Although it wasn't explicit inThe Lord of the Rings, Gandalf is an angel in Middle-earth lore. Even before the release of Peter Jackson's movie trilogy, Gandalf was one of the most famous characters in fiction. Wise, powerful and friendly, the wizard accompanied Bilbo Baggins on his journey to meet Smaug inThe Hobbit and later plots the downfall of Sauron using just a handful of regular Hobbits and a wild-haired ranger inThe Lord of the Rings. After Ian McKellen portrayed the character on film, Gandalf's stock rose further, transforming into a household name and cementing a cinematic legacy to go alongside his literary immortality.

Both the movieand book versions ofThe Lord of the Rings' story leave Gandalf's origins and powers intentionally vague. It's easy to accept magic in a world where Elves and Dwarves are commonplace, and even the wizard's resurrection from Gandalf the Grey to (the far more epic) Gandalf the White is explained without going into great detail. To both Frodoand the audience, Gandalf is mysterious stranger come to aid them in a time of great peril. As with all things Tolkien, however,The Lord of the Rings only touches the tip of Gandalf's story, and his full history reveals far more celestial origins than themain narrative alluded to.

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Gandalf was original a Maia calledOlrin, created by Eru, Tolkien's equivalent of God, at the very beginning of time. The Maiar were sent down to Middle-earth alongside another order of divine beings called the Valar to help shape the world, and wandered the land in a variety of different forms, largely unbeknownst to the Elves and men of Middle-earth. Not all Maiar were classified as wizards - only 5 of their order were selected for this role by the Valar,and the decision came as a direct response to the growing threat of Sauron. Alongside Saruman, Radagast and 2 other figures (don't worry about them), Gandalf returned to Middle-earth, this time in his familiar grey form, and with the intention of ending Sauron's dominion. The divine origins of the Maiar are the source of their "magic," and Gandalf's resurrection inThe Two Towers is also a direct result of his connection to Eru.

The spiritual side of Middle-earth is largely glossed over inThe Lord of the Rings andThe Hobbit, with Gandalf presented more as a mystical old man than a servant of God sent from the heavens to restore peace. Indeed, the existence of Eru, the Valar and Maiar is explored in more detail withinTolkien's posthumously-publishedThe Silmarillion, and in some of the appendices that now accompany editions of the famous trilogy. While the truth of Gandalf's existence isn't necessary to the core story, it does add context to the happenings inThe Lord of the Rings, and lifts the aura of mystery surrounding the wizard. However, those who only dipped into the main trilogy would be left mostly unaware that Gandalf (and by extension Radagast and Saruman) were actually the closest thing to an angels in the tapestry of Middle-earth.

Even in deeper Tolkien lore, the Maiar aren't explicitly labelled as "angels," but the parallels between Middle-earth spirituality and real-world theology is clear. Eru is essentially the monotheistic God of Christianity and other religions; an all-powerful and all-seeing benevolent ruler and creator. Meanwhile, the Valar serve as an analogy for archangels, the most trusted and loyal of Eru's servants and higher in rank compared to the everyday angels, the Maiar, whose job is to serve the mortals their master created. Furthering the parallel, Melkor (later known as Morgoth) is akin to Lucifer - a former archangel who grew hateful and attempted to enslave and corrupt God's creations.

The religious analogy runs deep, but serves no real purpose to the main story ofThe Lord of the Rings. Had Tolkien's landmark trilogyfully explainedGandalf's origins and divine stature in the midst of Frodo's quest to destroy the ring, the character might not have attracted the same level of popularity, but it's interesting that a figure most fans recognize as the archetypal fantasy wizard is actually something entirely different.

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