When it comes to the question of which characters made their way to Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria, it is essential to note where the game takes place in the LotR timeline. Return to Moria’s is set in the period after the LotR trilogy’s conclusion, also known as the Fourth Age.
So, with Return to Moria being the first Lord of the Rings story to have come out in a long time, fans are excited to see which of their favorite characters come back into the fold. Out of all these characters, the return of the Fellowship's leader, Gandalf, is arguably the most anticipated. So this begs the question, is Gandalf in Return to Moria?
For more, check out our Return to Moria guides on how to survive a siege and how to use metal fragments.
Is Gandalf in Lord of the Rings Return to Moria?
Fans of the series will know that the Fourth Age begins a year after the defeat of Sauron when Frodo, Bilbo, Galadriel, Elrond, and, yes, even Gandalf depart Middle-Earth for the Undying Lands. So, with the game set following his departure, is Gandalf in Return to Moria or not?
Unfortunately, Gandalf does not make any direct appearances in Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria. Purists, at least, can breathe a sigh of relief, as this means Free Range Games aren’t looking to break the series’ continuity for the sake of quick cameos in their game.
Luckily, this doesn’t mean that our favorite wizard doesn't have any mention in Return to Moria. You’ll be able to find a number of messages from Gandalf in the many magic inscriptions made on the walls of Moria that recount the wizard’s adventures through the mines.
These can act as a fun little respite from the often challenging survival-crafting gameplay of Return to Moria. These markings also contain mentions of many other important characters from the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogies, so fans of the story definitely won't want to miss them.
For more on Lord of the Rings Return to Moria, check out our guides on how to craft and repair weapons in the game.