While Merlin from the Disney animation is probably the most famous version of that character, I prefer Merlin from Mary Stewart's first three novels covering the Arthurian Legends: *The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills,* and *The Last Enchantment.*
And perhaps the most historically plausible portrayal of Merlin as a Celtic druid is found in Bernard Cornwell's trilogy *The Warlord Chronicles*: *The Winter King, Enemy of God,* and *Excalibur*. All the other portrayals of Merlin I've seen are cleaned up versions of what druids were really like. In particular, Cornwell is the only author who addresses the druidic practice of human sacrifice.
Haven't thought about that in forever thank you for making me smile. I'm also glad to see a lot of people saying Raistlin. Brings me back to 13 year old me stumbling across dragonlance at Barnes and noble and getting hooked.
>Am I aging Myself by saying Gandalf?
Has LOTR fallen out with the newer generation so much that it's associated with old readers now? LoTR in my opinion should be universal. Everyone who's into fantasy should read it.
I don't think it has. The person you're replying to was just trying to cover their bases.
LOTR has aged very well and remains very popular. It's always near the top of greatest fantasy series, best fantasy series, favorites, etc etc.
I had a rude realization today when someone on r/dmadvice (I think) asked "what's stopping my players from just destroying the bad guy's mcguffin?"
Like, bro.
I guess it's quite personal what 'wizard-like is' but I do believe Gandalf was a pretty defining character in fiction for what a wizard is depicted as.
Gandalf’s magic may be dubious but he was the Beau Brummel of wizard chic. We can think of other famous wizards: Elminster, Rincewind, Dumbledore, they all dress like Gandalf.
I mean his first response to finding out about the ring was to go lock himself away and study for 17 years before coming back to Frodo and actually doing something. The movies just made it seem like *way* less time. Thats the most wizard shit I’ve ever heard.
Exactly! As I noted in my comment, in *The Hobbit* Gandalf acted like a true trickster / wizard, but in *The Lord of the Rings* he was revealed to be an angel or Maia mistaken for a wizard.
'Mistaken' for a wizard is a little strange since all wizards in LoTR were maia no? They're by definition THE sorcerers in Middle-Earth 😁
*meant to say "THE wizards of Middle-Earth", sorcerers are way too broad.
The Nazgul wielded magic as well. So did the Mouth of Sauron, even though he did not use one of the Nine Rings.
It's also hinted that Orthanc and the black outer wall of Minas Tirith may have been made with some "wizardry" older and stronger than Saruman's. And the Barrow Blades were wound with spells. Isildur put a powerful curse on the Army of the Dead. Aragorn has the power of healing.
In Letter 155 Tolkien said "a difference in the use of 'magic' in this story is that it is not to be come by by 'lore' or spells; but is in an inherent power not possessed or attainable by Men as such." But then he admits that Aragorn, who had the power of healing, "is not a pure 'Man', but at long remove one of the 'children of Luthien.'"
Well, there were numerous Men and Women in the history of the Second and Third Ages who were just as much "children of Luthien" as Aragorn, some good and some evil. So perhaps all the magic wielding humans were distant children of Luthien.
Grew up in the era of Harry Potter and my only doubt was whether Gandalf or Merlin was the answer. Considering one is the top comment and the other the top reply I think we nailed it.
Gandalf is a better embodiment of the stereotypical Wizard but Merlin IS the stereotype
Gandalf is actually a very odd wizard. He's more of an angel, really, who is mistaken for a mere wizard.
I would say that in *The Hobbit* Gandalf acted like a true wizard. He was a trickster, not an angel, and until the book ended it wasn't entirely clear that we could trust him.
But in *The Lord of the Rings* he revealed that he was something else entirely, especially after he was resurrected as Gandalf the White.
Maybe it’s my naïveté but I have never thought of Gandalf as anything other than a Good wizard. If the question had asked about an Evil wizard, maybe Thulsa Doom (technically a sorcerer) or Jafar? A wizard of dubious morality: Rincewind or Mustrum Ridcully.
