Who Is The Best Wizard Of All Time?

[Nat]

Definitly Gandalf!
He's the most awesome wizard of them all, because he's the wisest and he's also can be funny!

[C.D.]

I have to cast my vote for Gandalf, the classic wizard. It's not just about power, but the balance of power, wisdom, benevolence, and integrity. Merlin belongs more to the realm of lore and mythology than fantasy literature. Dumbledore was motivated by self-interest, when it comes down to it. Although I must also implore that you read "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell", as these magicians are worthy of consideration!

[Richard]

Rincewind from the Discworld series, terrible 'wizzard' but seemingly invincible.

[☮Artemis(I'm a Shawol)♬✨]

Gandalf of course. i mean, who else battled a Balrog?

[Chelsea]

It is Gangalf the Gray of course.

[Chelsea]

either ganalf or harry potter

[Isabel]

Hmmm... Difficult choice... Gandalf is awesome, and Dumbledore has so much style. I would also consider Tom Riddle, but not Voldemort: when he grows up he just go crazy and lose all his charm xD

[Isabel]

Badgerlord wrote: "Chuck wrote: "... neither Gandalf nor Merlin seem to do a lot of magic. Certainly not huge flashy battles like Harry Potter. Can anyone..."

Did Dumbledore actually do anything magically amazin..."

He is responsible for the death of the two best dark wizards of the world... I don't know if it was ''flashy'', but it was sure enough amazing xD

[Rui]

C'mon! Merlin is the most important wizard of the western culture, followed by Wotan (also know as Odin the guy who learned the secret of the runes). You may argue that Wotan is/was a God, but in early myths he was a man so powerful that ascended to the state of godhood.

Gandalf and all the other wizards created in the XX century are mere copies.

[Hazel]

Rui, Odin was never a man who ascended to godhead, he was the son of Borr and Bestla, as recounted during the creation myth. Borr was the son of Buri, who was the first god, so buri was a god, borr was a god, and odin was a god. Bestla was a giantess, and the Jotunn are even older than the aesir.

Odin was born a god. He, as far as I'm concerned, does not count for this question.

[Rui]

I know that particular myth but there are many others.

Take a look:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odin

A Icelandic historian, from the XIII century, Snorri Sturluson, author of the Prose Edda proposed the theory that Odin and his followers were refugees from the Anatolian city of Troy! Cool!

Snorri is remarkable for proposing the theory (in the Prose Edda) that mythological gods begin as human war leaders and kings whose funeral sites develop cults. in: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snorri_S...

Why is Odin so important to understand wizards like Gandalf?

Because they are very very similar.

Both are gods (Gandalf is a Maya, a lower god in Tolkien mythology, a short of higher spirit who assumed human form).

Odin frequently disguised himself as a Wanderer and travelled the world in search of knowledge and powerful artefacts to win the final battle against the forces of evil in Ragnarok. Gandalf did the same to find the One Ring and stop Sauron.

So if you consider Gandalf, the maya, the istar, a wizard, Odin, the god of magic, wisdom, poetry, prophecy, master of the runes, must be consider a wizard too.

[J.D.]

But merlin, on the other hand never causes these confusions.
In this he's a wanderer, also, in a very cool private jet...

[Marshall]

VOldemort

[Maryam]

Harry Potter, Neville Longbottom and Merlin

[Christian]

Voldemort! Just kidding, I think Gandalf is the best wizard of all time.

[Rui]

J.D. wrote: "But merlin, on the other hand never causes these confusions."

I see no confusion but ok.

J.D. wrote: "
In this he's a wanderer, also, in a very cool private jet...
"

:) Nice.

I just remember another cool wizard:

John Constantine.

If he is not the coolest, I don't know what cool is. ;)

http://cdn.ifanboy.com/wp-content/upl...

[Marshall]

I would have said Dumbledore, but I think he was powerful only because he had the elder wand. So I think it is Voldemort

[John]

Richard Rahl

[JazzyCat]

Merlin? Or Dumbledore.

[Troy]

Actually, I am the best/greatest wizard of all time--but you already know that...

[G.L.]

I think my vote would go to either Rand Al'Thor or Hermione.

[Nolan]

Gandalf Rocks!

[Mimi]

Gandalf, and Magnus Bane. Yes, I know that its supposed to be your favorite, but I just couldnt decide.

