Gandalf is a couple thousand years older than Dumbledore, how the hell does he have more foresight than him. Gandalf is a demigod, and can be sleeping while he apathetically blocks every pathetic spell Dumbeldore casts at him. Then Gandalf will proceed to simply cut Dumbledore down with his sword or use any imaginable spell to snuff the life out of the aging headmaster.
It's no contest, no challenge, no question, Gandalf would utterly vanquish Dumbledore.
Gandalf. Purely cos Harry Potter is fucking shite.
Gandalf died and came back.
Dumbledore died and stayed dead.
You can't win against someone if gods help them.
soo many stupid answers here, lol.
first thing: Gandalf is immortal and semi-GOD.
And how can you assume that dumbledore has the deathly hollows? if you say that we can also say that gandalf could have all rings of power....
The question cannot really be answered. Too many WHAT IFs.
First-Dumbledore is already dead, so unless Gandalf revives him first, and then preceeds to duel him, which would be 100% against what Gandalf would do in the first place.
Second- Gandalf Has a lot more power, but he made an oath not to use that power, so if somehow Dumbledore got revived, he would beat Gandalf simply for the fact Gandalf wouldn't use his power against him.
Third-It also depends on what each of these man have at their side, which has been mentioned here anyway.
IMO, A very stupid what if question, Based on the fact that Gandalf won't use a lot of Magic against Dumbledore, Dumbledore should easily beat him.
Gandalf swore two things, to be exact.
1. He would not mentally dominate the people of Middle Earth.
2. He would not match Sauron's power with power.
So, as long as it's not in opposition to Sauron or his forces, he can basically do what he wants. His oath would not restrict him in a duel against Dumbledore. And I don't see how Dumbledore's gonna survive a fight against a full power Gandalf. What's he gonna do if Gandalf chooses to blow up the whole continent? Or if you feel that's too extreme for Gandalf's character, the entire battlefield.
I've not read the book so purely based of the films Dumbledore.
Gandalf has to be the most useless wizard ever, hardly casts anything in the films. Perhaps I've been spoilt but when I hear someone is a wizard I expect them to use magic more frequently and apparently than he did.
Since the hairy poter supporters going purely on movies... here you go. End of discussion.
Many years ago when I was in college this actually was a debate in class once. And at the end of the day it came down to the people of faith vs. the people of science. The students of faith were in Gandalf's corner saying that Gandalf is more powerful simply because we are told of his nature in the books and therefore they are satisfied that the written words constitutes concrete evidence for their case. The science based students went with Dumbledore because his magical prowess was able to be verified and Gandalf's magic is simply a rumor of the land. In the end the science students tended to overwhelm the faith students almost purely off the fact that in times of great need to protect his friends regardless of enemy Dumbledore was competent enough to pull out his wand and perform his wizarding ways, Gandalf on the other hand would pull out minor light shows to start and then try to overwhelm his enemies and defend himself with..... a sword.....
This post is mostly aimed at Laurcus; I haven't even voted, the notion of 2 wise old men fighting instead of enjoying a cup of tea and a conversation is ridiculous.
I agree with most of the things you wrote about Arda, but there are some details which I don't recall.
I'm yet to buy and read The history of Middle-Earth; I suppose this is foretold in Mandos' 3rd prophesy and the book was supposed to be "The New Shadow" of which Tolkien wrote only about 30 pages.Originally Posted by Laurcus
In the Unfinished Tales it says that Valars believed they were wrong to engage Morgoth at the end of the 1st Age, which leads me to believe Gandalf wasn't equal in power with neither Valars nor Sauron (which is irrelevant anyway, since he was ordered not to use his powers, as you have explained so well). Believing they were wrong to wage war on Morgoth (maybe this was something only Eru would be allowed to do, Valars being wise and reluctant to wage war on a child of Eru) would they really send to Middle-Earth a being more powerful than Sauron? There were (at least) 5 Istari who they have sent; I doubt they'd send such a powerful Gandalf as you describe him, unless Mandos privatelly foretold Saruman's fall from grace and Radagast's obliviousness; the remaining Blue Istari started some cults in the far East, if I recall, their role was insignificant (a shame Tolkien didn't expand a story about them).Originally Posted by Laurcus
In the end, the OP should've defined whether he meant Dumbledore and Gandalf from the books or from the films. I don't know much about Harry Potter, so I won't discuss Dumbledore's power. Gandalf did cast a spell here and there, for example in the Fellowship of the Ring (the book) the fellowship get's attacked by a pack of wolves on their way through Eregion and he incinerates the alpha wolf. But his power, while undeniable, was more hinted at in his wisdom and knowledge of the matters of Middle-Earth (which was imitated in the character of the wise mentor in Sword of Shanara; been over 15 years since I read those books). The Red Ring which Cirdan gave him when he came to the Middle-Earth wasn't so much a power boost as a gilt which would help him endure the many tasks Cirdan saw in his mind-eye Gandalf had before him ("for thy labours and thy cares will be heavy, but in all it will support thee and defend thee from weariness. For this is the Ring of Fire, and herewith, maybe, thou shalt rekindle hearts to the valour of old in a world that grows chill"), although one could argue the ring also kindled Gandalf's inner flame.
I too want to "kick Peter Jackson in the balls" but that's a theme for some other time. I suppose we'd have to take a number anyway.
In a fight? Gandalf no question. The wizards of the LOTR books are basically demi-gods. The movies do a poor job of portraying this but it would be a very, very, one sided fight.
Slaying 8bit dragons with 6 pixel long swords since 1987.
i don´t even know what this disscusion is about when CLEARLY everyone knows that Tim the Enchanter would easily dominate both of them