Valinor In
Valinor, Gandalf, a
Maia, was named
Olórin, As a Maia, Gandalf was an angelic being in human form, in service to the Creator (
Eru Ilúvatar) and the Creator's '
Secret Fire'. He took on the specific form of an old man as a sign of his
humility. His role was to advise but never to attempt to match Sauron's strength. It might be, too, that the lords of Middle-earth would be more receptive to the advice of a humble old man. to discover the truth, but the Necromancer withdrew, only to return with greater force,
The Hobbit Gandalf meets with
Bilbo in the opening of
The Hobbit. He arranges for a tea party, to which he invites the thirteen dwarves, and thus arranges the travelling group central to the narrative. Gandalf contributes the map and key to Erebor to assist the quest. On this quest Gandalf acquires the sword,
Glamdring, from the
trolls' treasure hoard.
Elrond informs them that the sword was made in
Gondolin, a city long ago destroyed, where Elrond's father lived as a child. After escaping from the
Misty Mountains pursued by goblins and
wargs, the party is carried to safety by the
Great Eagles. Gandalf then persuades
Beorn to house and provision the company for the trip through
Mirkwood. Gandalf leaves the company before they enter Mirkwood, saying that he had pressing business to attend to. He turns up again before the walls of Erebor disguised as an old man, revealing himself when it seems the Men of
Esgaroth and the
Mirkwood Elves will fight Thorin and the dwarves over Smaug's treasure. The Battle of Five Armies ensues when hosts of goblins and wargs attack all three parties. After the battle, Gandalf accompanies Bilbo back to
the Shire, revealing at Rivendell what his pressing business had been: Gandalf had once again urged the council to evict Sauron, since quite evidently Sauron did not require the
One Ring to continue to attract evil to Mirkwood. Then the Council "put[s] forth its power" and drives Sauron from
Dol Guldur. Sauron had anticipated this, and had feigned a withdrawal, only to reappear in
Mordor.
The Lord of the Rings Gandalf the Grey the Eagle rescues Gandalf from
Orthanc.
Scraperboard illustration by
Alexander Korotich, 1981 Gandalf spent the years between
The Hobbit and
The Lord of the Rings travelling
Middle-earth in search of information on
Sauron's resurgence and
Bilbo Baggins's mysterious
ring, spurred particularly by Bilbo's initial misleading story of how he had obtained it as a "present" from
Gollum. During this period, he befriended
Aragorn and became suspicious of
Saruman. He spent as much time as he could in
the Shire, strengthening his friendship with Bilbo and
Frodo, Bilbo's orphaned cousin and adopted heir. Over the next 17 years, Gandalf travels extensively, searching for the truth about the ring. He finds the answer in Isildur's scroll, in the archives of
Minas Tirith. Gandalf searches long and hard for Gollum, often assisted by Aragorn, who eventually captures Gollum. Gandalf questions Gollum, threatening him with fire when he proves unwilling to speak. Gandalf learns that Sauron had imprisoned Gollum in his fortress of
Barad-dûr, and tortured him to reveal what he knew of the
Ring. Outside the Shire, Gandalf encounters the wizard
Radagast the Brown, who brings the news that the
Nazgûl have ridden out of Mordor—and a request from
Saruman that Gandalf come to
Isengard. Gandalf asks him to send out animals to observe the Nazgûl, and to report to him at Isengard. Gandalf leaves a letter to Frodo (urging his immediate departure) with Barliman Butterbur at the
Prancing Pony, and heads towards Isengard. There, Saruman horrifies Gandalf by asking him to help him to obtain and use the Ring. Gandalf refuses, and Saruman imprisons him at the top of
his tower. Gandalf is rescued by
Gwaihir the Eagle, who comes to him as requested via Radagast. Gandalf reaches Rivendell just before Frodo. After failing to cross Mount
Caradhras in winter, they cross under the Misty Mountains through the Mines of
Moria. There, they discover that the dwarf colony established by
Balin has been annihilated by
orcs. The Company fights with the orcs and trolls of Moria and escapes them. At the
Bridge of Khazad-dûm, they encounter "Durin's Bane," a fearsome
Balrog. Gandalf faces the Balrog to enable the others to escape. After a brief exchange of blows, Gandalf breaks the bridge beneath the Balrog with his
staff. As the Balrog falls, it wraps its whip around Gandalf's legs, dragging him over the edge. Gandalf falls into the abyss, crying "Fly, you fools!" Gandalf and the Balrog fall into a deep lake in Moria's underworld. Gandalf pursues the Balrog through the tunnels for eight days until they climb to the peak of Zirakzigil. Here they fight for two days and nights. The Balrog is defeated and cast down onto the mountainside. Gandalf also dies, and his body lies on the peak while his spirit travels "out of thought and time".