[Olivia]

Gandalf

[Marissa]

There are so many great wizards it's hard to choose! They've all done pretty amazing things. If they hadn't, we wouldn't remember their names! All heroes in their own right.

-Merlin
-Gandalf
-Dumbledore
-Loren Silvercloak & Matt Soren (Fionavar Tapestry series by Guy Gavriel Kay)
-Belgarath & Polgara
-Kvothe (The Kingkiller Chronicles)

[Brenda]

April wrote: "That's a tough one... I love Gandalf, but I almost want to say Hesrahaddon from Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sulliavan. Or better yet, Howl from Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. But then..."

Oh I had forgotten the great and wonderful Howl. :D I should vote for him. He inspired me to draw fan art. I want to be difficult and throw into our wizard cauldron RINCEWIND from Discworld. He doesn't do too much magic but the magic he does do is very impressive. I would also present Magnus Bane from the Mortal Instruments novel. When he talks, its going to be entertaining.

[Leslie]

MERLIN!

[Nelson]

for me its a tie between Gandalf and Master Sean O’Lochlainn, a forensic sorcerer from the Lord Darcy series by Randall Garrett

[Eyehavenofilter]

Ok I will end this all definitively!
If you were born before 1950 it is Merlin. He was the one and only, always was, and always will be. He has been in legend since before words were written. Merlin was the advisor to a King of a country that actually existed. There is proof of his existence still being found to this day.
Therefore He is what he is, and always will be.
If you were born after 1950, you have fallen for wizards created by modern modern authors, with no real history,based on no real legend , wirh nothing but their imagination to fuel these imaginarty stories.
Now don't get me wrong, they are great characters but that is all that they are. Made up, fanciful, characters.

[Beth]

Ged.

[Leslie]

Okay, WAIT!!! LOL, I am 30 years old, and born in 1981... but Merlin is still my answer! LOL

[Nelson]

and so is Merlin he is from a series of stories called the Arthurian romances from the 12th and 13th centuries.

[[deleted user]]

Gandalf was one of the Istari, who were Maiar (minor angels). Merlin was reputedly half-human and half-devil. Angels are greater than humans, if not devils: so Gandalf is greater than Merlin, and unless some other wizard was an angel (I can't think of one), Gandalf is top wizard.

[Paul]

Gandalf is the template for all that came after.

[Hazel]

Gandalf was based on norse myths (the old bearded man is Odin), as was the rest of the middle earth stories and characters. Ring of the Nibbelungs, anyone?

But essentially, yes, any wizard since gandalf has been based on gandalf, or sometimes merlin (the TH White merlin, not the original soothsaying druid), with a couple of exceptions, Raistlin Majere comes to mind as one that doesn't follow the old bearded man archetype.

[Ambar]

I'll go with Gandalf the white as greatest wizard

[Hazel]

its a loose basing, he was very free with what he did with it, but the norse myths are the base on which he then built his own fantasy world.

[Troy]

Perhaps it's a generational thing: Historically, Merlin was incredibly more popular, and way better known. Until the films, Gandalf was an unknown--accept among the Tolkien literati. It was the films that made Gandalf famous, and popular--and that's a fairly recent phenomenon. In fact, as a kid, the only wizard I knew besides Merlin was "Mr. Wizard"--and he hardly qualifies.

[Deadwish]

Fizban is the best xD He knows that spell... you know... I can't remember the name... furball? :P

I think we should discuss the issue with more limited parameters. An angel, a god or a minor deity are not wizards though posing as one. A wizard should have mortal blood, at least in part.
In this sense, Merlin is the best option.

[Hazel]

He isn't really, because in the original stories, Merlin wasn't a wizard, he was a soothsayer and druid.

[Deadwish]

Hazel wrote: "He isn't really, because in the original stories, Merlin wasn't a wizard, he was a soothsayer and druid."

Ok, you have a point. But I was not referring to the original works, but the popular view of Merlin in subsequent works.
Also, do not think we should take the term "wizard" like a RPG but in a broader term. In this case I make no distinction between druids, sorcerers, wizards, witches or wizards. I'm just saying that should be mortals in whole or in part.

[Troy]

Lol: Well, if you want to get technical, the first appearance of Merlin occurs in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136.

Geoffrey combined existing stories of Myrddin Wyllt (Merlinus Caledonensis), a North Brythonic prophet and madman with no connection to King Arthur, with tales of the Romano-British war leader Ambrosius Aurelianus to form the composite figure he called Merlin Ambrosius (Welsh: Myrddin Emrys), where he is a prophetic bard [slavishly copied from wiki].

