nomadic Harfoots arrive at the Grove - an area near the Southlands typically brimming with ripe fruit. Thanks to Adar's recent activation of the future Mount Doom, the Grove is decimated, leaving barely a single apple for each hairy-footed family. The Stranger whispers a spell to one of the dead trees, and the Harfoots awake the following morning to find their precious Grove entirely regenerated with fruits, green leaves, and flowers springing from the soil.
That's not a very Sauron-y thing to do. The Rings of Power's Stranger has performed acts of kindness before - carrying the Brandyfoot cart, for instance - but these small favors could've been chalked up to Sauron forgetting he's the fearsome scourge of Middle-earth. Moreover, each time the Stranger has used magic before, the consequences have either been aggressive (fending off wargs) or evil (hurting Largo's ankle, pushing away Nori, killing fireflies...) The Rings of Power episode 7's Grove regeneration is a rare example of Stranger-magic having a purely good outcome - even if Nori and her brother did get clattered by a branch during the casting.
The potential connection between the The Lord of the Rings would depict Sauron. Many Stranger-Sauron theories also argue that the stars Nori's new friend seeks will lead toward the Southlands, and some inner primal instinct is driving him there, knowing this was the contingency plan should Morgoth lose. Again, reversing damage caused by Mount Doom doesn't make sense if the Stranger's instincts that very volcano.
The Rings Of Power Episode 7 May Prove The Stranger Isn't A Wizard
J.R.R. Tolkien is infamously vague in regard to The Rings of Power's Stranger isn't a wizard... in the typical sense, at least.
The Lord of the Rings's wizards didn't study at a health-and-safety-averse school and spend their free time flying around on brooms and talking to paintings. They were originally Maiar spirits who came to Middle-earth from Valinor with orders to help fight Sauron. The Maiar are immensely strong, but when five of them became incarnated into wizards, their influence was greatly restricted. The Stranger's latest trick seems more consistent with a regular, unlimited Maia as opposed to a wizard.
What The Rings Of Power's Dweller Reveal Means For The Stranger
Back in The Rings of Power episode 5, a trio of mysterious figures made their debut. The Dweller, the Nomad, and the Ascetic were clearly following the Stranger's trail, and certainly carried an evil aura. Looks can be deceiving, however, and this first appearance offered no firm proof whether the trio were good or evil.
The barbecued Harfoots in The Rings of Power episode 7 confirm the white-robed clan are definitely evil. Their villainy would make total sense if the Stranger = Sauron theory proved true - the Dweller and her friends would likely be loyal followers of the Dark Lord. If the Stranger is a Maia, however, then these evil zealots must surely be on a mission to kill Middle-earth's Meteor Man before he realizes his true nature. Episode 7 has badly damaged two major theories but, as ever, the only certainty with The Rings of Power's Stranger is uncertainty.
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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power continues Thursday/Friday on Prime Video.