Gandalf the White He is "sent back" as Gandalf the White, and returns to life on the mountain top. Gwaihir carries him to
Lothlórien, where he is healed and re-clothed in white by
Galadriel. He travels to
Fangorn Forest, where he encounters
Aragorn,
Gimli, and
Legolas. They mistake him for
Saruman; he stops their attacks and reveals himself. Gandalf sets off to gather warriors of the Westfold for the coming battle with Saruman. He arrives just in time to defeat Saruman's army in the
battle of Helm's Deep. Gandalf and the King ride to
Isengard, which has just been destroyed by
Treebeard and his
Ents, accompanied by Merry and Pippin. Gandalf breaks Saruman's staff and expels him from the White Council and the Order of
Wizards; he takes Saruman's place as head of both. Wormtongue tries to kill Gandalf or Saruman with the
palantír of Orthanc, but misses both. Pippin retrieves the
palantír; Gandalf quickly takes it. After leaving Isengard, Pippin takes the
palantír from a sleeping Gandalf, looks into it, and comes face to face with Sauron. Gandalf gives the
palantír to Aragorn and takes the chastened Pippin with him to
Minas Tirith to keep him out of further trouble. Gandalf arrives in time to help to arrange the defences of Minas Tirith. His presence is resented by
Denethor, the
Steward of Gondor; but when his son
Faramir is gravely wounded in battle, Denethor sinks into despair and madness. Together with Prince Imrahil, Gandalf leads the defenders during the siege of the city. When the forces of
Mordor break the main gate, Gandalf, alone on Shadowfax, confronts the Lord of the Nazgûl. At that moment the Rohirrim arrive, causing the Nazgûl to withdraw. Gandalf is about to pursue, but is stopped by Pippin, who requests his intervention to save Faramir – Denethor in desperation was seeking to burn himself and his son on a funeral pyre. Gandalf saves Faramir (but not Denethor, who immolates himself), and plays no further part in the unfolding
Battle of the Pelennor Fields. After the battle, Gandalf counsels an attack against Sauron's forces at the
Black Gate, to distract Sauron's attention from Frodo and Sam; they are at that moment scaling
Mount Doom to destroy the Ring. Gandalf and Aragorn lead an army to the Black Gate, meeting the
nameless lieutenant of Mordor, who shows them Frodo's
mithril shirt and other items from the Hobbits' equipment. Gandalf rejects Mordor's terms of surrender, starting the
Battle of the Morannon. The forces of the West face the full might of Sauron's armies, until the Ring is destroyed in Mount Doom. Gandalf leads the Eagles to rescue Frodo and Sam from the erupting mountain. After the war, Gandalf crowns Aragorn as King Elessar, and helps him find a sapling of the
White Tree of Gondor. He accompanies the Hobbits back to the borders of
the Shire, before leaving to visit
Tom Bombadil. Two years later, Gandalf departs
Middle-earth forever. He boards the Ringbearers' ship in the Grey Havens and sets sail to return across
the sea to the
Undying Lands; with him are his horse Shadowfax and his friends
Frodo,
Bilbo,
Galadriel, and
Elrond. == Concept and creation ==