The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Showrunners Coy on The Stranger’s True Identity

Following The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 1, one burning question fans have debated is the true identity of The Stranger.

Warning! Spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 1 and potential spoilers for Season 2 follow.

At the end of Season 1 of Prime Video's The Rings of Power, Daniel Weyman’s The Stranger tells Harfoot Nori: "When in doubt, Elanor Brandyfoot, always follow your nose.” The Lord of the Rings fans will know this line as originally delivered by Gandalf in Peter Jackson’s much-loved adaptation, The Fellowship of the Ring. “If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose,” Gandalf says as the Fellowship delve deeper into the Mines of Moria.

Fans have wondered if this line of dialogue is a red herring, or whether it should indeed be taken at face value to indicate The Stranger is simply Gandalf before he realizes it. Some have said The Stranger could be any Istari who arrived in Middle-earth during the Second Age, the era in which The Rings of Power is set.

Could it also mean that The Stranger is Saruman?

Now, in a new interview with Collider, co-showrunner JD Payne remained coy on The Stranger’s true identity, going even so far as to suggest Saruman could be the wizard we’re seeing on-screen.

"[W]e try to make it delightful in that there are several possibilities of what that can end up meaning,” Payne said. “Could that mean that The Stranger is Gandalf and that he says that, then he says it later on? It could definitely mean that.

“Could it also mean that The Stranger is Saruman, and you realize that later on Saruman said that to Gandalf and then Gandalf said it? You know what I mean?

“There are always ways you can sort of like pinball it. There could be delightful paths that could come out of either eventuality. So, we like to keep those doors open. It's fun to engage with the story and think of the possibilities."

One character from The Lord of The Rings we know for sure turns up in Season 2 of The Rings of Power is the mysterious Tom Bombadil, who will see his first adaptation from J. R. R. Tolkien’s original works.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 premieres on August 29. Catch up by checking out IGN's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power - Season 1 review.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.