The Rings of Power introduced the Dark Wizard (played by Ciarán Hinds) in season 2’s second and third episodes, and of course, fans are desperate to figure out who he is—in addition to figuring out who the hell The Strange is.
Related: All the theories on who The Stranger is in The Rings of Power
We don’t know his origins but we do know that the Dark Wizard has turned to darkness, as hinted by the season 2 trailer. “We have seen throughout Tolkien that powerful beings are tempted to evil. Gandalf will not carry the Ring for he fears the evil it could do through him,” The Rings of Power co-showrunner Patrick McKay told ComicBook.com.
“Saruman turns to evil believing that that’s the best way to save the world, in whatever twisted logic he’s come up with. So we know that good characters can turn to evil and we know that even wizards can turn to the dark side, so to speak, and watching how that’s gonna play out with Ciarán Hinds is gonna be hopefully a real thrill for people.”
So who is the Dark Wizard in The Rings of Power?
The most popular theory is that the Dark Wizard is a young(er) Saruman, a major antagonist in The Lord of the Rings. The visual clues are compelling: The two-tone beard and his mannerisms seem to mimic Christopher Lee’s representation in the Peter Jackson movies.
Then again, if the Dark Wizard is already evil, the timeline would be completely thrown off. The Rings of Power is set during Middle-earth’s Second Age, whereas The Lord of the Rings is set in the Third Age; at least 4,959 years after the events of The Rings of Power.
Fans will remember that even in The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf expects Saruman to be good and learns of his treachery. “I must see the head of my order. He is both wise and powerful,” he tells Frodo before leaving for Isengard and discovering Saruman has aligned with Sauron.
This would also mean that Saruman’s descent into evil has already been skipped and it would be a shame to not explore his origins. As a member of the Istari (wizards) sent to Middle-earth, Saruman was originally tasked with helping to guide and protect its inhabitants against the rise of Sauron.
By the time of the events in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Saruman had already betrayed the White Council by secretly working against them. He delayed their actions against Sauron and undermined Gandalf’s efforts, all while pretending to be an ally.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is available to stream on Prime Video.
