In The Lord of the Rings, there are five main wizards who are mentioned, but fans of the movies are most likely familiar with only two of them: Gandalf and Saruman. While the wizards in Middle-earth are actually ancient beings known as Istari, meaning they were servants and powerful beings of the gods of Middle-earth, they took the form of wizards. While there are technically only five wizards in the series, there are other magic beings in Middle-earth that function similarly in terms of power.
The most powerful wizards in The Lord of the Rings, as well as other powerful magical beings from Tolkien’s works, are a fascinating group of characters who all find different uses for their magical capabilities. While some are pure of heart, others are corrupted by power and choose a dark path. There’s much mystery surrounding magic and wizards in The Lord of the Rings, and fans have devotedly pondered on the power levels and histories behind the magic users of Middle-earth.
Related All 5 Wizards/Istari In Lord Of The Rings Explained
In Lord of the Rings, and all of Tolkien lore, there were five Wizards that came from Valinor to help the peoples of Middle-Earth defeat Sauron.
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9 Wormtongue
Saruman’s Stooge Had Power Of His Own
Grima Womrtongue is a secondary antagonist in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Return of the King. He’s Saruman’s lackey and responsible for Helm’s Deep almost falling. However, while the movies made it seem like Grima was merely a conduit for Saruman’s power during the period that Theoden was under the White Wizard’s influence, there’s likely a reason that Saruman selected Grima specifically.
While Wormtongue is not really a wizard, there are clearly things about him that point to him having some connection to dark magic. As the spy and agent of Saruman, he was up close to all of Saruman’s wizardry, and he was often used to help aid in this. He was essential in helping Saruman with the possession spell he placed over Théoden. So, while he might not be a wizard in the traditional Middle-earth sense, it’s not that unlikely that he would have tried to learn from Saruman.
8 The Blue Wizards
The Pair Of Missing Istari
All of the five wizards, or Istari, rank among the most powerful magic users in J.R.R Tolkien’s stories, though the two missing Blue Wizards are the most mysterious. They arrived alongside Gandalf, Saruman, and Radagast in Middle-Earth together in T.A. 1000. Although, the exact date changes a little depending on the book and the source. They were sent to Middle-earth to help the fight against Sauron.
While Gandalf, Saruman, and Radagast are prominent in both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, there were two blue wizards who were briefly mentioned in the series. Their names aren’t super clear, but there is one mention that names them Alatar and Pallando. Not much known about these two wizards, but they get their names because of the color of robes they were said to wear.
Unlike Radagast, Gandalf, and Saruman, the two blue wizards were sent to resist Sauron’s forces in the east instead of the west. Each of these wizards had a certain mission and part they were to play in fighting Sauron. However, it’s heavily implied that the blue wizards did not complete their mission but failed instead. The biggest evidence for this is in Unfinished Tales when Tolkien wrote that, “indeed of all the Istari, one only remained faithful.” This was about Gandalf. Tolkien also suggested that they were likely founders of magic cults with followers.
7 Radagast The Brown
The Wizard With A Druidic Presence
As one of the most powerful beings in The Lord of the Rings, Radagast the Brown is one of the five wizards who came to Middle-earth on a mission to oppose Sauron and was a friend of Gandalf in the series. However, he does not appear to be as powerful as Gandalf (as The Grey or The White) or Saruman. That being said, Radagast also has a specific focus for his magic, and it’s entirely possible he could best any of his Istari kin were a conflict to take place in a forest where the Brown Wizard could best make use of his unique skills.
Instead of focusing his energy on helping the humanoid creatures of Middle-earth, Radagast turned instead to helping plants and animals. Because of this, although he did have powers, he didn’t do much to help in the War of the Ring. He was clearly powerful, but not as much as other magical beings. Gandalf described Radagast as being especially adept at shape-shifting, which is a trick neither Gandalf nor Saruman displayed during The Lord of the Rings (although they were probably capable).
6 Gandalf The Grey
The Quintessential Tolkien Wizard
In both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf is introduced as Gandalf the Grey. While this form wasn’t the peak of Gandalf’s power, he was still a force to be reckoned with among the various magic users in Middle-earth, and it’s clear to see why his reputation preceded him as he traveled the land. It was Gandalf the Grey who earned the respect of the likes of Elrond and Galadriel after all, and who was pivotal in stopping the Necromancer (a hidden form of Sauron himself) in The Hobbit.
As the Grey Wizard, Gandalf is clearly powerful, defeating a Balrog before succumbing to his wounds, and is also rather adept at hiding a lot of his power. However, by this point, he hadn’t reached the full height of his powers yet. Gandalf is one of the wizards who are most committed to the mission of stopping Sauron, so even at this early stage, he is still at work wandering around and trying to accomplish this mission.
5 Saruman The White
The Original White Wizard
Prior to Gandalf returning in The Two Towers, Saruman the White was considered the most powerful of the Istari, and among the strongest magic users in Middle-earth. Throughout most of the time that Gandalf knows Saruman the White, they are allies. However, Saruman eventually chooses to side with Sauron, and it’s a testament to the White wizard’s power that Gandalf is instantly fearful of the alliance. He knows that Saruman won’t just be another one of Sauron’s henchmen, but will considerably boost the chances of Mordor achieving victory.
Saruman was originally the chief of the wizards, as well as the head of the White Council that was formed to fight against Sauron. He was more powerful than Gandalf at these stages, and his study of dark magic that turned him to support Sauron also gave him even greater abilities. However, before he turned to the dark forces, he was a very powerful wizard. His magic is on display during his duel with Gandalf, and it says a lot that Gandalf loses and even appears to fear Saruman.
Related Lord of The Rings: How Old Is Saruman?
