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Death of a Wizard

Speculation Regarding Wizards on Wheels
Matthew Bass

E-mails from concerned fans have already started coming in. Below is a sampling of what some visitors think could be the explanation for the pic of a wizard impaled on a spiked wheel that Stuff recently released.

Maybe this is something Frodo sees in Galadriel's mirror? (as something that is "never going to happen" but something that he feares.) -- TOM R.

The wizard on the wheel may be Radagast, who I think was tortured by Saruman. Need to check up on this. Alternatively, it could be one of the other Istari wizards that Saruman did away with, or maybe Sauron captured and killed one. I can't imagine Peter Jackson being that stupid to alter the plot by having Gandalf or Saruman killed in such a fashion. Perhaps some Lord of the Rings scholars could check up on this. -- MARK C.

Perhaps this is Gandalf, but when did he fall on a spiked wheel? Didn't he fall to the depths of Moria and then climb to the heights of Zirakzigil? What would a spiked wheel be doing at the bottom of the Khazad-dum? Now a spiked wheel at Orthanc, that makes sense. Saruman is making all sorts of evil toys to send against Rohan. Wouldn't it be fitting that he died on one of those? -- TED

I fear it's Saruman. The analysis from Ted at Tolkien Online is quite convincing. So if it's Saruman, Jackson plans to change the Scouring of the Shire. Perhaps he plans to cut out the whole Scouring. It seems that the third movie will end with the wedding in Gondor between Aragorn and Arwen. -- HOLGER