Dark Wizard

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Non-canon alert The subject of this article originates from non-canonical sources. To learn about what is considered "canon", see LOTR:Canon.

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Dark Wizard
Actor	Ciarán Hinds
Realms	Western Rhûn
Hair	Black, greying
Eyes	Hazel
First seen	"Elven Kings Under the Sky"

In the Second Age, one of the Istari became known as the Dark Wizard at Caras Gaer, in western Rhûn. Tom Bombadil believed that this figure desired to join Sauron in his conquest of Middle-earth. His true goal, however, was to eventually become Sauron's successor.

His specific identity is currently unrevealed.

Biography

One of the five Istari who left the Uttermost West for Middle-earth, this mysterious figure ventured East, to Rhûn, after his arrival and encountered Tom Bombadil, desiring to learn more of magic. After apprenticing to Bombadil, he obtained a staff and seized control over most of Rhûn, choosing Caras Gaer as his seat of power and surrounding himself with an order of Acolytes. Bombadil feared that the Dark Wizard sought to forge an alliance with Sauron and to conquer Middle-earth together. But his ambitions did not end there: the fallen Istar hoped that, in time, he could usurp Sauron and become his successor.

The arrival of a similarly enigmatic figure who became known as the Stranger in the manner of a meteorite attracted the attention of the Dark Wizard. Believing it might be Sauron returned, the dark wizard sent three acolytes, led by the Dweller, west from Rhûn to search for him and bring him to their lands. Though the Mystics found the Stranger, they soon learned that he was not Sauron but "the Istar" and were overcome by his power and disintegrated.

The Dark Wizard soon made use of a ritual to give the Dweller her physical form again in Caras Gaer, and learned from her of what had transpired. Having reprimanded his servant for her failure, he then tasked the Gaudrim Brânk to track down the Stranger, who was himself traveling into Rhûn in the company of two Harfoots. Following Brânk's return empty-handed, the fallen Istar instructed the Easterling to find the two halflings while he himself dealt with the Stranger.

The Stranger was soon found by the Dark Wizard in a nearby Stoor village as he returned out of fear for his Harfoot companions. Claiming that Manwë had assured him of his coming, the Dark Wizard greeted the Stranger as his "old friend". Questioned on his wish to ally himself wth Sauron, the fallen Istar did not deny the assumption, merely promising answers if the Stranger were to follow him. The Gaudrim having captured Nori and Poppy, he instructed them to release the Harfoots in a seeming gesture of goodwill. When Brânk demanded his promised price, the fallen Istar killed him instead, simultaneously freeing the Harfoots. The Stranger, however, once again questioned the Dark Wizard's endgame. The fallen Istar then attempted to convince the Stranger to join his cause, claiming that, in time, they would both be Sauron's successors. When the Stranger refused his offer, the dark wizard collapsed the rock formations above the village with magic in an attempt to destroy the resident Stoors. The Stranger was able to save the small folk with his own abilities, and the Dark Wizard retreated back to Caras Gaer.

Behind the scenes

As the character's true identity is as-yet unspecified, he is considered non-canonical until his character's identity is revealed as canonical. He was introduced in Season Two of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and portrayed by Irish actor Ciarán Hinds. The showrunners have indicated that the character is not Saruman.