How Strong The Rings Of Power's New Wizard Is Compared To Gandalf & Saruman

Published Nov 4, 2026, 12:30 PM EST

Nick Bythrow is a Lead Writer for ScreenRant. He has been writing for the site since September 2022. He graduated from Hampshire College in 2022, where he triple majored in Journalism, Communications, and Media Studies. When he's not writing about TV and movies for ScreenRant and his blog, Frayed Branches, Nick is penning speculative fiction and poetry on Amazon. He lives outside Boston, Massachusetts.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3's new wizard is shaping up to be an interesting contender to both Gandalf and Saruman in terms of his power. The Rings of Power season 3 is set to deliver a new chapter in the Prime Video series' adaptation of Middle-earth's Second Age. The show will depict the aftermath of a years-long time jump, which sees the story return in the middle of the War of the Elves and Sauron, the latter of whom is determined to craft the One Ring to more steadily increase his influence across the fantasy realm.

But, since The Rings of Power has an ensemble cast, he won't be the only threat lurking in the darkness. The Rings of Power season 2 introduced the Dark Wizard, a magician located in Rhûn who seeks to usurp Sauron by first joining forces with him, later taking over Middle-earth for himself. This puts him in opposition with the Stranger, later revealed to be Gandalf, who is seen training with Tom Bombadil at the end of Rings of Power season 2 in order to fight his new rival.

In 2024, showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay hinted the Dark Wizard is actually one of the two Blue Wizards, a pair of Istari who, in Tolkien's lore, were sent to the Eastern part of Middle-earth. It's unclear what this means for the show, considering the Blue Wizards are only a small part of the larger lore of Tolkien's world. However, based on the setup for the forthcoming episodes, it appears clear there's going to be a deeper dive into his character, including just how powerful he is in contrast with Gandalf.

The Blue Wizard's Strength In The Rings Of Power Explained

Image via Prime Video

The Blue Wizard has already proven himself a powerful adversary, both thanks to his magic and to the allies he has on his side. The Rings of Power season 2 made it clear that he's looking to usurp Sauron, indicating his power is growing in the direction of the Dark Lord. This puts his significantly above The Rings of Power's Gandalf, who's only just discovered the power inside himself. Since he's still living with Tom Bombadil when season 3 starts, the Blue Wizard will still be stronger than him upon the series' return.

Instead, he appears to be somewhere between Gandalf and Saruman in The Lord of the Rings proper, his larger power being on par with the two well-known wizards at their apex. It's implied that he hasn't shown off all his strength yet, signaling that he's around the same power level as the two other wizards were in The Fellowship of the Ring. As for Gandalf the White in the second half of the trilogy, the Blue Wizard likely falls somewhere below him, given just how powerful he became upon this change.

Gandalf's Battle Against The Blue Wizard Doesn't Work In Tolkien Canon

The Rings of Power is setting up a battle between Gandalf and the Blue Wizard in the season to come. However, this doesn't entirely work within the realm of Tolkien's canon. According to writings about Middle-earth, the Blue Wizards explored the Eastern part of Middle-earth, but didn't appear to have any conflict with the other Istar of the world. This change is rather big, considering Gandalf battling the Blue Wizard also means a rift between the Istar that wasn't present in the source material.

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This alteration means a massive shift for the story, as it gives the Blue Wizard an agency unseen in other projects, while also hinting at a larger, more layered conflict between the pair. While his current portrayal signals a power on par with where Gandalf was in The Lord of the Rings, it's just as possible The Rings of Power delivers another surprise through showing the true extent of the Blue Wizard's power.