The wizard who arrives in the Shire at the beginning of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit is Gandalf.
Gandalf visits Bilbo Baggins and helps set in motion the quest to reclaim Erebor from Smaug. He arranges for Thorin Oakenshield and the Dwarves to meet at Bilbo’s home, where their unexpected gathering transforms Bilbo from a comfortable hobbit into an adventurer.
Gandalf is one of the Istari, spirits sent to Middle-earth to oppose Sauron and encourage its peoples to resist evil. He appears first as Gandalf the Grey and later returns as Gandalf the White after his battle with the Balrog in Moria.
Readers sometimes confuse Gandalf with Saruman, who is also an Istar and initially the head of the order. Radagast is another member of the order, associated particularly with animals and the natural world. Gandalf’s role in The Hobbit is both guide and protector, although he leaves the company at several important points.