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4 Ilmare
An Angelic Presence
The mythology of Middle-earth is quite complicated and includes a lot of powerful magic users beyond wizards. What’s more, the Istari themselves are also connected to Eru Iluvatar, the closest being in Middle-earth to a representation of God, and the angelic Varda. While the Istari were among the most powerful magical beings sent to Middle-earth by Eru Iluvatar, they were not the only ones.
The Varda were essentially angelic beings or demigods of Middle-earth, depending on each reader’s specific interpretation, and they had many servants and helpers. The Istari were one kind of servant. Ilmare was another kind. She was the handmaiden of Varda and a guardian of the stars. She was also one of the chiefs of the Maiar, a group to which the Istari also belong and, as such, ranks higher than many of even the most powerful wizards in The Lord of the Rings.
3 Saruman Of Many Colors
The Final Form Of Saruman
As far as the most potent forms of sorcery in J.R.R Tolkien’s writings go, it’s not always light magic that is the most powerful, and Saruman best embodies this fact when it comes to the wizards of Middle-earth. While Saruman might have been the most powerful wizard when he was still on the good side, he grew in might and power as he followed the teachings of Sauron. Of course, this ultimately leads to his downfall, but even still, he is powerful in this form.
While it’s not really elaborated on much in the story itself, Saruman the White had a Gandalf-like name change of his own, and chose to be known as Saruman of Many Colors. As Saruman of Many Colors, he had abandoned his mission in Middle-earth and turned instead to trying to gain as much power as possible. However, not only did his eschewing of the name given to him by the Valar have symbolic meaning, it also showed his belief that his powers now surpassed literally every other Istari on Middle-earth to the point he could perform any magic they were capabale of.
2 Gandalf The White
The Resurrected Grey Wizard
The transformation from Gandalf the Grey to Gandalf the White can easily be read as a resurrection story of sorts. Gandalf was a powerful wizard before, but he goes from somewhat powerful to the height of his power after he battles the Balrog. This transformation also marked Gandalf effectively taking Saruman’s place as the chief wizard. Gandalf is the only one left who is still seeking to end Sauron and this transformation gave him even more power than before, ultimately leading him to victory.
When comparing the two White wizards in Lord of the Rings, it’s important to note that Gandalf is much more powerful than Saruman despite the fact the two share a title. This is because Gandalf the White was sent back to Middle-earth by the Valar with the specific purpose of helping to end Sauron once and for all, and removing Saruman was part of this wider quest. In no uncertain terms, Gandalf the White was specifically created to be more powerful than Saruman. While The Lord of the Rings movies never showed a direct duel between them, had they faced head-to-head Gandalf the White would have had no issues besting Saruman.
1 Sauron
The Great Evil Is A Master Of Magic
While the various wizards in Middle-earth represent some of its most powerful magic users, they’re not the most powerful magic-wielding beings conceived of by J.R.R Tolkien. When it comes to The Lord of the Rings, the most powerful magic user is inarguably Sauron, the great evil that presides over Mordor. Sauron has a great deal of spells and magical abilities at his disposal, and these were factors in much of what he did from creating the Rings of Power to taking the form of the Great Eye of Mordor.
While not technically an Istari, Sauron is an extremely powerful character who has a lot of abilities that appear magical in the same way the likes of the Middle-earth wizards do. There’s a reason for the similarities though, and an explanation as to why Sauron is able to wield magic like Gandalf and Saruman. Sauron, much like the Istari, is one of the Maia. While he might not technically fall under the wizard category, his magic and might is vast. His mastery of dark magic is unrivalled, and while he may not take the title of one, in practical terms he’s easily among the most powerful wizards in The Lord of the Rings.
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a multimedia franchise consisting of several movies and a TV show released by Amazon titled The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The franchise is based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s book series that began in 1954 with The Fellowship of the Ring. The Lord of the Rings saw mainstream popularity with Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.
Movie(s) The Lord of the Rings (1978) , The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring , The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers , The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King , The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey , The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug , The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies , The Lord of The Rings: The War of The Rohirrim Created by J.R.R. Tolkien First Film The Lord of the Rings (1978) Cast Norman Bird , Anthony Daniels , Elijah Wood , Ian McKellen , Liv Tyler , Viggo Mortensen , Sean Astin , Cate Blanchett , John Rhys-Davies , Billy Boyd , Dominic Monaghan , Orlando Bloom , Christopher Lee , Hugo Weaving , Sean Bean , Ian Holm , Andy Serkis , Brad Dourif , Karl Urban , Martin Freeman , Richard Armitage , James Nesbitt , Ken Stott , Benedict Cumberbatch , Evangeline Lilly , Lee Pace , Luke Evans , Morfydd Clark , Mike Wood , Ismael Cruz Cordova , Charlie Vickers , Markella Kavenagh , Megan Richards , Sara Zwangobani , Daniel Weyman , Cynthia Addai-Robinson , Lenny Henry , Brian Cox , Shaun Dooley , Miranda Otto , Bilal Hasna , Benjamin Wainwright , Luke Pasqualino , Christopher Guard , William Squire , Michael Scholes , John Hurt TV Show(s) The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Character(s) Frodo Baggins , Gandalf , Legolas , Boromir , Sauron , Gollum , Samwise Gamgee , Pippin Took , Celeborn , Aragorn , Galadriel , Bilbo Baggins , Saruman , Aldor , Wormtongue , Thorin Oakenshield , Balin Dwalin , Bifur , Bofur , Bombur , Fili , Kili , Oin , Gloin , Nori , Dori , Ori , Tauriel , King Thranduil , Smaug , Radagast , Arondir , Nori Brandyfoot , Poppy Proudfellow , Marigold Brandyfoot , Queen Regent Míriel , Sadoc Burrows Expand