Name : gandalf the White
Age : Immortal has been around since the begining of time
Personality :Keen observers of Gandalf often detected a veiled power, usually revealed in his eyes, which appeared deep and wise. He was alternately affectionate and brusque; he often surprised others with his bluntness when time was of the essence. Gandalf consistently upbraided foolish behavior, but also richly rewarded those who acted with good intentions.
Hobbits appealed to him more than to the other Wizards, and he went often to the Shire for respites from his errands. It may be that he was amused by their nature. It may also be because they were untouched by the great evils of the world, and were more in touch with nature than Men; perhaps their agrarian lifestyle appealed to Gandalf's innate spirit and reminded him of the gardens of Valinor.
Skills
Gandalf is a Maia, created by the thought of Éru at the beginning of known time. His physical and spiritual fabric is in fact identical to that of the god-like Valar "but of less degree." This gives him an array of documented powers
b) Wisdom. Silmarillion: "Wisest of the Maiar was Olórin." As wisdom guides strength, Gandalf would be able to best employ his strength against the weaknesses of his adversaries.
c) Shapeshifting, or at least the guise of shifting shape. Silmarillion: "for though he loved the Elves, he walked among them unseen, or in form as one of them ..." Unfinished Tales: "The Maiar were ‘spirits’, but capable of self-incarnation, and could take ‘humane’ (especially Elvish) forms."
d) Immortality. Even when his physical form was destroyed in combat with another Maia (the Balrog of Moria), his Maiar spirit is not destroyed.
e) Foresight into future events. Silmarillion: "Now Melian had much foresight, after the manner of the Maiar ..." Similarly, Gandalf foresees many turns of events including the importance of hobbits in the War of the Ring, Aragorn's future name (Elessar), the flowering of the White Tree, etc.
f) Equanimity. Silmarillion: "In Beleriand King Thingol upon his throne was as the lords of the Maiar, whose power is at rest, whose joy is as an air that they breathe in all their days, whose thought flows in a tide untroubled from the heights to the deeps." This may not sound like a great power, but of all the powers Gandalf has this is the one I'd choose for myself.
g) Enchantment. Throughout the Silmarillion, Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, various Maiar wield enchantment as an extension of themselves, as opposed to tapping into magic contained in a magical item of some kind. Melian the Maia weaves the enchanted Girdle of Melian about Doriath. Sauron enchants the areas about his realm with wizardry to confuse, waylay and destroy enemies. Et cetera. Maiar enchantment abilities are similar to those used by the most powerful elf lords and ladies but of a greater degree.
h) Immunity to heat. "Arien the maiden [a Maia] was mightier than he, and she was chosen because she had not feared the heats of Laurelin, and was unhurt by them, being from the beginning a spirit of fire ..." It is possible that all Maiar are "spirits of fire" and this may be the source of Gandalf's memorable quote to the Balrog of Moria: "I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor." Anor means the Sun. And Éru said, "Only one thing I have added, the fire that giveth Life and Reality, and behold, the secret fire burnt at the heart of the world." Clearly, Gandalf would have had no problem dealing with the Balrog's flame or even the fiery breath of a dragon.
i) Otherworldly perception. Because he views simultaneously the gross physical and subtle spirit worlds, Gandalf is able to see through illusions and obscurations that would confound a mortal eye. For instance, after Frodo's healing from his wound by the Morgul-knife: "He was smiling, and there seemed to be little wrong with him. But to the wizard’s eye there was a faint change, just a hint as it were of transparency, about him, and especially about the left hand that lay outside upon the coverlet." And he alone discovers the invisible (to mortals) West Gate of Moria: "... but they could see nothing else for a while. Then slowly on the surface, where the wizard’s hands had passed, faint lines appeared, like slender veins of silver running in the stone."
j) Telekinesis. Several times he demonstrates the ability to move objects through will, most dramatically upon revealing himself to Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli in Fangorn Forest. LotR: "He lifted up his staff, and Gimli’s axe leaped from his grasp and fell ringing on the ground. The sword of Aragorn, stiff in his motionless hand, blazed with a sudden fire. Legolas gave a great shout and shot an arrow high into the air: it vanished in a flash of flame."
Acquired Powers:
a) Powers as an Istar.
1) Because they were charged by Manwë himself, the Istari were imbued with a sense of purpose greater than a regular Maia in the same sense that a chivalric knight in Medieval times had over a common sword-for-hire.
2) LotR: "They came therefore in the shape of Men, though they were never young and aged only slowly, and they had many powers of mind and hand." This is power in the sense that Gandalf could accomplish feats of the mind and skills of the hand that mortals -- and possibly even other Maiar -- could not, even with intense study and effort.
3) Power of command over other Istari (once he became the leader of the Order, as Gandalf the White). LotR: "‘Come back, Saruman!’ said Gandalf in a commanding voice. To the amazement of the others, Saruman turned again, and as if dragged against his will, he came slowly back to the iron rail, leaning on it, breathing hard." and "You have no colour now, and I cast you from the order and from the Council.’ He raised his hand, and spoke slowly in a clear cold voice. ‘Saruman, your staff is broken.’ There was a crack, and the staff split asunder in Saruman’s hand, and the head of it fell down at Gandalf’s feet. ‘Go!’ said Gandalf. With a cry Saruman fell back and crawled away."
