Rings Of Power: Who Is Meteor Man?

Yet another mysterious figure in the Rings of Power. Even though he’s a bumbling fool, the Meteor Man is still a character that many have pondered and speculated over what his true identify is.

Ah, the other mysterious character in Amazon’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The ‘Stranger’, as Amazon calls him, is the central figure behind the Harefoots storyline as Norri Brandyfoot, the Harefoot that discovered the flaming meteor that the Meteor Man fell down to Middle Earth in, and the man search for some mysterious constellation.

Nevertheless, the Stranger and the Harefoot’s storyline has definitely been one of the weaker aspects of the show as not only have both characters failed to progress their search whatsoever thus far (nearly 40% into the show), but also has been very cringy at times. Especially the Stranger.

I don’t have a kinder way of saying this other than just saying it bluntly. The Stranger/Meteor man is the biggest idiot on the show. He acts like a newborn that has the ability to walk and wield flames as a magical power.

Now, I realize that he has just crashed down from wherever and is justifiably disorientated, but it’s still extremely frustrating to watch. Even more so when he is probably one of the 5 Wizards of the Istari.

Yes, I wholeheartedly believe (just like nearly everyone else) that The Stranger is one of the wizards sent down to Middle Earth by the Valar to combat against the evils of Sauron and help the peoples of Middle Earth unite under one banner to fight the Dark Lord.

The only question is…which one is he?

Okay, to get the first three out of the way, I don’t think he is Radagast the Brown, Saurman the White, or one of the two Blue Wizards (because he’s only one man, after all).

I don’t think he’s Radagast because he just seems too important for the overarching story of defeating Sauron to be the one Istari that really didn’t fight Sauron (Radagast choose to protect the animals and flora, rather than the people).

As for Saurman, it would be a good twist from the Lord of the Rings to have Saruman be the Wizard that actually defeats Sauron in the first place. Yet, given how Saruman was very regal and arrogant, I just don’t see him falling from the sky and ending up a rambling buffoon.

Shouldn’t he at least know what his purpose was and not act like he’s just been kidnapped and sent to an entirely different universe (which is how The Stranger acts)? Plus, isn’t it Gandalf that is the first Wizard to discover the hobbits?

And that leads me to my first real theory: The Stranger is Gandalf.

Okay, this is a really easy theory to come up with. It’s just too obvious to have Gandalf be the Istari that comes down to Middle Earth and get discovered by the ancestors of the very beings he’s so famously known for helping and caring.

Moreover, Meteor Man’s affinity for fire may be a callback to Gandalf’s line to the Balrog in the Mines of Moria when he says, “I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor.”

Nevertheless, I really hope this theory is wrong as it is well established in Tolkien’s lore that Gandalf came to Middle Earth in the Third Age, not the Second Age that the Rings of Power takes place. This show is already coming under fire for bending the Tolkien’s lore, and it would definitely upset the purists and diehards if Gandalf appeared in this show.

Anyway, my second and hopefully true theory, is that The Stranger is a one of the Blue Wizards. The lore surrounding these two mysterious, yet very powerful, beings is so underdeveloped that the showrunners would be insane not to use them for this show.

Not only would the showrunner have the ability to shape the character the way they would want him, but they also have the flexibility to introduce him at any point of the story. The only thing known about the Blue Wizards is that they fought Sauron in the eastern lands of Middle Earth, but ultimately failed in their task.

Or they actually succeeded in delaying Sauron’s corruption before being slain or hiding from the Dark Lord.

Tolkien wrote two contradictory accounts about the Blue Wizards travels.

Oh, I guess I should mention that there are some theories out there that The Stranger is Sauron himself. After watching the first three episodes, I can all but guarantee that The Strangers IS DEFINIETLY NOT Sauron.

I hope (if the showrunners make the most intimidating villain of this show a bumbling idiot, I’m going to be so upset).

Nonetheless, whoever The Stranger ends up being, I just hope he reveals it very soon. I can’t watch this guy stumble into Harefoot hovels and nearly catch himself on fire anymore. It’s just getting painful!

Images Source: Featured Image: (Amazon) (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power – Official Trailer | Prime Video – YouTube)

In Text Image 1: (Amazon)

In Text Image 2: (Amazon)