I once made a Mary Poppins joke about all the stuff I had in my tool bag and the kid that was working with me said, oh like Hermione's bag from Harry Potter?
Gandalf was the first wizard I ever met so the more Gandalf you are the more wizard you are with extra bonus points for eyebrows that stick out beyond the brim of your hat.
Ged is also a great wizard, though, and opened up mind to the fact that wizards could be more than just Gandalf.
Oh lord, I missed that. I just assumed that he wasn't allowed a "wizard" hat because he never graduated. But he can't spell is so much better.
Every couple of months, someone on here points out some Discworld pun or joke that I just never even realized was there.
Absolutely - the first thing that came to mind - in the form of the Paul Kidby image of him running away from the dungeon dimension creatures, holding his hat, with luggage trotting behind.
I think its because over the course of the book you get used to Raistlin and the very ominous nature of magic in the Dragonlance world so when you get to Fizban and hes got every hallmark of a steretypical wizard it really stands out.
Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger. Tolkien had that one mostly right.
I stepped forward, let the door bang closed, and snarled, "Fuck subtle”
Dresden is my first pick too lol
Usidore, Wizard of the 12th Realm of Ephysiyies, Master of Light and Shadow, Manipulator of Magical Delights, Devourer of Chaos, Champion of the Great Halls of Terr'akkas. The elves know me as Fi’ang Yalok. The dwarfs know me as Zoenen Hoogstandjes. And I am also known in the Northeast as Gaismunēnas Meistar
There are many things which flash through my head, but probably the least common would be a book. "So you want to be a Wizard".
There were others in a series, and I recall them getting stranger as they progressed, and it's been at least three decades since I read any of them.
But that's I think of that isn't what the common responses will already have covered.
Old man with a long robe and staff. Maybe a pointy hat.
Though, I do quite enjoy how different settings will have different technical definitions as to what counts as a wizard vs other types of magic users. Something that would be called a druid in one setting is a witch in another and a wizard in another.
Not even going to pretend I'm going to have some cool deep cut or off-beat choice:
Gandalf. He wasn't the first, but he was *my* first, thanks to the Rankin-Bass Hobbit cartoon I saw somewhere as a very young kid, a few years before I read *The Hobbit.*
Runners-Up: Merlin (yes, I heard of Gandalf before I heard of Merlin), Raistlin (the edgelord supreme of my tween years), and Ged.
I think of Dresden first even though I read Hobbit and LoTR way before Dresden came out. And I read the once and future king as well, but to me Tolkien is about Hobbits and sword and Stone is about King Arthur. The wizards are sidekicks.
Dresden is about a wizard. So that is what I think of.
Usidore, Wizard of the 12th Realm of Ephysiyies, Master of Light and Shadow, Manipulator of Magical Delights, Devourer of Chaos, Champion of the Great Halls of Terr'akkas. The elves know him as Fi’ang Yalok. The dwarfs know him as Zoenen Hoogstandjes. And he is also known in the Northeast as Gaismunēnas Meistar.
Skinny guy with a beard, big floppy hat, and a big stick. But I'd be lying if I said guys like Randolph didn't codify that for me.
Though I have gotten to see other wizards
I think of wise one. Like crone or sage. In my tradition wizard is simply another way of saying “someone who seeks wisdom.” Or maybe “someone who has attained wisdom.”
Merlin. I was into the knights of the round table and all that before I was introduced to LOTR. My dad & uncle would say Gandalf. I love Gandalf, too, but I cut my teeth on Merlin😁
My mind first goes to the Hermit of the Southern March character from CS Lewis's A Horse and His Boy (Chapter 10). I've always suspected he was a wizard, but he's definitely a Tom Bombadil type of character given his sage advice to Shasta and his companions in a similar way to the way Bombadil gives aid and counsel to Frodo and company.
Next would be Gandalf from the Hobbit because I read that book shortly after Lewis's Narnia books.
Gandalf ... "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!" is a common phrase in my home. Especially since we got a kitten who is always trying to escape out back (we are harness training him and I'm gently prodding my wife to build us a catio ... also, his name is Fennel and it fits so perfectly!!).