4) Inspiration. Gandalf repeatedly demonstrates the power to sway the hearts and minds of elves, men and dwarves. This is an actual power, flowing directly from Manwë's commission, and it is much stronger than mere charisma or the ability to intellectually persuade. Tolkien describes it as "kindling" hope in their hearts ... almost as if his inner Maia fire spirit reaches out and stimulates a response in the spirits of those whom he inspires. Saruman possess a similar, though more sinister, power of inspiration through his voice.
b) Powers as one who has looked upon the light of the Two Lamps and Two Trees. Although not specifically described by Tolkien, it is clear that beings who gazed upon the Two Trees are more powerful than those who did not. See the related question: Tolkien's Middle-earth (creative franchise): What was the significance of gazing upon the Two Trees (Telperion and Laurelin)?
c) Powers as the wielder of the Sacred Flame of Anor. I can speculate at least three possibilities that this refers to:
1) Being under Manwë's charge as one of the Istari.
2) Being a Maia, a spirit of fire.
3) Having access to a source of fiery power not otherwise elucidated by Tolkien.
d) Powers as the wielder of Narya, the Ring of Fire. Círdan gave Gandalf the ring Narya, saying, "‘Take this ring, Master,’ he said, ‘for your labours will be heavy; but it will support you in the weariness that you have taken upon yourself. For this is the Ring of Fire, and with it you may rekindle hearts in a world that grows chill." If the Ring of Fire bestows other powers, I am not aware of them.
e) Powers amplified through the use of his staff. We do not know precisely how they worked but the fact that all five Istari bore staffs (elsewhere identified as "rods" and "wands" in Tolkien's writings) is clearly significant. Throughout the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings Gandalf is described as using his staff to produce lightning-like or fire-light effects. I propose two equally speculative possibilities:
1) The staffs functioned as a channeling and amplifying mechanism to focus the essence of the wielder's innate power into a specific magical force.
2) The staffs were mere powerless badges of office and the Istari used them to mask the fact that their actual power stemmed from their innate Maiar nature rather than the "wizardry" used by sorcerers of the mortal races.
f) Powers amplified through the use of his enchanted sword Glamdring. Gandalf may have been a fairly good swordsman, but it appears Glamdring elevates it to an entirely new level. When the Balrog of Moria attacks Gandalf with a giant sword, it shatters to fragments against Glamdring; one shudders to think what would have happened if Gandalf had been holding an unenchanted steel blade.
g) Powers as a reincarnated being. Gandalf literally died after his combat with the Balrog of Moria yet was brought back to life. LotR: "Then darkness took me, and I strayed out of thought and time, and I wandered far on roads that I will not tell. ‘Naked I was sent back – for a brief time, until my task is done." Tolkien does not make clear whether Gandalf's transformation results in new specific powers or merely magnifies those he already possesses. Regardless, it is certain that Gandalf the White is a far more powerful being than Gandalf the Grey. He easily overpowers Saruman at Orthanc, who had formerly overpowered him and faces down the Witch King of Angmar at the Gate of Minas Tirith.
h) Powers acquired over time and experience.
1) Spellcasting. As opposed to the innate power of enchantment as a Maia, Gandalf also memorized spells created by elves, men and dwarves (and perhaps other Istari and/or beings unknown) for certain purposes. LotR: "I once knew every spell in all the tongues of Elves or Men or Orcs, that was ever used for such a purpose. I can still remember ten score of them without searching in my mind." An example of spellcasting would be his attempt in Moria to bar the door against the Balrog: "Frodo thought he could hear the voice of Gandalf above, muttering words that ran down the sloping roof with a sighing echo. He could not catch what was said. The walls seemed to be trembling." Gandalf also takes partial credit for the flood at the Ford of Bruinen that sweeps away the Nâzgul, and even casts a spell of blessing upon the beer of Barliman Butterbur.
2) Pyrotechnics. I categorize this as an actual power rather than a mere ability, and it is distinct from Gandalf's innate Maia fire-spirit powers. It relates to his power to generate and control extraordinary fires not found in Nature. LotR: "... the old man was Gandalf the Wizard, whose fame in the Shire was due mainly to his skill with fires, smokes, and lights." Coupled with his innate enchantment power, Gandalf's pyrotechnic powers enable him to work wonders big and small such the fireworks that delighted the hobbits for centuries, blowing and manipulating the smoke rings during Thorin & Company's visit to Bag End, lighting a flame at the tip of his staff during the voyage through Moria, generating explosive pine-cones for use against the Wargs, etc.
3) Lore. Through exhaustive travel and diligent study over millennia Gandalf has acquired a vast array of knowledge, not least is his ability to understand the spoken and written languages of numerous races and nationalities. He also has a bewildering knowledge of the flora and fauna of Nature. He can also make use of magical items, not least of which are the Palantiri. Though difficult to categorize as a distinct "power", one cannot ignore the manner in which Gandalf's lore enables him to extract a greater effect from his exertions than any other person.
a) Runes. One subset of Gandalf's lore is the ability to understand and write in arcane runes. For instance, he places a rune on the door of Bag End that Thorin and Company can read. He also has a specific rune that he uses to sign his name:
4) Wisdom of the ages. When Gandalf undertakes a task, explores an object or chooses to wield power, he does so with a vast and ancient wisdom -- shaped through the countless experiences he has had since the literal moment of creation. Although unstated by Tolkien, I believe this wisdom aids Gandalf in extracting the utmost possible power when he exerts himself. For instance, Gandalf's swordsmanship, having been crafted over millennia, should be expected to be even greater than that of Aragorn who is superbly trained and naturally gifted but lacking in Gandalf's vast experience
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