Radagast's ultimate fate

[Formendacil]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

I rather think Radagast, and the Blues Brothers as well were ultimately "depowered" and their bodies (which were mortal) taken away from them by their superiors. The alternative, leaving such uniquely powerful beings to their own devices after their "official" assignment was over, would seem to be a needless risk.

As logical as this is... it really doesn't feel to me like the way Middle-earth operates. Part of the problem for me is that the Valar never tied up dangerous, enemy loose ends, let alone possibly harmless good-guy ones. Sauron... never captured when Melkor was, after the awakening of the Elves. Same with the Balrogs. Sauron, a Balrog, and dragons--and who knows what else--were left all over Middle-earth after the War of Wrath.

Quite apart from the way the Valar operate, it doesn't feel like the way Tolkien operated. Middle-earth is littered with "left-overs." That's part of its wonderful charm. Swords from Gondolin cropping up in troll-holds, the One Ring turning up in Gollum's lair, Palantíri rediscovered in Gondorian towers, descendants of Manwë's eagles still living in the Misty Mountains....

To me it seems much more in keeping with Tolkien's mentality if we think of Radagast "going native" like the Huorns--shepherd becoming like sheep. Like the strain of Elves and Maiar entering the Mannish race and ennobling it, perhaps we should think of Radagast "going wild," bringing a little bit of faerie to the woods and wilds of 4th Age (and later ages) Middle-earth.