The Rings of Power fans are convinced season 2 has secretly introduced a major Lord of the Rings character – and, no, it’s not Gandalf

The Rings of Power’s trip back to Middle-earth’s Second Age doesn’t completely sever its ties to The Lord of The Rings. Of course, the likes of Galadriel and Sauron are all present and accounted for (no surprise, given their lifespans) but another major character from Tolkien’s books and Peter Jackson’s film trilogy may be arriving in The Rings of Power season 2.

A 20-second teaser released on social media (which you can see for yourself below) briefly shows Ciaran Hinds’ unnamed wizard character, complete with some familiar markings on his beard that has sparked an intriguing fan theory.

"Saruman?" one tweeted, echoing the thoughts of many who reached a similar conclusion. The wizard, most famously, was played in The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy by Sir Christopher Lee and is the leader of the Istari who is later corrupted by his overuse of the palantir. 

Others, though, point to Tolkien lore – namely, Saruman didn’t ‘turn’ evil until the Third Age – as a reason why Hinds’ role could actually be one of two Blue Wizards. 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.

Either way, it’s likely the new character will have a significant impact on not only the lore and history of Middle-earth, but more immediately in The Rings of Power season 2.

Couple that with Daniel Weyman’s Stranger roaming Middle-earth, and there could be more than one wizard knocking about once the show returns in August. 

"Of all the characters we've seen so far, I think we know him best," Weyman told Collider, perhaps hinting at the long-running theory that the Stranger is Gandalf. “Do we need his name at this point? I don't know."

The Rings of Power season 2 debuts on Prime Video on August 29. For more, check out the best shows on Prime Video.