Quote:
Originally Posted by Essex
you don't have to believe me. It's just my point of view - Gandalf can be slain, Tolkien says so. I'm not going on about who is more powerful than the other - I'm just trying to explain that it's not always the greatest foe who wins a battle. Usually, yes - but not always.
If one says that so and so (Gandalf) is stronger than so and so (WK) then he must win in battle then this is very 1 dimensional thinking.
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Gandalf is not just a vulnerable human being, otherwise his burns suffered against the Balrog would have killed him far earlier. Plus, his battle against the Balrog lasted 2 days at least, which no ordinary human body could cope with. Yes, Gandalf does eventually die as a result, but a normal human body would not have sustained the fire of a Balrog, & thus he would have died instantly. We cannot therefore assume Gandalf is as vulnerable as what the Silmarillion makes out with confidence. His Maiar powers obviously shield his body to a large extent, or at least allow him to heal very quickly.
In Middle Earth history, can you think of any examples whereby the weaker baddie defeats a so called mightier goodie?