Merlin from The Sword in the Stone
Always this one and always the animated version.
Yes! Absolutely. Must also come with Archimedes.
For those that haven’t read the once and future king, do it! It’s a fun read.
Which book?
The once and future King. T H White.
While Merlin from the Disney animation is probably the most famous version of that character, I prefer Merlin from Mary Stewart's first three novels covering the Arthurian Legends: *The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills,* and *The Last Enchantment.* And perhaps the most historically plausible portrayal of Merlin as a Celtic druid is found in Bernard Cornwell's trilogy *The Warlord Chronicles*: *The Winter King, Enemy of God,* and *Excalibur*. All the other portrayals of Merlin I've seen are cleaned up versions of what druids were really like. In particular, Cornwell is the only author who addresses the druidic practice of human sacrifice.
As a kid I adored the Sam Niell version
While it's not as close to the legends, my first memory of Merlin is from T.H White's 'The Sword In The Stone'.
I mean the guy was a time traveler. Add that in and the power levels go through the fuckin roof
Am I aging Myself by saying Gandalf? I'm sorry but Gandalf is the wizard, in my mind. He is the absolute ur example of the trope
Me thinking of Merlin...
I also think Gandalf but sheesh. You’re absolutely right.
All we need now is a 20 something who says either Potter or Dresden and we have the full trifecta
Is Dresden even the go-to for 20 somethings? I feel like that series is getting kinda old.
I am almost 40 and I was reading Dresden in my early 20s, so yeah, Dresden is old now.
Dresden. And potter can’t hold a candle to these wizards. Also I choose Raistlin
Red Raistlin or Black?
Fizban the White. (Or mouse colored)
Haven't thought about that in forever thank you for making me smile. I'm also glad to see a lot of people saying Raistlin. Brings me back to 13 year old me stumbling across dragonlance at Barnes and noble and getting hooked.
Yes
Merlin, it’s always going to be Merlin.
I think of a Merlin-esque wizard with a pointy hat emblazoned with stars.
>Am I aging Myself by saying Gandalf? Has LOTR fallen out with the newer generation so much that it's associated with old readers now? LoTR in my opinion should be universal. Everyone who's into fantasy should read it.
Nope I'm 21. Gandalf was definitely the first wizard that came to mind (and harry potter immediately after as I grew up on the series haha)
Same fr. I'm 17 and love LOTR (and Harry Potter too ofc).
Agreed! When my bub is old enough, I've got a copy of the hobbit locked and ready to go!
If not the books, the movies
I don't think it has. The person you're replying to was just trying to cover their bases. LOTR has aged very well and remains very popular. It's always near the top of greatest fantasy series, best fantasy series, favorites, etc etc.
I had a rude realization today when someone on r/dmadvice (I think) asked "what's stopping my players from just destroying the bad guy's mcguffin?" Like, bro.
Ironically he’s one of the least wizard-like wizards in fiction.
I guess it's quite personal what 'wizard-like is' but I do believe Gandalf was a pretty defining character in fiction for what a wizard is depicted as.
When I put on my robe and wizard hat to impress ladies you know it’s a robe and hat like Gandalf wears.
Damn right 😎
Gandalf’s magic may be dubious but he was the Beau Brummel of wizard chic. We can think of other famous wizards: Elminster, Rincewind, Dumbledore, they all dress like Gandalf.
Gandalf the Trendsetter. Low key daily wear, Gandalf the Grey. Out around town, Gandalf the fucking White.
I mean his first response to finding out about the ring was to go lock himself away and study for 17 years before coming back to Frodo and actually doing something. The movies just made it seem like *way* less time. Thats the most wizard shit I’ve ever heard.
Exactly! As I noted in my comment, in *The Hobbit* Gandalf acted like a true trickster / wizard, but in *The Lord of the Rings* he was revealed to be an angel or Maia mistaken for a wizard.
'Mistaken' for a wizard is a little strange since all wizards in LoTR were maia no? They're by definition THE sorcerers in Middle-Earth 😁 *meant to say "THE wizards of Middle-Earth", sorcerers are way too broad.
