# Gandalf Vs. Dumbledore **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 30, 2003, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gandalf-vs-dumbledore/198657 "2003-08-30T17:03:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gandalf-vs-dumbledore/198657/1 "2003-08-30T17:03:31Z")
The title says it all! Personally, I think Dumbledore would whip Gandalf without breaking a sweat. Maiar of Valinor my patushkin.šŸ˜ƒ :mad: šŸ†’ :o šŸ˜‰ :rolleyes: šŸ˜ƒ šŸ˜› ā˜¹ :eek: šŸ˜• ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Babbington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mr.Babbington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Babbington)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gandalf-vs-dumbledore/198657/2 "2003-08-30T17:08:02Z")
Gotta go with Gandalf, buddy. Gandalf was one of only three people in Middle Earth powerful enough to see the Balrog, let alone fight it. The other two being Sauron and Saruman. It would be a hell of a fight, though. ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gandalf-vs-dumbledore/198657/3 "2003-08-30T17:10:55Z")
But surely Voldie is as powerful as Sauron, and DD has no trouble on that front.šŸ˜› ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Babbington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mr.Babbington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Babbington)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gandalf-vs-dumbledore/198657/4 "2003-08-30T17:13:23Z")
Actually, McGonagall vs. Gandalf. McGonagall would END Gandalf.šŸ™‚ And where is Test your movie Knowledge today? ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gandalf-vs-dumbledore/198657/5 "2003-08-30T17:20:18Z")
Tag Team: DD and McG Vs. Gandalf and Saruman. Wizards still win, though. Iā€™m going to stat part VI tomorrow morning, for a Sunday Extravaganza! ---
**Author:** ![robertliguori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@robertliguori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robertliguori)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gandalf-vs-dumbledore/198657/6 "2003-08-30T17:38:57Z")
What kind of a wimpy wizard canā€™t even beat down death? Besides, the world of HP has a dearth of intervening deities. Gandalf is a servitor of the head of Middle-Earthā€™s pantheon. Everyoneā€™s favorite monochrome wizard in one round. ---
**Author:** ![Spudo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Spudo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spudo)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gandalf-vs-dumbledore/198657/7 "2003-08-30T17:39:48Z")
Iā€™m gonna have to go with Gandalf, if only because he actually has a weapon. Itā€™d be hard for Dumbledore to get a spell off with Glamdring shoved in his throat. ---
**Author:** ![hebesphenomegacorona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b9e5f3/32.png) [@hebesphenomegacorona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hebesphenomegacorona)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gandalf-vs-dumbledore/198657/8 "2003-08-30T17:41:02Z")
Gandalf. If he can beat a bigass fire monster and come out simply BLEACHED, he can beat his equal by becoming gandalf the clear. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gandalf-vs-dumbledore/198657/9 "2003-08-30T17:41:37Z")
Gandalf is an immortal being who is the offspring of the thought of the Creator himself, before the universe was made. Gandalf took part in the creation of the material universe. When Gandalf speaks a word of Command, the physical universe obeys him. Dumbledoreā€™s just this guyā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gandalf-vs-dumbledore/198657/10 "2003-08-30T17:49:49Z")
Tsk. The Great Gazoo would pimp-slap both those bitches and call them ā€œDum-Dums.ā€ ---
**Author:** ![A\_wizard\_song\_for\_thee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/46a35a/32.png) [@A\_wizard\_song\_for\_thee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_wizard_song_for_thee)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gandalf-vs-dumbledore/198657/11 "2003-08-30T18:16:00Z")
Yeah, but Gandalf canā€™t use his powers directly. Or, well, isnā€™t supposed to. So, unless Gandalf got Glamdring, as **Spudo** so elegantly put it, shoved down Dumbledoreā€™s throat, Iā€™m going with the Headmaster. Tom Bombadil would wipe the floor with both of them, thoughā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gandalf-vs-dumbledore/198657/12 "2003-08-30T19:03:27Z")
Naw, olā€™ Tom-without-a-father doesnā€™t do that sort of thing. He would just sort of idly ignore whatever they did, without reacting in any way, and he wouldnā€™t even look stubborn in doing so. But on Gandalf vs. Dumbledore, Iā€™m gonna have to ask for a scenario where they fight. The classic superhero misunderstanding doesnā€™t work, here, since theyā€™re both such astute judges of character. The closest I can come is Dumbledore vs. Saruman, where Big Albus would win easily, but then again, Gandalf won easily against olā€™ Sharky, too, so that doesnā€™t say much. ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gandalf-vs-dumbledore/198657/13 "2003-08-30T19:20:58Z")
Well, you canā€™t just dismiss Gandalfā€™s inability to use his powers directly to affect Middle-Earth. McGonagall herself says that Dumbledore has powers he _wonā€™t_ use, and Dumbledore is coy about the answer. They appear to labor under the same constraint of being Good Guys. Not only that, but Gandalf knows two hundred spells _just for opening doors._ (ā€œI once knew every spell in the tongue of Men, Elves and Orcs ever used for such a purpose. I can still remember ten score of them without searching in my mind.ā€ --paraphrase from FotR) Gotta go with the big G, Iā€™m afraid. FISH ---
**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gandalf-vs-dumbledore/198657/14 "2003-08-30T19:35:12Z")
Bah. Merlin would layeth the smacketh down on both their withered candy-asses. But if you threw Aslan into the mixā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gandalf-vs-dumbledore/198657/15 "2003-08-30T20:11:03Z")
Dumbeldore is mortal. Despite all his powers, he simply hasnā€™t been around all that long. Even if you assume G-Money and D-Spank are roughly equal intellectually, G-Money has thousands of years more training, practice, and tobacco. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gandalf-vs-dumbledore/198657/16 "2003-08-30T20:34:19Z")
ā€œG-Moneyā€ and ā€œD-Spankā€ _begins cleaning up the iced tea he spilled all over his keyboard._ ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gandalf-vs-dumbledore/198657/17 "2003-08-30T20:39:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spudo \* > \*\*Iā€™m gonna have to go with Gandalf, if only because he actually has a weapon. Itā€™d be hard for Dumbledore to get a spell off with Glamdring shoved in his throat. \*\* One disarming charm from Dumbly and Gandalf is a sitting duck. Give me the D-man. ---
**Author:** ![AbbySthrnAccent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@AbbySthrnAccent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbbySthrnAccent)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gandalf-vs-dumbledore/198657/18 "2003-08-30T21:45:02Z")
Gandalf ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gandalf-vs-dumbledore/198657/19 "2003-08-30T22:42:36Z")
Gandalf. ---
**Author:** ![Snite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Snite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snite)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gandalf-vs-dumbledore/198657/20 "2003-08-30T23:04:01Z")
Hmmm, let me think: One whose magic relies heavily on the crutch it calls a wand and without said wand, much of his powers are useless. Or one who can just use magic. Iā€™m gonna go with Gandalf. Psychopachik Vampire [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gandalf-vs-dumbledore/198657.md?page=2)