Where is gandalf from in lord of the rings

Bottom line: do not be deceived by Gandalf's mortal appearance as an old man, and do not underestimate him. As a wizard, Gandalf's magical power is in light and fire, which he is able to manipulate by casting beams of light, starting and directing fires, and more.

Although he is very powerful magically, his power does have its limits. In extreme instances of conjuring of flame and light, Gandalf's strength is depleted, and he must rest and recharge before pressing on. Gandalf has many allies and friends; he seems to know all of the major characters in the trilogy and in other entries as well. Through his association with Bilbo, he later meets his nephew, Frodo.

After convincing Bilbo to leave the Ring to his nephew, fearing that his friend was becoming too reliant on its powers, Gandalf provides early counsel to Frodo about the Ring's dangers, warning him not to use it. While caught up in dealing with his old friend Saruman and his betrayal of their mission to fight against Sauron, Gandalf puts out a call to Strider also known as Aragorn and the secret heir to Gondor to come to the aid of Frodo and his fellow Hobbits, as he is unable to help them.

Gandalf is rescued by an old ally, Gwaihir, the chief of the eagles, and obtains his trusty steed, Shadowfax, a horse with magical speed and strength. Gandalf leads the Fellowship on a quest to Mount Doom, where they intend to destroy the Ring. However, they don't get very far. Gandalf wants to avoid Isengard, so he ends up leading their group across the Misty Mountains. Unfortunately, a storm forces them to take refuge in the mines of Moria, which contains an abandoned Dwarf city that has become overrun by Orcs and evil.

It is here that Gandalf must face the Balrog of Morgoth. By the time Gandalf returns, Frodo is beyond his grasp. Gandalf also aids in the Siege of Gondor, and then assists Aragorn in the final battles against Sauron's forces.

While he might not be the trilogy's central character, Gandalf is instrumental in seeing that Ring is destroyed and ensuring that the people involved in its destruction are looked after.

Technically, Gandalf the Grey dies when he battles the Balrog at the end of The Fellowship of the Ring, although we only hear what happened next in summary. Gandalf and the Balrog fall into an endless chasm and finally land in a deep lake, where Gandalf chases the Balrog through the tunnels and up the Endless Stairs to Durin's Tower.

Gandalf defeats the Balrog by throwing it from the tower and down the mountain, but he perishes in the process.

His soul, however, is sent back to Middle-earth, so that Gandalf can fulfill his original mission and conquer Sauron. He built many careful relationships over time with great lords and leaders of Dwarves, Men, and Elves; knowing that cultivating these would lead to greater resistance against Sauron. He was very fond of Hobbits, being perhaps the only one of the Wise who actually took notice of them. Gandalf was greatly learned in history, languages, and magic.

He most often used his powers indirectly to offer counsel and fair influence on the hearts of Men. His innate ability to inspire those he met was undoubtedly enhanced by Narya — it should be noted the Istari were forbidden to oppose Sauron with direct force. Gandalf and Radagast can both speak to animals; Gandalf and Saruman both have some level of ability to mystify using only their voice.

But it also seems like wizards have specialties. Tolkien says that the Valar deliberately did not mandate that the Istari work together, and in part chose them for their different and separate powers and inclinations. Which might seem odd for a guy whose biggest magic moments in the movies involve summoning great white beams of light or fighting another wizard with invisible waves of force.

To Tolkien, Gandalf embodied the fire of creation in the forge, the fire of warmth in the hearth, and the torch fire that keeps the darkness at bay. When Gandalf died, his divine being left his set physical form, and about 20 days later, he was returned to life. Naked I was sent back — for a brief time, until my task is done. And, of course, he was sent back changed. The moment he does his big villain reveal to Gandalf, he also reveals a change of wardrobe.

I looked then and saw that his robes, which had seemed white, were not so, but were woven of all colours, and if he moved they shimmered and changed hue so that the eye was bewildered. White cloth may be dyed. The white page can be overwritten; and the white light can be broken. Even for an Englishman and an English professor, Tolkien dressed to be forgotten, partly as a conscious rejection of the academic philosophy of aestheticism.

Tolkien genuinely felt that boring colors were more noble than flashy ones. One of the biggest things that the Valar did for Middle-earth was to bring light to it, through the stars, sun, and moon and, at one point, some special glowing trees. As Gandalf the White, the sole emissary of the Valar, he was given greater powers and wisdom.

This Gandalf didn't have the time to smoke with Bilbo Baggins or entertain hobbits with fireworks. His white wardrobe and staff also represented his new position among the wizards sent by the Valar. Previously, Saruman the White was the head of the order, but he betrayed the forces of good and joined Sauron.

By taking his title, Gandalf became the leader of the wizards and was given authority to punish Saruman. Another difference is that Gandalf the White could be harsher and applied his powers more readily.