Why Dumbledore is Better than Gandalf

Anybody who knows me knows that I am a huge fan of Harry Potter. Fan doesn’t even begin to describe the manic obsession I have with Jo Rowling’s books and the Potterverse. Brianna Burley doesn’t have anything on me. Anyway, for those of you who aren’t that familiar with the world of Harry Potter, one of the major characters in the series is a brilliant old wizard, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Order of Merlin First Class, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. Dumbledore is considered the most brilliant wizard of the age in the wizarding world. In the universe of nerds and geeks though, there’s currently a fierce debate going on about whose more powerful and better in general: Albus Dumbledore from Harry Potter, or Gandalf the Grey from Lord of the Rings. In this post, I shall debate this issue, supporting Albus Dumbledore, against my opponent Samm Ragone, who is supporting the side of Gandalf the Grey.

Death

He died for a noble cause, trying to protect Harry and thus protecting the entire wizarding world. There was no possible way he could return to life (“No spell can reawaken the dead Harry”—Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone) making his sacrifice more meaningful. And think about it: if Gandalf is ‘resurected’, so to speak, as Gandalf the White, are Gandalf the Grey and the White the same person? It seems to me that when Gandalf comes back to life to ‘complete his life’s task’, he’s like a shadow of the person he was when he was alive, a ghost come back to complete his quest to be at peace, so the fact Gandalf comes back to life can’t even be a contending factor here.

Magical Abilities

            Dumbledore has a more extensive magical library compared to Gandalf. Gandalf and Dumbledore have different ways they use magic. Gandalf uses a staff while Dumbledore uses a wand, but while they both use spells, Dumbledore is a more able wizard because there are more spells in the wizarding world. There are over 135 spells in the world of Harry Potter, according to Wikapedia, and numerous ways witches and wizards can use their wands. They use magic in other ways as well, like potions and use of magical creatures. Magic in Harry Potter is like technology in the muggle world. It’s constantly developing and changing, new spells being created and discovered. In Middle Earth, many of the spells are performed without words, and there are very few spoken spells. Not everybody is a wizard in Middle Earth too, so progress to develop new magical methods, making Gandalf’s magical arsenal more limited.

            Besides the number of spells Dumbledore has at his disposal, he’s also the most powerful wizard in the wizarding world. He defeated an army of Inferi (dead bodies enchanted by dark wizards) single handedly, and weakened by a potion he needed to drink in order to retrieve a Horcrux to defeat the most powerful dark wizard in the world, Lord Voldemort. Dumbledore discovered the 12 uses for dragon’s blood, one of the most influential discoveries of the 20^th century.  He also is skilled in fun, quirky, simple magic as well, showing that Dumbledore is a renaissance man, skilled in all areas of magic and has defeated powerful enemies as well. He was the only one Lord Voldemort ever feared, after all. Sauron and Sauramon didn’t exactly fear Gandalf. While you don’t need your enemies to fear you, there’s something to be said for the most powerful dark wizard ever fearing his old Transfiguration teacher.

Personality and General Awesome Qualities

            Dumbledore was a man who was loved by nearly all, even by races that were seen as reclusive, proud, or savage, like mer-people and centaurs, both of whom honored Dumbledore at his funeral. He was the most beloved headmaster Hogwarts ever had, and devoted his entire life to teaching and helping young wizards, even though he could have had more ‘prestigious’ positions of power, like Minister of Magic, who is basically the president of all the wizards in Britain in Harry Potter. He was on a Chocolate Frog Card for crying out loud! That’s like the equivalent of being on a baseball card in the muggle world! Dumbledore devoted his life to taking down Lord Voldemort and believed that love would conquer all up until the very end. He was a champion of Muggles and Muggle-borns alike in his lifetime, two groups of people who are often discriminated against in the wizarding world. But besides being one of the wizarding world’s ultimate champions for good and love, Dumbledore realized his weaknesses. He was human and made mistakes as a youth and understood where his temptations lie.

            All in all, this is my argument why Dumbledore is better than Gandalf. However, I can try an argue this until the cows come home, but in the end, you’re going to have your own opinion based on which story you fell in love with more, Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. I can list all the reasons why I think Dumbledore is the better wizard, but they’re pretty equal when it comes to personality and magical ability. But this argument just shows the impact stories have on our lives. Here you have two seventeen year old girls arguing about which imaginary wizard is better. Both of their lives have been influenced so much by these separate stories, the characters feel real enough that the girls have to defend their honor. These characters have a prominent place in our thoughts and minds, all because the story they came from found a way to connect with us and come alive in our minds. And these authors, my friends, are the TRUE wizards.

 

P.S. To hear Samm's side of the debate, visit her blog, The Road Goes Ever On and On at http://kcacsammwise.blogspot.com/