The Blue Wizards and the East | Tolkien Explained

The Blue Wizards are two of the most mysterious characters in Tolkien's Middle-earth. The two versions of their story - the later coming in the final years of Tolkien's life - are very different. Here, we will look at both, as well as some of the events going on in the East during the time they lived in that area of Middle-earth. From Saruman also traveling to the East to Sauron hiding there multiple times and the Blue Wizards working against Sauron among the Easterlings.
What do you think happened to the Blue Wizards?

Hit subscribe - and the bell - so you never miss a video from Nerd of the Rings!

--------------
All content falls under fair use: any copying of copyrighted material done for a limited and “transformative” purpose, such as to comment upon, criticize, or parody a copyrighted work. Such uses can be done without permission from the copyright owner.

Alatar Morinehtar - Mairon
Alatar and Pallando - Ralph Damiani
Battle of the Last Alliance - Entar0178
Blue Wizard - Benjamin Goutte
Blue Wizards - Giuliano Brocani
Charge at Pelennor Fields - Mischievous Little Elf
The Blue Wizards - Daniel Pilla
Gandalf - Fran Fdez
Saruman of Many Colours - Francesco Amadio
Blue Wizards - Graeme
Ithryn Luin - Xteveabanto
Blue Wizard Pallando - Jack Dullahan
Slayer of Darkness - Jef Murray
Khamul - RoterOtto
Farewell to Fangorn - Luca Bonatti
Pallando & Alatar - Neilk
Saruman the White - Matt DeMino
Saruman - AIMaNeGrA
Saruman - Xoanon
The Blue Wizards Journeying East - Ted Nasmith
The Nazgul - Istrandar
The Blue Wizards - Turner Mohan

#bluewizards #tolkien #lordoftherings

[NerdoftheRings]

What do you think about the Blue Wizards? Think they’ll show up in the Amazon series?

[bobthet-rex]

I really like the second version of the Blue Wizards. Because not only does it make them better people who succeeded in their mission, but it also makes the easternlings or Middle Earth more human as well, having not all of them fall to evil.

[carlosbarradas]

I think you're one of the blue wizards that is still helping us to know more about middle earth.

[RickFoxChicken]

I like how Tolkien talks about his works as if he was a part of them. I'm not sure what happened to the blue wizards, I heard from a guy who heard from a guy etc etc.

[Jake_Steiner]

I know what happened to the Blue Wizards!: One made a sword for a scrawny kid called Arthur, and the other one bought a castle and started teaching high school.

[qwertyTRiG]

I like the idea that that did work against Sauron, but also got a little distracted with their own interests. Also, since they're the only two wizards to share a colour, I think of them as being close friends and working together, which would have helped them both not to fall to evil.

[MrPiestro]

Out of all the Tolkien lore and characters, the blue wizards are the ones I wish we had more stories about.

[alloeloise]

I love how Tolkien spoke as if he was channeling this other world, rather than wholly create it. It's a good practice for fantasy writing, I think.

[slojoe]

You said Gandalf was the only wizard who remained faithful to his task and the sole Istari to return to Valinor. Gandalf actually returned twice, the first time was when he died and the second by ship. Maybe the Blue wizards also died performing their tasks and returned to Valinor the same way Gandalf did the first time but remained there because they weren't needed anymore.

[JacktheRah]

You know you're a very beloved author when you can openly admit "lol I have no clue what happened. Never thought about that, guess I missed that while writing." and people still respect you or even more.

[hoofie]

The idea of the Blue Wizards being successful in their mission to spread disunity among Sauron's followers seems like a more meaningful way to go to me.
This way not only do they stay loyal to their initial cause, but, what's more important - they actually have important influence on the world they're a part of. It makes the world feel bigger and more alive knowing that there are forces at play that directly influence what is going on even if we never actually see them. It also makes Easterlings more human, the idea that there are at least groups of them that would not follow a "dark" lord and choose to oppose him, forge their own destiny without a cruel master whipping them into obedience. That would also makes the fate of these people even more tragic, since the very beginning of time, they were left unprotected from the threat of Morgoth, not only did they have to deal with the world they came to inhabit all by themselves, while Elves had Valar taking care of them, they also had to suffer dominion of the cruel demi-god and even after thousands of years of bleak and grim fate there were still at least pockets of them who'd still hold their head high and refuse to submit to the will of a being the power of whom they most likely couldn't even comprehend.

[ManOnFire]

I think a whole new movie series could be produced about the blue wizards in the east without it interfering much at all with the events in LOTR.

[mitchthepower]

I generally wished that the eastern and southern parts of Middleearth would have received more attention by Tolkien. But maybe it's good as it is because it pokes your imagination and fantasy.

[zeterzero]

Just from the names I could see Darkness Slayer being more militant and trying to arm the men of the east against the forces of Sauran while East Helper was trying more to support their well being and lead them away from the evils they had been taught. One was a crusader, and the other a missionary, but both had the same goal of helping the eastern realms, just each in their own ways.

[scottbilger]

The Kingdoms in the East might have had a struggle as epic as Gondor and Arnor.

[mintketchup]

One possible reading might be that the second version of the story is the more accurate, while the first version is a reading made by some scholar inhabitants of middle-earth. They knew the blue wizards came to middle earth, and assumed they came along with the others. When the blue wizards brought "help to the few tribes of men that had rebelled from melkor-worship", these western scholars with their biased view of the easterlings, assumed the blue wizards were evil or malicious and interpreted this as them creating "secret cults".

[aliceofspades]

I like to believe that they were the eastern versions of Gandalf, bringing hope and support to those who opposed Sauron. Perhaps they stayed behind after Sauron was defeated to continue to aid them? After all, there must have been great confusion and strife in that region after Sauron's fall.

[Infinitebrandon]

Who else thinks nerdo of the rings is the slayer of darkness?! This is the best blue wizard video ive ever seen by far

[matthewterry]

Easily the number 1 Lord of the rings YouTube channel. Easily.

[benlowe]

I have seen a particularly fun fan reconciliation of the two fates of the Blue Wizards, with the suggestion that one of the two fell to Darkness, whilst the other remained loyal, and that the two killed each other in the East. A tragic end for two who were imagined often as twins.