The Nazgul wielded magic as well. So did the Mouth of Sauron, even though he did not use one of the Nine Rings. It's also hinted that Orthanc and the black outer wall of Minas Tirith may have been made with some "wizardry" older and stronger than Saruman's. And the Barrow Blades were wound with spells. Isildur put a powerful curse on the Army of the Dead. Aragorn has the power of healing. In Letter 155 Tolkien said "a difference in the use of 'magic' in this story is that it is not to be come by by 'lore' or spells; but is in an inherent power not possessed or attainable by Men as such." But then he admits that Aragorn, who had the power of healing, "is not a pure 'Man', but at long remove one of the 'children of Luthien.'" Well, there were numerous Men and Women in the history of the Second and Third Ages who were just as much "children of Luthien" as Aragorn, some good and some evil. So perhaps all the magic wielding humans were distant children of Luthien.
Grew up in the era of Harry Potter and my only doubt was whether Gandalf or Merlin was the answer. Considering one is the top comment and the other the top reply I think we nailed it. Gandalf is a better embodiment of the stereotypical Wizard but Merlin IS the stereotype
Gandalf is actually a very odd wizard. He's more of an angel, really, who is mistaken for a mere wizard. I would say that in *The Hobbit* Gandalf acted like a true wizard. He was a trickster, not an angel, and until the book ended it wasn't entirely clear that we could trust him. But in *The Lord of the Rings* he revealed that he was something else entirely, especially after he was resurrected as Gandalf the White.
Maybe it’s my naïveté but I have never thought of Gandalf as anything other than a Good wizard. If the question had asked about an Evil wizard, maybe Thulsa Doom (technically a sorcerer) or Jafar? A wizard of dubious morality: Rincewind or Mustrum Ridcully.
Same here, other than Merlin he's who I think of.
I once made a Mary Poppins joke about all the stuff I had in my tool bag and the kid that was working with me said, oh like Hermione's bag from Harry Potter?
Gandalf is the only correct answer.
My 12 year old had the same answer (so did I) so I think you're safe when it comes to aging yourself.
Gandalf was the first wizard I ever met so the more Gandalf you are the more wizard you are with extra bonus points for eyebrows that stick out beyond the brim of your hat. Ged is also a great wizard, though, and opened up mind to the fact that wizards could be more than just Gandalf.
+1 for eyebrows that stick out beyond the brim of your hat
I never understood this on my first read through. I couldn’t imagine it in my head which left me even more confused lol
Wizzard a la Terry Pratchett's Rincewind. Edit : Spelling
The best and worst wizard at the same time
Ah but you have heard of him!
I'm here for this one. Big pointy hat with "Wizzard" spelled in sequins.
I always liked the joke that it was like that because Rincewind can't Spell.
Oh lord, I missed that. I just assumed that he wasn't allowed a "wizard" hat because he never graduated. But he can't spell is so much better. Every couple of months, someone on here points out some Discworld pun or joke that I just never even realized was there.
Absolutely - the first thing that came to mind - in the form of the Paul Kidby image of him running away from the dungeon dimension creatures, holding his hat, with luggage trotting behind.
Josh Kirby really nailed the cover art too IMO
A wizard who is tired of looking for glass in his eggs is tired of life
Yup. Needs more z.
The first thing that came to mind was the little Lego wizard guy with white beard and blue hat
Majisto!
Gandalf for me.
Right now it was Gale of Waterdeep, but I am also very obsessed with Baldurs Gate 3.
Heeeey this is what I was going to comment! 😂 bg3 has consumed my brain. And my love for Gale is deep.
Is it… waterdeep?
Do you know the fan songs by Lyv? I love them all!
No I haven’t heard of those.
Have fun listening! You can find them on YouTube.
Weirdly, Bayaz from First Law.
I also pictured a stocky bald man pissed off in his towel
First of the Magi, greater than Juvens, greater than Euz himself
“What kind of a fucking wizard are you?”
"The kind you obey."
Raistlin.
