What Is an Istari in The Rings of Power? Answered

Nori’s faith in The Stranger pays off again in The Rings of Power finale when he uses his magic to save a few Harfoots. Before their destruction, the white-robed figures call him an Istari. Here’s everything you need to know about what an Istari is in Rings of Power.

Is an Istari a Wizard in Rings of Power?

As the show later reveals, Istari means “wise one” or “wizard” in English, which means The Stranger is now firmly in the good guy camp and that someone else must be Sauron. The Stranger decides to go to Rhun to learn more about magic and his identity. Although they killed Sadoc, the white-robed people help The Stranger by revealing that Rhun is the location of the stars he’s been searching for.

All Istari in The Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings trilogy features three wizards: Gandalf, Radagast, and Saruman. The Stranger is heavily implied to be Gandalf, with his connection to hobbits (harfoots) and lines like “…always follow your nose,” in the finale. On the other hand, Radagast spent more time with plants and animals than he did with people, and Saruman likely would’ve been corrupted by The Dweller, The Nomad, and The Ascetic, so the case for The Stranger being either of them is weak.

That’s everything we have on what Istari means in Rings of Power. Check out some of our other The Rings of Power content like The Rings of Power budget, and is Isildur dead.

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