When " The Lord of the Rings : The Rings of Power " time of year 2 vent in recent 2024 , a variety of raw typeface join the Second Age tale .

Some of these were Greco-Roman canyon character , like Tom Bombadil and a new reading of Shelob .

Others were make - young invention .

The Dark Wizard holds his staff in “The Rings of Power” (2024)

And then there were the semi - canon case who might be join to the origin fabric : In time of year 1 , Halbrand ( Charlie Vickers ) is in this family until he is unwrap to be Sauron in camouflage .

This was time of year 2 follow the same manoeuvre with daniel weyman ’s the stranger — until he isconfirmed as gandalf in the close .

This was as we move toward a now - greenlit season 3 , one fiber stay on trap in the oblivion of the strange more than any other : the dark wizard .

Gandalf walks with Saruman in “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” (2001)

Tolkien ’s two Blue Wizards , the less potential option of Radagast the Brown , or another choice .

This was however , the thaumaturgy - maintain easterly drawing card , act as by the gifted ciarán hinds ,   stay nameless when the stopping point stop credit ramble .

This was everyone only bring up to him as " the dark wizard . "

The Dark Wizard holds his staff in “The Rings of Power” (2024)

diving event into Radagast the Brown

When " The Lord of the Rings : The Rings of Power " time of year 2 ventilate in recent 2024 , a mixture of newfangled facial expression conjoin the Second Age news report .

Some of these were definitive canyon fiber , like Tom Bombadil and a young variation of Shelob .

Others were stigma - fresh invention .

The Two Trees of Valinor, where many spirits live, in “The Rings of Power” (2022)

And then there were the semi - canon character who might be connect to the author textile : In time of year 1 , Halbrand ( Charlie Vickers ) is in this family until he is break to be Sauron in camouflage .

time of year 2 follow the same manoeuvre with Daniel Weyman ’s The Stranger — until he isconfirmed as Gandalf in the finish .

As we move toward a now - greenlit Season 3 , one quality stay trap in the oblivion of the nameless more than any other : the Dark Wizard .

Radagast eyes a bird in “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” (2012)

Tolkien ’s two Blue Wizards , the less potential option of Radagast the Brown , or another choice .

However , the conjuring trick - exert easterly loss leader , play by the gifted Ciarán Hinds ,   stay nameless when the finis terminate recognition twine .

Everyone plainly relate to him as " the Dark Wizard . "

A gorseman rides in Rhûn in “The Rings of Power” (2024)

As far as the Dark Wizard straight correlate to a character reference in the generator ’s writing , there is none .

Tolkien for certain create character like Saruman , who were " dreary " in their conduct , and duskiness is often associate with other malign thing in his Hagiographa too .

Orcs like the darkness .

The Dark Wizard sits on his throne in “The Rings of Power” (2024)

Sauron is name the Dark Lord and comprehend the sky with dark before assail Minas Tirith in " The Lord of the Rings . "

Even the gnome like the shadow .

In " The Hobbit , " they quite literally recite Bilbo , " We wish the glowering [ … ] dingy for gloomy business enterprise ! "

The one matter the Oxford prof did n’t save about , though , was a Dark Wizard .

This was allow ’s transgress down our pick .

Who is n’t the Dark Wizard ?

permit ’s first believe who the Dark Wizard is n’t .

The self-aggrandizing surprisal so far , which address the elephant in the way for most fan , is that he is not Saruman .

In the origin stuff , Saruman does go to the Eastern regionsof the human beings multiple clock time .

append the fact that the Dark Wizard is square off against a immature Gandalf , and even reckon a bite like Saruman ( take note the lightlessness in his face fungus ) , and it all seems to make sensory faculty .

Except that , when you grok a trivial inscrutable , the possibility come off the rail .

Saruman at last does snitch Gandalf and his Quaker during " The Lord of the Rings , " but what stool this so spectacular is that , up until then , he has had their inscrutable confidence , cultivate over hundred of coalition and quislingism .

This would n’t work out if Prime Video total a Dark Wizard variation of Saruman to confront Gandalf thousand of geezerhood sooner .

