The Stranger

"When in doubt, always follow your nose."

—The Stranger

"The Stranger" was a moniker given to one of the Istari who arrived in Middle-earth during the Second Age via meteorite.

The precise identity of the Stranger remains unspecified.

Biography[]

The Stranger was witnessed in the sky by many during his arrival, but upon making a violent landing, was discovered by Elanor Brandyfoot and Poppy Proudfellow, two young Harfoots. Elanor fell into the fiery crater created by his landing, but was surprised to discover the flames surrounding the Stranger's unconscious form did not burn her. She and Poppy carried him in a wheelbarrow to a safer location, where they made a makeshift tent for him. Elanor returned the next day, only to find him already awake. Surprised, he shouted, summoning a powerful gust of wind, before the Harfoot calmed him and offered him a bowl of snails to eat. He soon showed Elanor a number of markings he had created both in the soil and on fallen trees, though their meaning was unclear.

Elanor and Poppy returned to meet with him again that night, and he demonstrated the ability to manipulate the fireflies contained in their lanterns, and guided some to form the likeness of a constellation, though its meaning also remained a mystery. The Harfoots returned to camp, and Elanor sneaked into Sadoc Burrows' tent, where she leafed through his ancient book and took a page of constellations, including that indicated by the Stranger. She left the page in a satchel while attending the annual migration festival, where the Stranger, having followed her, found it, and attempted to look for himself. Drawing too near to a fire, he set the paper on fire by mistake, and in trying to put it out, brought down a canopy and was discovered by the tribe. Elanor was disgraced for having brought him near, and as punishment her family made to come last in the migration.

With Elanor's father Largo unable to carry much weight due to his injured ankle, the Stranger came behind and volunteered to push the family's cart, allowing them to keep up with the others. About this time, he developed a basic grasp of language and was able to speak a few words. He continued to help them throughout their migration eastward, through the Emyn Muil and Grey Marshes, and eventually through the Braids and into the forest east, which the Harfoots found bleak and frightening. It was here that three strange wolves ambushed Elanor, Poppy, and Malva; the Stranger defended the Harfoots by throwing one wolf back, then using a powerful blast to drive all three away. The effort badly bruised his arm, however, and he found an ancient well nearby, and froze its water into ice, speaking Quenya to heal his injury. Elanor mistook his endeavor and attempted to stop him, but was badly shaken when the Stranger's magic threw her backwards.

After beginning a ritual to heal a forest that nearly crushed a Harfoot under a falling branch, he was exiled. The Stranger’s ritual caused all the fruits and food to bloom and there was plenty on the morrow.

The triad of Rhûnic searchers, the Dweller, the Ascetic, and the Nomad tracked the Stranger from the fiery crater he left behind, attacking the Harfoots along the way when they determined they were lying about the Stranger's direction of travel. Eventually they caught up to the Stranger, hailing him as Sauron. Believing he had lost his memory of who he is, they subdued him in order to remind him. While incapacitated, the Harfoots led by Nori intervened, attacking the trio by throwing rocks. The trio then retaliated with knives and magic, leading to Sadoc's death when the Ascetic threw a knife and hit him in the stomach. The Stranger then awoke, seeing his friends under attack by the trio, and with the encouragement of Nori who hands him the Dweller's staff, he summons his abilities to vanquish the three as they realized that he is not Sauron, but "the other", one of the Istari. With the Harfoots out of danger, he departs with Nori by his side still having not recalled his name, though now capable of normal speech. He gives the choice of where they will go next to Nori, though she doesn't know where to go, and he counsels her to follow her nose when in doubt.

Powers[]

The Stranger possessed magical powers and abilities. He could manipulate fire to render it harmless to himself and others, as it did not burn, and was cold to the touch - what he referred to as "mana úrë". Furthermore, he could also make loud bellows, creating strong winds that could shake trees. He may have been able to snap limbs and wither ropes by accident. He could manipulate fireflies to form a constellation of stars, though this killed them, much to his sorrow. He could preform a ritual that would within 24 hours cause a major bounty of fruit, though this was scary and could cause part of a tree to fall. His manipulation of fire and control over trees, on the other hand, did not necessarily cause harm, though they could be quite scary. He unleashed a telekinetic repulse focused on three wolves to save a group of Harfoots. Using this power badly bruised his hand, until he immersed it in water. Thereupon, ice flowed up his arm, healing him but also hurting Nori when she touched the frost. He also possessed superhuman durability, to be able to survive the impact of a meteor and contend with a wolf in melee.

Appearances[]

• The Rings of Power – "A Shadow of the Past" (first appearance)
• The Rings of Power – "Adrift"
• The Rings of Power – "Adar"
• The Rings of Power – "Partings"
• The Rings of Power – "The Eye"
• The Rings of Power – "Alloyed"

Behind the scenes[]

The character is portrayed by English actor Daniel Weyman in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

References[]