Because he wants it to be a fair fight? Isn't that more honorable to fight your opponent with the same weapon they use? You don't bring a gun to a knife fight, your just an unfair asshole if you do that.
Idk bruh you shouldn't bring a knife to a gunfight but I would toats bring a gun to a knife fight. You humans and your reasoning and honor and honesty bullshit... I don't get it
He does (let's not forgot the epic battle in the fellowship), but because he occupies a lower position among the other Istari, namely Saruman the White - who has the ability to exert magic for a longer period of time - Gandalf is unable to use too much magic. For this reason, I assume that he is TRYING to reserve most of his energy, much like Galadriel who is weakened by the fight in the final film, after saving Mithrandir (oh but why can she fight for longer, she's super special blah blah? BECAUSE SHE'S NOT ISTARI, SHE'S AN ELF). If you ARE referring to the incident in The Hobbit (The Battle of the Five Armies), in which I think you are - by the way, it never happened in the book, he sort of just...disappears - then Gandalf has already used way too much power to defeat his enemies and can not afford to fight, which is why he was seen communicating with Radagast the Brown to ask for help. *flies away on eagles*
A few addendum to that...
Gandalf is of the order of the Maiar, essentially a demi-god. When the Istari were sent to Middle Earth, they were forbidden by the Valar from using their power to dominate the free peoples or to match Sauron's power with power.
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Galadriel is a decendant of all three of the Elvish families; has... or rather would have if she desired it, a claim as the queen of the Noldor and is only half elf... She's half Maiar.
read my other comments, well aware that Gandalf belongs to the overarching cateogy of Maiar.
Yes, that much is true...but I never claimed that Gandalf was using magic against Sauron, simply against other forces in the scene, as well as Saruman.
Half Maiar half elf, true dat :)
Good to see that others have read the book.
I must have overlooked them...
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Yep... when Galadriel loses her mind when she's offered the ring, it's a truly terrifying prospect because she really is that incredibly powerful.
Um did you not watch these movies? What do you call the fight with the balerog? Magic isn't about blasting fire or lightning, how do you think a small old man beat a huge ancient demon?
He fought the balerog with a sword. He's Gandalf the grey, not Gandolf the white. His powers are not as powerful as a white wizard. What little power he had he used to crack the bridge.
Wrong, he does use magic, at least he does in the book and if you re-watch the scene, Gandalf uses magic to protect himself. Gandalf and the Balerog are of equal standing in the eyes of Eru Illuviat (the God of Middle Earth), with one representing the epitome of light the other, representing the epitome of darkness. Neither is more powerful or weaker than the other since the Balerog belonged to the Maiar, this is sort of the overarching category used to define the Istari (such as Gandalf, Saruman etc). Yes, that's right folks, the Balerog is an angel just like Gandalf, which is why they are of equal standing. One is just a corrupted angel (the Balerog) who joined Melkor, an evil Valar (highest ranking of angels), while Gandalf remained true to the rest of Istari and fulfilled Eru Illuviat's request, to protect Middle Earth from the baddies. In other words, it was necessary for Gandalf to use magic in the scene, perhaps if we were battling an orc, then no, but another angel? YES.
Sorry, I'm very defensive when it comes to the books haha :/ My mother read them to me when I was 3 years old and when I was able to read on my own I spent all my holidays going over and studying them...this also explains why I, along with others who have read the books, often get mad at those who claim to be true fans when they haven't even read the books themselves. *sigh*
I guess it's the same for Harry Potter fans? There are always people who just see the film and claim to know it. Sorry, little rant over - oh and I'm not attacking any of you AT ALL, this is just a general thing that's sort of emerged from the post and reminded me.
*spoiler* Fun fact: the istari cannot use their power to directly confront sauron. In the Hobbit scene in Dol Goldur, the wizards couldn't be the ones to banish sauron.
Gandalf is of the order of the Maiar, essentially a demi-god. When the Istari were sent to Middle Earth, they were forbidden by the Valar from using their power to dominate the free peoples or to match Sauron's power with power.
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Galadriel is a decendant of all three of the Elvish families; has... or rather would have if she desired it, a claim as the queen of the Noldor and is only half elf... She's half Maiar.
Yes, that much is true...but I never claimed that Gandalf was using magic against Sauron, simply against other forces in the scene, as well as Saruman.
Half Maiar half elf, true dat :)
Good to see that others have read the book.
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Yep... when Galadriel loses her mind when she's offered the ring, it's a truly terrifying prospect because she really is that incredibly powerful.
He arrives precisely when he means to
I guess it's the same for Harry Potter fans? There are always people who just see the film and claim to know it. Sorry, little rant over - oh and I'm not attacking any of you AT ALL, this is just a general thing that's sort of emerged from the post and reminded me.
* Eru Illuvatar
Good answers.