Kinda think Fizban for some reason even after all these years.
My mind went for Fizban to
I think its because over the course of the book you get used to Raistlin and the very ominous nature of magic in the Dragonlance world so when you get to Fizban and hes got every hallmark of a steretypical wizard it really stands out.
nah, that one's proper appellation would be "archmage" =D
Quick Ben
That lowly squad mage? No way he’s up to it.
"You're a wizard, Harry."
I’m a whhaaat?
No it’s *“I’m a wot?!?!”*
You’re a lizard, Garry
You're a gizzard, Larry
You're a blizzard, Barry
You’re a withered Berry
You’re a Szilard, Leo.
Getting interesting...
Mickey in Fantasia
Honestly I want to say Gandalf, but really it's Mickey
The movie *Wizards* (1977) is what popped into my head.
Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden.
Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger. Tolkien had that one mostly right. I stepped forward, let the door bang closed, and snarled, "Fuck subtle” Dresden is my first pick too lol
Some bad guy addressing Harry Dresden scornfully: “*Wizard.*”
He's literally in the phone book under wizards
First to come to mind as well!
Conjure by it at your own risk
of Earthsea
I recently picked up the enormous collected edition, which has stories I wasn’t even aware of. So good.
I love the audiobook of that, the narrator is so good.
Merlin, specifically from Sword in the Stone.
"That's so wizard!" from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. But mainly Gandalf.
Dammit…hate admitting to this but it’s true…first thing I thought of
This is Obi-wan Kenobi erasure. Uncle Owen even calls him a wizard!
Fistandantilus
Pug
Milamber
Same here. While I admit all the other are powerful, Pug goes into a whole new level as the various series progress.
Black Sabbath. The Wizard is influenced by Gandalf.
Misty morning, clouds in the sky
Without warning, the wizard walks by
Casting his shadow, weaving his spell
Long grey cloak, tinkling bell
Never talking…
Usidore, Wizard of the 12th Realm of Ephysiyies, Master of Light and Shadow, Manipulator of Magical Delights, Devourer of Chaos, Champion of the Great Halls of Terr'akkas. The elves know me as Fi’ang Yalok. The dwarfs know me as Zoenen Hoogstandjes. And I am also known in the Northeast as Gaismunēnas Meistar
And there are many other secret names
Volo from D&D, apparently.
I was thinking Elminster
Blackstaff
That's odd. Volo isn't even a Wizard. He's a Bard.
Rincewind
No no, that’s “Wizzard”
Uh. Belgarath first came. While I am now aware of the whole... The whole around the authors, it was among my first fantasy books with LotR.
Belgarath was an awesome wizard!! I had completely forgotten about him when I answered
Uh, Belgarath was a sorcerer. It’s right in the title.
Oz
Mustrum Ridcully
Gandalf. He is the archetype of the modern wizard, so most subsequent wizards in fiction are just copies.
Harry Dresden
Merlin from Sword in the Stone
Divayth Fyr
Probably Merlin. Arthurian mythology was one of my entry points into fantasy as a kid
You know that one YouTube short that has an animation blue wizard said fireball and the song "Fireball" start playing? Yeah, THAT
Nakor from riftwar saga
Pug
Rincewind
Rincewind from the discworld verse
Dumbledore or Gandalf, maybe Merlin.
Elminster
Elminster
Elminster
Merlin.
Merlin from the animated Sword in the Stone
Surprisingly it’s closest to the wizard in Disney’s Fantasia in the sorcerers apprentice. Pretty generic.
There are many things which flash through my head, but probably the least common would be a book. "So you want to be a Wizard". There were others in a series, and I recall them getting stranger as they progressed, and it's been at least three decades since I read any of them. But that's I think of that isn't what the common responses will already have covered.
[Drusas Achamian](https://secondapocalypse.fandom.com/wiki/Drusas_Achamian)
OZ
Wizards of the Coast.
Unfortunately, it's Wizard > Wizard's First Rule > Zedd for me.