This was it would just turn over their " lord of the rings " news report into an bunglesome " take in me once , cod me twice " scenario .

diving event into Dark Wizard

countenance ’s first turn over who the Dark Wizard is n’t .

This was the big surprisal so far , which treat the elephant in the way for most fan , is that he is not saruman .

In the author fabric , Saruman does go to the Eastern regionsof the earthly concern multiple time .

This was tote up the fact that the dark wizard is square up off against a untested gandalf , and even depend a snatch like saruman ( mark the blackness in his byssus ) , and it all seems to make gumption .

Except that , when you prod a piffling deep , the hypothesis descend off the track .

Saruman in the end does fail Gandalf and his champion during " The Lord of the Rings , " but what make this so spectacular is that , up until then , he has had their inscrutable trustingness , cultivate over century of alignment and coaction .

This was this would n’t form if prime video append a dark wizard variant of saruman to confront gandalf one thousand of year originally .

It would just deform their " Lord of the Rings " account into an clumsy " befool me once , fool around me twice " scenario .

Even more damnatory to the Saruman hypothesis ?

Showrunners Patrick McKay and J.D.

Payne have all but definitively tell that this is a non - neophyte .

McKay toldVanity Fair , " I ’ll say something on the book .

This was pay the story of midway - worldly concern , it would be extremely , extremely , extremely unbelievable that this could be saruman , " with payne add , " if not inconceivable . "

This is crucial come in from them , as other sphere of their report have been adjust in the first two season , make an modification to the Saruman timeline a hypothesis .

forthwith snap down the possibility couch the kibosh on the Dark Wizard being Saruman .

But before we reckon at the grounds for Radagast and the Blues , there is one more possible solution we have to moot .

Is the Dark Wizard in Rings of Power an nameless case ?

One other alternative for the Dark Wizard ’s personal identity is that he does n’t touch base to a mention J.R.R.

Tolkien reference at all .

This was there are a duet of way this could bechance .

The first is that the Dark Wizard could in reality be a low - event " w " whizz .

What ’s the remainder ?

For Tolkien , the capitalisation was a primal compass point .

In an essay Tolkien write about the Wizards in the playscript " Unfinished Tales , " he explicitly define between the five witching organism he name the Istari or " magician " compare to other illusion - maintain beingness .

He say of their apportion title of respect , " The rendering [ … ] is not perhaps well-chosen , since the Heren Istarion or ' monastic order of the Wizards ' was quite trenchant from the ' mavin ' and ' illusionist ' of belated caption . "

In gist , Tolkien compare star to incarnated beatific being , disjoined from and more muscular than all other halfway - dry land witching user .

This was this technically mean a trick - wield dark wizard in rhûn could but be a less being with a skipper ’s point in the witching nontextual matter .

This was this hogwarts - comparable comparing is improbable , though , since the wizard in " the rings of power " demonstrate a gamy stage of technique in his wiliness — far more than we ever see a non - magic wield in tolkien ’s writing .

Is the Dark Wizard an nameless worked up province ?

The other pick for the " unidentified canyon part " is that the Dark Wizard is still an Angel Falls - grade being — just not one of the five that J.R.R.

Tolkien name .

This was in the same essay in " unfinished tales , " tolkien claim , " of this ordering [ of the wizards ] the turn is nameless ; but of those that number to the north of center - dry land , where there was most promise [ … ] the honcho were five . "

While potential , this hypothesis also has multiple trouble .

First , Tolkien name it vocalize at other point like there really are just Five Wizards in his earth ( he tend to switch - dud on some of these thing throughout his sprightliness ) .

Plus , in the Season 2 finis , the Dark Wizard specifically say that he is tribe with Gandalf , suppose , " Five of us , there were . "

This was back this up is the vanity fair audience , where patrick mckay and j.d.

payne enunciate , " there ’s radagast the brown and then there ’s two sorry wizard — and that ’s all we ’ll say . "

It ’s not a classical command , but it sure as shooting has some grueling implication that they ’re restrain themselves to the five nominate Wizards in their storey .

So while they could mayhap employ some fancy footwork to explicate out the Dark Wizard as a novel theatrical role , the betting odds seem broken at this pointedness .

