The first season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power only focused on one wizard in the form of the Stranger (who everyone is almost sure is Gandalf), but we’ll see more of their kind in the upcoming second season.
Ciaran Hinds (Game of Thrones) is said to be playing a ‘Dark Wizard,’ but before fans can say that he’s Saruman, some more details for the character have come out online.
More Details about the Dark Wizard Played by Ciaran Hinds
This new description comes from The Irish Times. According to the site, the description given to them about Hinds’ wizard reads:
“The mysterious being known as the Stranger is not the only wizard who has come to Middle-earth. For in the mysterious lands of Rhûn, another wizard awaits him. A dark and powerful wizard, whose origins and intentions are shrouded in secrecy.”
The biggest revelation about Hinds’ character is that he was actually the one who sent the three ‘witches’ after the Stranger in the first season of The Rings of Power.
The quote continues, "... [the Dark Wizard also] has a legion of magic-wielding acolytes who obey his every command, among them the three travelers who sought out the Stranger at the end of season one – on the Dark Wizard’s orders.”
The Three Witches
Before the first season of Rings of Power premiered, there was a promo image of Bridie Sisson’s character dressed in white, which some wrongly assumed was playing Sauron in the series.
As the show progressed, it was revealed that these three witches—dubbed The Dweller, The Nomad, and The Ascetic—were mystical figures who knew about the Maiar and were seeking out the Stranger when he arrived in Middle-earth.
While the first season never revealed who they were working with, it makes sense that they would be under the orders of another Maiar-level being—Ciaran Hinds’ wizard character. It would also make sense that they also wield staves, which the wizards were known to use.
Could Hinds be a New Character?
Though some have suspected that Hinds was playing one of the known wizards in Gandalf’s batch—Saruman, Radagast, and the two blue wizards—it does seem like he is an entirely new character. After all, Gandalf and the rest were said to have been sent to Earth around the Third Age; maybe Hinds’ character was a Maiar that was sent to Middle-earth in the Second Age or maybe earlier.
Since the lore doesn’t describe any wizards before Gandalf, it can be safe to assume that Hinds’ is a wizard conceived for the show. Maybe he’s a kind of ‘proto-Saruman’ that proves that wizards can also be corrupted. Maybe his intentions weren’t even evil at all.
For now, there’s not enough information to give fans a solid grasp on who Hinds’ character could be, but hopefully, audiences will get their answer by the end of Season 2.
The second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will be available on Amazon Prime Video on Aug. 29.