Summary

When Gandalf returned from the dead inThe Lord of the Rings : The Two Towers , he claimed that he was Saruman — but why ? Gandalf the Gray had fallen in Moria while fighting the Balrog but had been resurrected as Gandalf the White . When he was reunite with Aragorn , Gimli , and Legolas , he seemed not to remember , for a time , that his name was Gandalf and submit or else that he was Saruman " as he should have been . " Since Gandalf ’s death and resurrection were only subtly explained inThe Lord of the Rings : The Two Towers , the star ’s identicalness has become a theme of confusion .

In The Lord of the Rings : The Fellowship of the Ring , Saruman the White , the head of the parliamentary procedure of Wizards ( to which Gandalf belonged ) , turn from his path to fall in the Dark Lord Sauron . In truth , the maven hop to claim the One Ring for himself and overthrow the villain , think that his wisdom would allow him to predominate Middle - world for the better . As the White Wizard , this contradicted Sauron ’s office . He was ultimately " fired , " in a sense , from the position , andGandalf the Gray arrest a advancement to Gandalf the White . Gandalf was mistaken for Saruman when reunited with his friend , and when they asked , he said that ’s precisely who he was .

Gandalf is one of the strongest character in Lord of the Rings but in the first movie , his skill were seen as light compared to the cunning Saruman .

lord-rings-fellowship-gandalf-weaker-saruman-reaso-Cover

Why Does Gandalf Say He Is Saruman In The Two Towers? The White Wizard Explained

To empathize Gandalf ’s wordsinThe Lord of the Rings : The Two Towers , it ’s crucial to understand what and who the Order of Wizards was . Long before the start of Frodo ’s ( or Bilbo ’s ) journey , the demi - deity of mediate - world , the Valar , determine that Sauron was again gaining power . To help the Elves and Men in their fight against him , they decided to send a group of angel - alike beings , Maiar , to in-between - earth as guides . The Maiar were form - shifters who had helped in the creation of the universe and were , therefore , extremely knock-down . However , in Middle - earth , they were required to take the course of sure-enough wizards of modified ability .

The Maia Curumo was the first to offer , and he was therefore made the leader , and , once in Middle - earth , he make headway the name Saruman the White . Curumo would have been happy to take this task on himself , but he was forced to take others . The Queen of the Valar evoke Aiwendil ( Radagast ) , and the King of the Valar order Olórin ( Gandalf ) to go as well , though the Maia said he was too weak and afraid to join . By nonremittal , the superstar ( who then became known asthe Istari ofThe Lord of the Rings ) were ranked by the fiat they had been chosen . Since Gandalf lacked self-assurance , he was hunky-dory to step back and let Saruman take the lead — until he no longer had a choice .

Maiar Names

Josh Hartnett looking shocked in Fight or Flight

Istari Names & Original Order

Role While In Middle - earth

Curumo

A collage image of Luke Skywalker in A New Hope

Saruman the White

The primary orchestrator of the Elves and Men ’s fight against Sauron . Saruman abandon this function , leave the position of White Wizard vacant .

Aiwendil

Gandalf and Saruman in The Lord of the Rings

Radagast the Brown

To put up the head of the Order of Wizards and provide direction to the organism of Middle - earth in the fight against Sauron . Radagast desolate this role to care for works and beast rather .

Olórin

why_was_gandalf_weaker_than_saruman

Gandalf the Gray

To sustain the top dog of the guild of Wizards and supply guidance to the beings of Middle - earth in the combat against Sauron . After Gandalf the Gray ’s death , Olórin ’s essence was reincarnated to fill Saruman ’s part as White Wizard .

Ultimately , Saruman the White , Radagast the Brown , and Gandalf the Gray were n’t the Maiar ’s honest forms . or else , the wizards were more like role - specific avatar or incarnation that Curumo , Aiwendil , and Olórin utilize in Middle - earth . So , when Saruman the White cast away his purpose , he became something different entirely . Similarly , when Gandalf the Gray died , this personification was no more . When resurrect , he became the loss leader — the White Wizard avatar — by nonremittal ( since both other Istari had ignore their roles).Gandalf was now " Saruman as he should have been , " Olórin ’s essence in the role and manakin of the White Wizard .

The Lord of the Rings

How Gandalf Became The White Wizard In The Lord Of The Rings

While Saruman was plan his rise to powerfulness rather than manoeuver the beings of Middle - earth , Gandalf was working tirelessly to fulfil the Book of Job the Valar had given him . During the events ofThe Hobbit , Gandalf assure that the dragon Smaug could n’t bestow his alliance to Sauron . Then , comeThe Lord of the Rings , the adept organize a plan to secretly get the One Ring to the ardour of Mordor and repay the rightful King of Gondor to his pot . He worked so hard toward this mission that it ultimately cost the Gray Wizard his life . This was all the test copy need that Olórin merit to be uprise as the White Wizard .

As an immortal Maiar , Gandalf ’s soul traveled to the Timeless Halls after his death , wherethe god ofThe Lord of the Ringsdwelled , Eru Ilúvatar . Recognizing that mediate - earthly concern still needed the White Wizard and that Saruman had abandon the role , Eru transmigrate Olórin ’s soul into the body of Gandalf the White . As Gandalf recite Aragorn , he had been send back until his line of work in Middle - earthly concern was complete . It was a job Gandalf had never wanted , but , like Frodo , this was just what qualified him to do it . Once Sauron was overcome at the end ofThe Lord of the Rings , the White Wizard could finally return to Valinor in peacefulness , having succeeded in his commission .