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.

When Gandalf reunited with Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, he described himself as "Saruman as he should have been," a direct quote from the novel.

That all aligns with Saruman’s story in the Third Age, in the same way The Stranger’s own story on The Rings of Power has aligned with Gandalf’s. Saruman the White will arrive as the noble ...

In the Third Age Saruman will serve Sauron as a follower before trying to usurp him as ruler of Middle-earth. Saruman’s ultimate fall is directly connected with the Dark Lord’s growing power.

Now Saruman is off the table, as is Gandalf given the reveal about the Stranger's identity. Hopefully, The Rings of Power season 3 will hold some answers.

As we know from Tolkien's works, the pair set about disrupting Sauron’s grasp for power in the east of Middle-earth while Gandalf and Saruman remained in the west.

That all aligns with Saruman’s story in the Third Age, in the same way The Stranger’s own story on The Rings of Power has aligned with Gandalf’s. Saruman the White will arrive as the noble ...