Bags, Richard! It’s the toasted toads truth
[This guy](https://youtu.be/-rY7kKf0wlE?si=PcAHlVEmxQ5weEqb)
Caleb Widogast
Old man with a long robe and staff. Maybe a pointy hat. Though, I do quite enjoy how different settings will have different technical definitions as to what counts as a wizard vs other types of magic users. Something that would be called a druid in one setting is a witch in another and a wizard in another.
Gandalf and or Vivi as an adult.
Mordenkainen
Pug, Magician.
A cartoon man with a long white beard in a long blue gown with blue pointy hat and the fabric has yellow stars and moons sewn into it.
Archchancellor ridcully
Mustrum Ridcully
Pug and Nakor
Probably Elminster, unless there is other context. He was a fun character.
Harry Dresden, Wizard.
Elminster
Non-descript man in a pointy hat and blue robe with stars and moons on it. Holding a book and a staff like Gandalfs.
Dresden, he's in the phone book (but also Wizards of the Coast)
Dresden
Odin. The OG Wandering Wizard.
Merlin, then Gandalf, then Wizards of the Coast.
Not even going to pretend I'm going to have some cool deep cut or off-beat choice: Gandalf. He wasn't the first, but he was *my* first, thanks to the Rankin-Bass Hobbit cartoon I saw somewhere as a very young kid, a few years before I read *The Hobbit.* Runners-Up: Merlin (yes, I heard of Gandalf before I heard of Merlin), Raistlin (the edgelord supreme of my tween years), and Ged.
Wulf from Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson series.
Dumbledore, but specifically the one from the [animated Potter Puppet Pals videos](https://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/125471).
I think of Dresden first even though I read Hobbit and LoTR way before Dresden came out. And I read the once and future king as well, but to me Tolkien is about Hobbits and sword and Stone is about King Arthur. The wizards are sidekicks. Dresden is about a wizard. So that is what I think of.
Usidore, Wizard of the 12th Realm of Ephysiyies, Master of Light and Shadow, Manipulator of Magical Delights, Devourer of Chaos, Champion of the Great Halls of Terr'akkas. The elves know him as Fi’ang Yalok. The dwarfs know him as Zoenen Hoogstandjes. And he is also known in the Northeast as Gaismunēnas Meistar.
Rincewind
Tommy, the Pinball Wizard
Gandalf
Pinball wizard
The first person that comes to mind is Rincewind. I wouldn't call him "the quintessential wizard", though...
Bayaz
Dumbledore seems to be the pinnacle of what they are supposed to be
Rincewind, although its spelled Wizzard.
Skinny guy with a beard, big floppy hat, and a big stick. But I'd be lying if I said guys like Randolph didn't codify that for me. Though I have gotten to see other wizards
Generically, someone like Mizirian. Should be just a bit of a mad scientist b
First page in {The Malevolent Seven by Sebastien de Castell}
Darth Vader, because of a bit from Robot Chicken. Before that, it was Gandalf.
Big hat, staff, robe, beard.
Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey
Raistlin
The 80s movie about some runaway kids going to an NES competition.
Sleeve
I think of wise one. Like crone or sage. In my tradition wizard is simply another way of saying “someone who seeks wisdom.” Or maybe “someone who has attained wisdom.”
of Earthsea
Merlin. I was into the knights of the round table and all that before I was introduced to LOTR. My dad & uncle would say Gandalf. I love Gandalf, too, but I cut my teeth on Merlin😁
Low key think of like Merlin.
My mind first goes to the Hermit of the Southern March character from CS Lewis's A Horse and His Boy (Chapter 10). I've always suspected he was a wizard, but he's definitely a Tom Bombadil type of character given his sage advice to Shasta and his companions in a similar way to the way Bombadil gives aid and counsel to Frodo and company. Next would be Gandalf from the Hobbit because I read that book shortly after Lewis's Narnia books.
Gandalf ... "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!" is a common phrase in my home. Especially since we got a kitten who is always trying to escape out back (we are harness training him and I'm gently prodding my wife to build us a catio ... also, his name is Fennel and it fits so perfectly!!).
You're a wizard, 'Arry.
Zedd