The Lord of the Rings is one of the most popular franchises of all time, but the series The Rings of Power fails to make all fans of the universe happy. The adaptation also raises questions that it has not clarified even after 2 seasons. One mystery is the mystics.
Attention Spoiler: The following article discusses events from the first two seasons of The Rings of Power.
Who are the mystics? The mystics first appear in the series itself. They are a type of cultists. This includes The Dweller, played by Birdie Sisson, The Ascetic, played by Kalo Kopae, and The Nomad, played by Edith Poor.
In the first season, their goal is to find the stranger who has appeared under mysterious circumstances. However, neither in this episode nor in the subsequent episodes of The Rings of Power has much been explained about the backgrounds of the mystics. There are theories, however, that could explain their connection to the later films.
You can find a trailer for Season 2 here:
Do the mystics have something to do with the Nazgûl?
Who could the mystics be? Much is not known about the mystics themselves even after 2 seasons. They work together with the dark wizard, an evil Istari. They are also looking for the stranger because they mistakenly thought he was Sauron.
As 3DJuegos reports, one of the major theories about the mystics is that they might have something to do with the Ringwraiths from The Lord of the Rings. Aside from their appearance, with the robes and their connection to Sauron, especially their death is said to be an important indication of the connection.
In an interview with Variety, this is even discussed with the show’s runners, J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay. Thus, the mystics in death resemble the Nazgûl, that is, the Ringwraiths from The Lord of the Rings. In this state, the stranger, similar to Frodo after wearing the ring, observes a kind of spectral world where one can see the true form of things
.
This is supposed to show that the true form of the mystics is not the human one that is seen in The Rings of Power.
McKay mentions that the mystics come from Rhûn. They also mention possible cults that Tolkien himself wrote about.
However, no connection is made between the Ringwraiths and the mystics in the interview. McKay mentions that one could return to a different kind of magic
in later seasons. About the mystics, McKay also states that they cannot cast spells as well as wizards.
Another visual indication seems to be the implied crown that the leader of the mystics, The Dweller, is wearing on her head at her death
. This probably reminds one of the Witch-king of Angmar.
Whether the mystics have anything to do with the Ringwraiths, we will only find out, if at all, in later seasons. For many fans, the series is not really popular. It does not always adhere closely to the source material. A major battle was also shortened: ‘The Rings of Power’ shows an epic battle from Tolkien only superficially and omits an important turning point
