In a universe filled with elves and hobbits, a new species arises in The Rings of Power's latest season: who are the Gaudrim people in episode 2? We do know one thing: they may not be on the Elven kingdom's side.
SPOILER WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for The Rings of Power season 2, so proceed with caution.
Who are the Gaudrim "People" in The Rings of Power S2E2?
The Rings of Power season 2 episode 2, titled Where the Stars are Strange, introduces a masked being answering to the Dark Wizard (played by Ciarán Hinds), which the acolytes described as one of the Dark Wizard's "trackers."
The "trackers" are meant to answer his orders, as they seek something in common with him. The Dark Wizard heard the news of locating the Istar on their trail.
The Istar here means "wise one" or "wizard", and they refer to the five Istari: Saruman, Gandalf, Radagast, Alatar, and Pallando.
In the case of the show, it's The Stranger (played by Daniel Weyman), who has seemingly been confirmed to be Gandalf.
While little to nothing is known about them and their "curse", the Gaudrim people seeking help from the wizard should suffice to say indicate they are part of the antagonists in the story.
Interestingly, these characters were originally created for the series on Prime.
Their name bears the clue to their backstory, though. Coming from Sindarin words, "Gaud" means "machine" or "device", while "Rim" translates to "people of one kind or origin." They are essentially called "machine people" who serve the Dark Wizard.
The Gaudrim Struck a Deal with the Dark Wizard
As they carry their masked shame, they appear to willingly submit to what the Dark Wizard wants, in exchange for the villain's help in breaking their "curse."
But instead of capturing The Stranger as they were told, the Gaudrim set their deal with the Dark Wizard first.
"Heal the curse upon our flesh, and I will bring you the Istar in chains." The Gaudrim negotiates.
That request, however, gets rejected by the Dark Wizard, considering that his own acolytes couldn't defeat the Istar themselves, so what would make them any different? The Gaudrim insists, though, that the Istar would "surrender to him."
And as a threat, he adds, "Because if he doesn't, I will slaughter the halflings he calls friends." The "halflings" in question are the hobbits, Nori Brandyfoot and Poppy Proudfellow, travelling with The Stranger.
As shown in the episode, they remarkably failed to withstand the power of The Stranger's hurricane. But it also indicates what the Gaudrim are looking for, which could play a bigger role in the next episodes of season 2.
READ NEXT: Ian McKellen Shares Andy Serkis' Major Plans for Next The Lord of the Rings Film
Meanwhile, The Rings of Power season 2 episode 6 premieres on Prime Video on September 19.
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