Middle-earth is a vast place, not even confined by the material plane, and the setting is such a complex one that bookworms and movie buffs alike are impressed with how immersive it is. The Lord of the Rings is just a portion of the library of lore that exists regarding the realm of Arda, and its long history. It's safe to assume that there are many characters and places that Tolkien didn't have time to tell us about.

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The Wizards are some of the most compelling characters in the LotR saga, with figures like Gandalf and Saruman taking more than their own share of screen time, and those who have read the books know that Sauron himself was once a Maiar like them. Radagast makes a brief appearance in the LotR novels and has a larger role in The Hobbit film adaptation.

Who are the missing two? A few stray texts from Tolkien's notes indicate a few more bits of lore regarding these obscure characters known only as the Blue Wizards, and we've compiled a few more interesting bits of information from a variety of sources regarding their story.

Updated on October 3, 2022, by Kristy Ambrose: The lore of Tolkien's expansive world is the subject of Rings of Power, a popular series on Amazon Prine, and how it has some viewers guessing that certain characters might be the Blue Wizards or connected to them somehow. The writers of the show may be working with more of the obscure lore and legend of the Tolkien library, which includes information edited by Christopher Tolkien, and the mystery of the Blue Wizards in LotR might finally be resolved.

9 The Vala Oromë

Eomer_Gandalf_Lord of the Rings

The Valar were the primordial beings that created a realm known as Arda, and eventually Middle-earth. There were 14 of them, and they were the most powerful beings in existence. They were served by a variety of other, less powerful spirits called Maiar. Five of these Maiar eventually traveled to Middle-earth as Wizards.

One of the leaders of the Valar was Oromë, and he had several Maiar in his service. One of these was Pallando and another was his friend, Alatar. These are the lost Blue Wizards. The Maiar who drove the moon across the sky, Tilion, was also a Maiar that served Oromë.

8 Their Various Names...

LOTR_ Sam Attacks Shelob

The Blue Wizards are named Alatar and Pallando originally, but Tolkien had other names for them as well. This follows the other Wizards, who often had different names depending on where they were. Gandalf was known as Mithrandir among the Elves, for example, and Saruman was also called Curumo.

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Pallando the Blue was also known as Rómestámo among the Elves. This means "helper in the East" so maybe his efforts were not entirely a failure. The same can be said for his companion Alatar, who the Elves named Morinehtar or Darkness-slayer.

7 ...Which Aren't Even Mentioned In The Lord Of The Rings

Ian McKellen's Gandalf frowning and holding his staff in The Hobbit

Among the sources that have a few scant lines about the Blue Wizards, they get a brief mention along with their peers. That's why Radagast was added in The Hobbit, but there's a throwaway line in The Two Towers that indicates there were five Wizards when Saruman references "the rods of the five Wizards."

In the film adaptation, however, Gandalf mentions the Blue Wizards but claims he doesn't remember their names. This is actually due to a copyright issue because the names of the Blue Wizards don't appear in the trilogy. In hindsight, another good reason was that maybe adding Radagast into the story was enough.

6 First Journey To Middle-earth

Gandalf in the mountains LotR

When did the Blue Wizards come to Middle-earth? It's uncertain exactly what happened here, but Tolkien gives two separate dates for their arrival. In The Peoples of Middle-earth, Tolkien tells a story about the arrival of the Blue Wizards around the year 1600 of the Second Age. This is generally the same period as the plot in the Rings of Power series, which is one of the reasons viewers are expecting one of the wizards to make an appearance on the show.

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This was about the time the One Ring was forged by Sauron, apparently in secret, so that's pretty good timing if it was a coincidence. A possible connection could be with Celebrimbor, the master smith and grandson of Fëanor, who helped Sauron make the rings of power but was suspicious of his motives.

5 Second Journey To Middle Earth

Gandalf in Gondor archives

In Unfinished Tales, the five Wizards arrive together in Middle-earth in the year 1000 of the Third Age. That correlates with the time that the One Ring was thought to be lost, but when whispers of it surfaced again, the wizards appeared. Where they were or what they were doing in the meantime is now the stuff of legend, with Gandalf making a name for himself by discovering Hobbits and tracking down the One Ring.

Theoretically, the Blue Wizards are present in some form in Middle-earth during this period, assuming they're still alive. They are only referenced in passing and never appear, and considering the structure of the story, their omission doesn't matter.

4 East And South

Nurn in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

Gandalf and Saruman stayed in the West to council and guard those lands, which were mostly friendly to the Valar. The Blue Wizards, however, went East, and their journey was more perilous from the start. These lands were watched over by Sauron and the residents were hostile to his enemies.

Other than external dangers, the Blue Wizards might have been defeated by treachery from within. One account says that they traveled east with Saruman, and although he returned from the journey, they were never heard from again.

3 They Failed, Except Maybe They Didn't

thranduil elrond lotr

Tolkien's original assessment of the Blue Wizards when he mentions them is that they must have failed, as their stories seem to end shortly after they arrived in Middle-earth. However, he mentions that the Blue Wizards likely started certain magical schools and cults during their travels, and did not turn against the Valar as Saruman did.

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Whether this is a positive development is a matter of opinion, and it remains a mystery as to exactly what happened to them. It's possible that they were able to weaken the nations that Sauron might have otherwise been able to depend on during the War of the Ring.

2 The Stranger

The Stranger in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Several of the characters in Rings of Power are famous characters from Tolkien's books or Peter Jackson's movies, but not all of them have been identified. Sauron is here somewhere, and some viewers think that the Stranger is our big bad Sauron, but another fan theory says he's one of the Blue Wizards.

Considering the Stranger fell out of the sky in a fiery blaze and seems to kill or hurt things inadvertently, he's definitely a being of great power. That could mean he's one of the Maiar, which means a Wizard, but the question is which one? The robed figures that came looking for him in episode five apparently came from the east, and the last bit of news about the Blue Wizards came from there.

1 The Azurite Figurine

Azurite Figurine screenshot The Blue Wizards

One other clue to the ultimate fate of the Blue Wizards can be found in a video game from the LotR franchise. In Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, the player can find a "Weathered Azurite Figurine" on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Núrnen. It's never explicitly stated that it's them, and none of the names and titles are mentioned, but the reference strongly suggests that this is a likeness of the lost Blue Wizards.

The caption for the item describes two haggard figures who have been on the road too long and probably are overdue for some time apart. They seem to speak with the same voice and have the same lost but hardened look, as they mutter something about "hunting the darkness" as they shuffle along the road that goes ever on and on.

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