Editing Radagast (section)

{{Short description|Wizard in J.R.R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth}}
{{About|The Lord of the Rings character|other uses|Radegast (disambiguation)}}
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{{Use British English|date=September 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox character
| name        = Radagast the Brown
| series      = [[J. R. R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] 
| aliases     = Aiwendil
| race        = [[Maiar]] ([[Wizards (Middle-earth)|wizards]])
| lbl24       = Book(s)
| data24      = ''[[The Hobbit]]'' (1937)<br/>''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' (1954)<br/>''[[The Silmarillion]]'' (1977)<br/>''[[Unfinished Tales]]'' (1980)
}}
'''Radagast the Brown''' is a fictional character in [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]'s [[Tolkien's legendarium|legendarium]]. A [[Wizard (Middle-earth)|wizard]] and associate of [[Gandalf]], he appears briefly in ''[[The Hobbit]]'', ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', and ''[[Unfinished Tales]]''. 

His role in Tolkien's writings is so slight that it has been described as a [[plot device]],<ref name="Harvey 2011"/> though scholars have noted his contribution to the evident [[paganism in Middle-earth]]. He played a more significant role in [[Peter Jackson]]'s [[The Hobbit (film series)|''The Hobbit'' film series]], where he was portrayed by [[Sylvester McCoy]]. Some aspects of his characterisation were invented for the films, but the core elements of his character - namely communing with animals, skill with herbs, and [[shaman]]istic ability to change his shape and colours - are all described in Tolkien's works. He is also a character in [[role-playing video game]]s based on Tolkien's writings.