Sauron and the Stranger Connection Teased by Rings of Power Showrunner

The two major reveals in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power's first season finale episode, "Alloyed" -- Sauron's secret identity and the Stranger's nature -- are connected, according to one of the show's showrunners. (SPOILERS for the finale follow.) In "Alloyed," we learn that Halbrand, played by Charlie Vickers, has been Sauron in disguise all along. However, Sauron's servants mistake the Stranger for their master, only to discover that the Stranger is one of the Istari, or one of Middle-earth's wizards. These two revelations are tied together somehow, according to showrunner Patrick McKay, and that connection will be explored further in The Rings of Power's second season, which recently began filming. 

"The Stranger's journey and Nori's journey with him is one of discovery," McKay told Deadline's Inside the Ring podcast. And for him, it's one of self-discovery. He has discovered some things. The stars he's looking for are far to the east in Rhûn, where the stars are strange. He has learned that he is, ostensibly, an Istar, which means 'wizard.' And he's learned something else from the Mystics, we call them. They say he is not Sauron, he is 'the Other.' Which sort of implies that potentially his destiny's entwined in some way with Sauron's. But that's all he knows at this point, and he's gonna have to go on another journey to learn more. And maybe a name, or his name, becomes a part of that journey, but at this time, we only know what he knows."

One simple connection between the Stranger and Sauron is that they are both Maiar, angelic beings of Middle-earth. However, all Istari are Maiar in the forms of all men, making it unclear why the Stranger, specifically, would be called "the Other."

Writer Gennifer Hutchison was coy about the Istari in Middle-earth at this point in The Rings of Power during our interview following the finale. "I can tell you essentially what we've revealed is that [the Stranger] is a wizard, Istar," she said. "And the thing is, we're discovering it along with him. That's really the point of this character, and this storyline is building that world as he and Nori discover it, and so as far as where it goes in the future, that's open for fans to think about in the break between seasons. But I will say they are obviously on that path to figuring out who he is and why he's here."

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is streaming now on Prime Video.