Considering that Gandalf is an extremely powerful being in his own right, it may come as a surprise that he would need his own staff. Lord of the Rings. In fantasy fiction, a wizard usually carries some kind of magical instrument with him. Wizards in Harry Potter they need wands to work, and wizards Lord of the Rings everyone seems to carry a staff. However, in the case of wizards in Harry Potterthey are, in essence, just people, and wizards in Lord of the Rings god-like beings sent by even more powerful ones godlike beings, Valarto keep an eye on Middle-earth.
Gandalf, Saruman and others The wizards of J. R. R. Tolkien’s world are members of the Maiar race.. Specifically, the wizards were from a group of Mayans called the Istari. Unlike the Valar, whose number is limited, the number of Maiar is unknown. Lord of the Rings Universe. Sauron is also Maia, which could further confuse how exactly their powers and abilities work. IN Rings of Power Season 2 shows Sauron mentally abandoning people, and Gandalf in the films often fights with a sword, creating some confusion.
Gandalf’s staff helps channel his innate magical powers
The staff would not give an ordinary person magical abilities, but it strengthens Gandalf
Gandalf has innate magical powers. Lord of the Ringsbut the staff helps channel that power. This is the basic idea, although JRR Tolkien is quite vague and doesn’t explain his magic in much detail. For example, in Two Towers book, Gandalf smashed Saruman’s staff, and after this he is described as essentially a powerless man.. As Gandalf the Grey, Gandalf wields a wooden staff, while Gandalf the White has what appears to be an upgraded weapon given to him by Galadriel.
When Gandalf becomes a White Wizard, his power and wisdom increase greatly, and the staff is a visual representation of this ascension. So the staff itself appears to be a magical item, although a mortal man would not be able to wield magic if they kept it. It is imperative that the user is also a very powerful magical being. As for wizards who wield magic in Tolkien’s world, that’s not really their main goal, as contradictory as that may sound.
Lord of the Rings wizards don’t have access to all of their Maiar powers
The Istari were sent to turn Middle-earth against Sauron
The Valar sent the Istari to Middle-earth to help the people defeat Sauron, but not to do it for them.
Although Gandalf is an extremely powerful being, his interference in the Third Age is mitigated by the limitations of his abilities. The Valar sent the Istari to Middle-earth to help the people defeat Sauron, but not to do it for them. Gandalf and the other Istar are present to give advice and counsel rather than directly fight Sauron as the Maiar.and this explains much of why Saruman’s treachery is so terrible. The rules of magic are unclear. Lord of the Ringsbut there are important reasons for how everything affects Tolkien’s stories.