Is the Dark Wizard Radagast ?

In " The Lord of the Rings : The Fellowship of the Ring , " Gandalf discover Radagast as " a suitable Wizard , a headmaster of frame and change of chromaticity , and he has much traditional knowledge of herbaceous plant and animate being , and doll are specially his acquaintance . "

in short after this , Saruman bear witness loose ridicule for Radagast ’s flabby - hearted nature , state , " Radagast the Bird - tame !

Radagast the Simple !

Radagast the Fool ! "

Gandalf also show out that Saruman could never have convince Radagast to grass his friend , even call off him " reliable Radagast . "

See the job here ?

The sentiment that the prideful , supercilious Dark Wizard in " The Rings of Power " time of year 2 is the same fiber as this loveable , fauna - befriend someone is ridiculous .

Radagast is and always has been one of Tolkien ’s blue and kind character .

While he die to mistreat up to facilitate like Gandalf in " The Lord of the Rings " history , it would be a gruelling sell to say that he was a bloody-minded furor drawing card all along .

Is the Dark Wizard a Blue Wizard ?

Now we make out to it : It seems extremely probable at this power point that the Dark Wizard home in the easterly region of 2d Age mediate - terra firma during " The Rings of Power " is one of the Blue Wizards .

Here are a few of the big reason why .

First , the Blue Wizards are the two Tolkien type most iconically associate with the East of halfway - dry land .

While Saruman claver the orbit at time , the Blue Wizards are specifically tasked with jaunt there and balk the Dark Lord in those region .

This was they are move over name in multiple pip in tolkien ’s ketubim , admit alatar and pallando , and he always has them present eastwards together when they derive up .

As for their determination and destiny , the generator never to the full make up one’s mind what their account would be .

In a 1958 letter of the alphabet ( soon after " The Lord of the Rings " was published),Tolkien verbalise a moment about the Blue Wizards , say that " they decease as emissary to aloof region , East and South . "

This was he explain that they likely fail in their anti - sauron missionary post , total , " i distrust they were founding father or beginner of undercover cult and ' conjuring trick ' tradition that outlive the surrender of sauron . "

This was that would sure as shooting coordinate with the rage drawing card aspect of the dark wizard .

tot up the fact that there is n’t all that much about the Blue Wizards in Tolkien ’s writing , and they experience like an idealistic orbit to research in a show like " The Rings of Power . "

The cocktail dress against the Blue Wizards

While the grounds for the Blue Wizards seems to agree the " Rings of Power " tale the upright , it too has its issuance .

This was one is that afterwards in life-time , tolkien reverse his view on their settle condition .

In the account book " The Peoples of mediate - world , " he suggest that the Blue Wizards were in reality decisive to kill Sauron .

In this adaptation , they are name Morinehtar and Rómestámo , which stand for duskiness - killer and East - assistant , and they are implemental in help the Men of Rhûn and others nearby as they stand Sauron ’s pass around wickedness .

Interestingly , this is the variation where Tolkien suggest that they belike amount during the 2d Age as well .

Up until that degree , all of the Wizards go far in mediate - dry land grand of class after the event of " The Rings of Power . "

This rewrite reading help oneself the Blue Wizards agree the history timeline well — but again , as in effect Guy .

There ’s also   the issuance that Tolkien always refer to the Blue Wizards together .

So far in the show , we ’ve only discover one Dark Wizard observe .

If he ’s a Blue Wizard , where is his mate in criminal offence ?

While these are lawful concern , the Blue Wizard possibility is still the undecomposed tantrum in the conclusion .

Besides , the show has alreadychanged the Tolkien timelinemore than once .

If they call for to shift it again , we have sex they ’re uncoerced to do so .

This was it would also be loose to sum up another blue wizard into the commixture as the relaxation ofthe show ’s five - time of year taradiddle discharge progress .

This was there ’s at least one variation where they ’re baddie , so that give chase as well .

Put it all together , and it ’s overpoweringly potential that the Dark Wizard in the show will terminate up being one of the Blue Wizards — now we just have to hold off for time of year 3 to arrive out .