Gandalf was a huge part of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings movies, but the “real” Gandalf only appeared one time in the entire trilogy. Ian McKellen played Gandalf in all three films, starting as Gandalf the Grey and then becoming Gandalf the White when he returned in The Two Towers.

In the movies, he was simply Gandalf, a wizard who helped the Hobbits on their journey to retrieve and eliminate the One Ring. However, looking at the character’s true nature, he is much more than that, although Gandalf only appeared in his true form once in the trilogy, and it was when he reappeared as Gandalf the White.

Gandalf’s Real Idenтιтy: Olórin Explained

While he was introduced in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings as the wizard Gandalf the Grey, that was not his real name. Instead, Gandalf’s real name was Olórin, an Istar wizard sent to Middle-earth in the Third Age to battle the threat of Sauron.

Ilúvatar, the supreme being of Eä who created all existence, also created Olórin, a Maiar, who is similar to an angel, but is a primordial spirit who helped the Valar shape the World. Saruman was also a Maiar, but was tempted and turned evil.

Olórin was the wisest of the Maiar, and he was chosen among the five Istari to be sent to Middle-earth to battle Sauron. He was also tasked with finding the One Ring. This means that when Olórin arrived, his memories and focus needed to be on his mission, which overshadowed his memories of the Undying Lands.

It is also possible that Olórin forgetting much of his past when he became Gandalf was a possible fail-safe against him or one of the Istari going rogue as Saruman did. Olórin has more power than Gandalf possesses, and having a second wizard with that much power could have devastating results for Middle-earth.

Finally, in The Rings of Power, the Maia are shown as shining beings until Gandalf shows up as The Stranger, a disguise that allows him to keep his true nature a secret. This is also what he did in the movie trilogy, and there was only one place in the three films that Gandalf showed up as his true self, Olórin.

The Only Scene In The Lord Of The Rings Where Gandalf Is Closer To Being Olórin

The only scene where Gandalf appeared as his true self, Olórin, was in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. In this scene, Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas are traveling through Fangorn Forest when they sense him coming. They prepare to attack, believing it is Saruman, because he is in white.

Gandalf easily deflects all their attacks, and they then see him for who he is. There are some clues here that reveal that he is Olórin at this moment, and not Gandalf. First, as soon as he shows himself, Legolas bends a knee to him.

Gandalf also has an ethereal presence, with brilliant white light flowing around him, and he speaks with a booming voice as he explains his battle with the Balrog and reveals how he came back to life. When Aragorn calls him Gandalf, it seems to confuse the wizard before he slowly realizes that was his name here.

“Yes, that was what they used to call me,” he states, as he slowly smiles for the first time. He slowly slips back into his character and says, “I am Gandalf the White and I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.“

Watching Ian McKellen’s performance here, as he goes from the stoic godlike figure explaining what happened to the warm and kind Gandalf, was a masterwork. It clearly showed he was not the Gandalf they all remembered when he walked up to them, but all it took was to hear his name to bring him back.

Does Gandalf Remember Being Olórin In The Lord Of The Rings

Gandalf remembers being Olórin, although much of his past is dimmed by his mortal form and his mission as an Istari. It is likely that he doesn’t consciously remember the events of his life as Olórin, like he would remember his history on Middle-earth.

Any spirit has a full memory of their past in detail, but once they ᴀssume the body of flesh (hröa), it becomes clouded to allow them to live a life among others. However, these things are not forgotten, but are only clouded and not immediately available for recollection.

The Istari’s mission was to face the threat of Sauron. However, this was a great danger, and Olórin even admitted he feared he was not strong enough for the battle. By clouding the memories of their true selves, they shielded their idenтιтies from Sauron, which allowed Gandalf to get into position for battle.

That said, Gandalf does know his nature as a divine spirit, even if he was unaware of his past. After he returned in The Two Towers, he said as much when he told Aragorn there were several things he remembered that he had once forgotten. This suggests that when he became Gandalf the White, his memories of Olórin returned.

If someone told Gandalf about his life as Olórin, it would be similar to when Aragorn told him the name Gandalf. The memory would return, and the clouds would lift. While he might not remember all his time before arriving in The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf wouldn’t have a crisis of conscience if he learned the truth.