Following the reveal that Daniel Weyman's The Stranger is an Istari in Amazon Prime Video's The Rings of Power Season 2, many fans wonder exactly what it means to be one.
The Istari will seemingly be an essential plot point throughout The Rings of Power Season 2, specifically in the storyline centering around The Stranger and the Dark Wizard.
The Istari are fully explained and fleshed out in the source material by author J.R.R. Tolkien, much more so than in any on-screen adaptation.
What Is an Istar in The Lord of the Rings?
As mentioned, The Stranger is an Istar, as confirmed in Seasons 1 and 2 of The Rings of Power.
However, in The Rings of Power Season 2, Episode 4, Tom Bombadil revealed that the Dark Wizard was also an Istar, making it even more important to understand what they are.
In the source material, Istar is an Elvish word in the Elvish Quenya language that directly translates to "wizard." Istar is the singular form of the word, which is why The Stranger and the Dark Wizard are referred to as "an Istar" or "the Istar," and Istari is the plural form.
The Istari were five different wizards, all of whom were Maiar, sent to Middle-earth by the Valar to help defend the world from Sauron (read about why The Lord of the Rings' Sauron turned evil).
It is important to note that in the hierarchy of immortal, otherworldly beings in the Lord of the Rings franchise, the Maiar are just below the Valar, who are just below Eru Illuvatar, the all-powerful creator.
It is commonly believed that the Istari were not sent to Middle-earth until the Third Age in the books, but in The Rings of Power, at least two of them (the Stranger and the Dark Wizard) were there during the Second Age.
There are only five known Istari, three of which have already been featured in live-action Lord of the Rings projects. The two most well-known are Gandalf and Saruman. Many fans believe that the Stranger is Gandalf in The Rings of Power and the Dark Wizard is Saruman.
The other Istari who has appeared on screen is Radagast, the nature-loving wizard featured in The Hobbit films.
So that leaves two Istari who have never been seen on screen, Alatar and Pallando, more commonly known as the Blue Wizards.
While many clues have pointed to the Stranger being Gandalf, it is still likely that he could be one of the Blue Wizards, with the Dark Wizard being the other Blue Wizard.
In the books, the Blue Wizards were not directly involved in the War of the Ring because they were in Middle-earth's east and southern parts weakening Sauron's forces while the others were in the west.
This tidbit of information is extremely important to keep in mind because Rhun, the area where the Stranger and the Dark Wizard are as of Season 2, Episode 4, is in the far east of Middle-earth.
What Powers Do Istari Have?
Istari possess an incredible level of power seeing as how they are of the Maiar. For reference, Sauron himself is a Maia, which gives a decent idea of the Istari's power since they are also Maiar.
The most notable ability that Istari possess is immortality. Their physical bodies can be destroyed, but their souls are completely immortal. Upon death, their spirits travel to the Timeless Halls (Tolkien's version of Heaven) and are sent back to Middle-earth by Eru Illuvatar, also known as the One or the creator of the universe.
This power was most notably seen when the Balrog killed Gandalf the Grey in Kazad-dum and returned as Gandalf the White.
Something else that all Istari are capable of is using their staff to channel their magical abilities. As seen in the Peter Jackson films, Gandalf's staff can be a light source, helping him create a protective shield around himself and throwing other people through the air.
Istari could also use telekinesis, heal others, summon lightning, and shoot firebolts in the source material.
So Istari are extremely powerful beings, and fans can expect to see the Stranger begin to discover his own likely sooner rather than later.
As shown in the series, he is currently searching for his staff. When he finally gets it, he will likely start to learn some Istari abilities.
The Rings of Power is streaming on Amazon Prime Video, and new episodes are released every Thursday at 3 a.m. ET.
