But maybe that’s a reason why he’s Saruman and not Gandalf. Prime Video. Why Could the Stranger Be Saruman? Ultimately, we don’t know who the Stranger is, aside from being an Istar, or a wizard.

Gandalf and Saruman are not ordinary men but mighty Istari-powerful beings of Valar. They are angelic beings sent to Middle-earth to help guide their people in the war against Sauron.

Saruman wasn’t always corrupt, but his jealousy of Gandalf did precede their arrival in Middle-earth. It began, as all Lord of the Rings stories do, in Valinor, back when they were both Maiar ...

Gandalf then realized that Saruman's robe was not truly white but an opalescent mixture of colors that "shimmered and changed hue" in the shifting light. It was a magnificent sight, ...

He also loves Gandalf and wants him by his side, but turned on The Stranger in anger when Gandalf refused. That all aligns with Saruman’s story in the Third Age, in the same way The Stranger’s ...

Gandalf and Goodness–today I love spiritual mentors, wise old souls that see beyond, see that something in us that we don’t see in ourselves. I love Yoda, love Dumbledore, love Gandalf.

Saruman seemed to be a good guy to Gandalf, Elrond, Galadriel, and everybody else who knew him, right up until he locked Gandalf up in Orthanc in The Fellowship of the Ring.

He plugged a quip from head wizard Saruman to Gandalf, alluding to “cloudy judgment” post-pipe-weed consumption in the first film, The Fellowship of the Ring.

Plus, if the Stranger is Saruman, it also makes Gandalf’s journey and decisions all the more important and emphasizes an ongoing theme in Tolkien’s works: every being has the power to choose ...

He also loves Gandalf and wants him by his side, but turned on The Stranger in anger when Gandalf refused. That all aligns with Saruman’s story in the Third Age, in the same way The Stranger’s ...

He also loves Gandalf and wants him by his side, but turned on The Stranger in anger when Gandalf refused. That all aligns with Saruman’s story in the Third Age, in the same way The Stranger’s ...