Within the lore of The Lord of the Rings there is an order of five wizards that Gandalf and Sauron were a part of, but where were the others during the events of War of the Ring? Alongside the missing dwarves, these wizards are notably absent from the events of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy masterpiece. The prolific author spent much of his life crafting the world and history of Middle-earth. Even so, there were still certain elements that feel important but were only ever hinted at in appendices or half-finished stories that were published after Tolkien died.
The Lord of the Rings remains the most classic example of modern fantasy literature. It's one of the best-selling series of books of the 20th century, and its appeal only exploded after Peter Jackson adapted the books into one of the greatest film trilogies of all time. Integral to the story of LotR are two opposing wizards and former friends Gandalf the Grey and Saruman the White. They were part of a group of Maiar spirits sent to Middle-earth in the bodies of old men in order to aid and protect the free peoples. While their conflict ties directly into the War for the Ring, the question is then posed as to what the other wizards were doing at the time?
The other named wizard in the books is Radagast the Brown. He is mentioned in The Hobbit and appears briefly in a flashback in The Lord of the Rings books. He began to neglect his duties as a wizard when he became much more concerned with the well-being of animals and nature rather than humans. Before the war, he unwittingly helped Saruman's plans by using beasts and birds as spies, thinking they were against Sauron. Radagast also sent Gandalf to Orthanc where he was later captured when Saruman, who eventually met his physical death. After that, it's unknown whatever happened to Radagast. His home was abandoned and did not appear again for the rest of the series.
Even more mysterious than Radagast were the Blue Wizards. The Blue Wizards were not named in The Lord of the Rings, only mentioned briefly. It was said that they went to focus on weakening Sauron's forces in the East and the South, whereas the entirety of the series takes place in the West of Middle-earth. They were named in Tolkien's Unfinished Tales, Alatar and Pallando. It's unclear if they failed in their mission, though it is implied in some of Tolkien's notes and letters that they did. He wrote that Gandalf was the only wizard who did not fall, though they didn't all fall in the way Saruman did. It's suggested that the Blue Wizards may have founded secret cults and magic traditions that outlasted the evil Sauron. Whatever Tolkien might have truly meant by that is unclear.
Some might assume that these other wizards wouldn't have been mentioned unless they had some greater plot importance, but that's part of the magic of The Lord of the Rings. Middle-earth's rich history is full of small and fascinating details that imply so much about the larger world, and it is part of what keeps fans coming back to it again and again.
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