Geoffrey's Merlin is begotten on a king's daughter by an incubus. :)

In one of Geoffrey's stories, Merlin's magic enables Uther Pendragon to enter into Tintagel in disguise and father his son Arthur with his enemy's wife, Igraine (the basis for the beginning of the Excalibur film). In this instance, he is clearly a wizard.

[Hazel]

thanks Troy, that was interesting.

I'm still standing by my answer of Richard from Looking for Group, even if he is undead... he can technically die, and was human once... and he's hilarious

[Deadwish]

I just wanted to make clear that I object to consider wizard characters with a clear immortal origin, like Sauron, Gandalf or Fizban. It would not be fair for mortal wizards.
I love them, but they are superior beings disguised as wizards.

[Hazel]

But deadwish, its just a bit of fun. By objecting, you're taking it far too seriously

And anyway, there can only be one true answer, and thats Wizadora, because we all adore her

And now I've shown my age, and confused people who aren't old enough, or from the right place, to have seen that show

[Troy]

For the record, Gandalf is not immortal--just very long-lived--mainly as a result of being a ring-bearer.

[Hazel]

Gandalf is a maiar (sp?) which makes him a demi-god, the same as Sauron. I suspect that still means mortal to some degree.

[Deadwish]

Troy wrote: "For the record, Gandalf is not immortal--just very long-lived--mainly as a result of being a ring-bearer."
My English is bad and therefore did not express myself well (blame Google Translator xD). There is a BIG difference between a Maiar or an angel / demon compared with humans, dwarves and elves, comumnente called "mortal races."
Most supernatural beings have innate magical powers, while the "mortal races" don't. A mortal wizard needs to learn and practice all his life.

Hazel wrote: "But deadwish, its just a bit of fun. By objecting, you're taking it far too seriously

I am not so serious in real life. Blame it on Google Translator, which makes me sound like an angry english gentleman.
May I propose a dragon as the best wizard? Her name is Nicol Bolas xD

[Troy]

I concede that Gandalf is a maiar:

"In Valinor, Gandalf was known as Olórin. As recounted in the "Valaquenta" in The Silmarillion, he was one of the Maiar of Valinor, specifically, of the people of the Vala Manwë; and was said to be the wisest of the Maiar. He lived in the gardens of Irmo under the tutelage of Nienna, the patron of mercy. When the Valar decided to send the order of the Wizards to Middle-earth in order to counsel and assist all those who opposed Sauron, Olórin was proposed by Manwë. Olórin initially begged to be excused as he feared he lacked the strength to face Sauron." [wiki]

The maiar are not elves (who are immortal): Tolkien discusses the characteristics of Gandalf in his essay on the Istari, which appears in the work "Unfinished Tales." He describes Gandalf as the last of the wizards to appear in Middle-earth, one who: "seemed the least, less tall than the others, and in looks more aged, grey-haired and grey-clad, and leaning on a staff". Yet the Elf Círdan who met him on arrival nevertheless considered him "the greatest spirit and the wisest" and gave him the elven Ring of power called Narya, the Ring of Fire, containing a "red" stone for his aid and comfort. Tolkien explicitly links Gandalf to the element Fire later in the same essay:

Warm and eager was his spirit (and it was enhanced by the ring Narya), for he was the Enemy of Sauron, opposing the fire that devours and wastes with the fire that kindles, and succours in wanhope and distress; but his joy, and his swift wrath, were veiled in garments grey as ash, so that only those that knew him well glimpsed the flame that was within. Merry he could be, and kindly to the young and simple, yet quick at times to sharp speech and the rebuking of folly; but he was not proud, and sought neither power nor praise... Mostly he journeyed unwearingly on foot, leaning on a staff, and so he was called among Men of the North Gandalf 'the Elf of the Wand'. For they deemed him (though in error) to be of Elven-kind, since he would at times work wonders among them, loving especially the beauty of fire; and yet such marvels he wrought mostly for mirth and delight, and desired not that any should hold him in awe or take his counsels out of fear. ... Yet it is said that in the ending of the task for which he came he suffered greatly, and was slain, and being sent back from death for a brief while was clothed then in white, and became a radiant flame (yet veiled still save in great need). [wiki]

[Deadwish]

sorry for the spoilers xD