The One Ring could have been claimed by Gandalf in The Lord Of The Rings, but would that have been a good idea?
Whether most The Lord Of The Rings fans are aware of it or not, Gandalf is one of the most powerful beings in the entire series. Thanks to the lore of the series, Gandalf is far more than just the average wizard seen in the fantasy genre. The wise and friendly old man is one of the Maiar, a group of beings hand-picked by the Valar to go to Middle Earth.
With how deceptively powerful Gandalf is, many The Lord Of The Rings fans may end up wondering what would have happened if he’d claimed the One Ring. It’s a fair thing to ponder as all anyone can do is speculate based on clues from the films and the books. It may be a debate that is never truly settled, but one thing that everyone can agree on is that Gandalf claiming the ring would be anything but good.
The issue with these questions is that there is so little information, but it is possible to make some educated guesses. Based on Gandalf’s reaction to Frodo asking him to take the ring instead, it’s likely that Gandalf is more than aware of the fact that he would be corrupted by the ring’s power at some point. This means that while Gandalf would continue to crusade across Middle Earth for good, eventually, Gandalf’s journey for good would soon become something a bit more twisted.
There is a question as to whether or not Gandalf the Grey would have been strong enough to defeat Sauron had he claimed the One Ring for himself. It is important to understand that while Gandalf the Grey was powerful, he was much more of a support-role wizard, and he was unable to tap into his full potential to take on Saruman. If his full power was sealed away from him, meaning he’d need to be a white wizard to use his full strength, it might mean that Gandalf the Grey, even with the One Ring, would still be unable to defeat Sauron. That may sound strange, but it’s important to not undercut just how powerful Sauron is, especially with magic.
If Gandalf was able to cast off his limits or simply stopped holding back thanks to the influence of the ring, there is no telling just how powerful he would be with the ring in his possession. Additionally, as a Maiar there’s no telling how long it would take for Gandalf to become corrupted. It’s possible that he would begin using the ring’s power immediately in order to combat Sauron’s forces indicating some level of corruption.
What If Gandalf The White Took The One Ring?
Most The Lord Of The Rings fans will already know that Gandalf the White is vastly superior to Gandalf the Grey in terms of pure magic power. With that said, it’s made fairly clear by the author himself that, at the very least, Gandalf the White would be able to defeat Sauron had he claimed the One Ring. This is likely due to the massive power increase Gandalf gets from having full control over his immense abilities.
With a bit more self-assuredness, Gandalf would likely have been able to wage war across the country, cutting down Sauron’s forces with ease and rallying the realm of Men to his aid. With that much power, Gandalf would have no issue standing against even the mightiest foes that Sauron could throw his way. He’d be able to decimate Balrogs and even wipe the floor with the Ring Wraiths, something that could have even led to his power being enough to destory the Witch-King.
It is possible that it would have taken a bit longer for Gandalf to defeat Sauron if he led a massive war against the dark lord, but that’s assuming Gandalf didn’t use any of his cunning to assault Sauron in some kind of surprise attack. With the ring in his possession, Gandalf would likely not lose his wisdom, though he may be a bit more emboldened, something that could lead to more bloodshed. This would be especially true if Gandalf believed he’d be helping the realm of Men by showing them that they have the strength to stand against Sauron’s forces.
Would Gandalf Have Become Evil?
The issue with pretty much any character from the series claiming the One Ring for themselves is that, given enough time, they would certainly turn to evil. This is an issue for more than a few reasons, one of them being that Sauron would always manage to live on in some form, at least in theory. While Gandalf may be one of the most powerful figures in the entire series, he would sadly be no different than if someone like Aragorn or Legolas claimed the ring. Eventually, they’d all be corrupted and they’d all turn to darkness.
Obviously, this turn to darkness would spell an entirely new type of doom for Middle Earth, this time at the hands of Gandalf. It’s quite likely that if Gandalf had taken the ring for himself and decided to challenge Sauron, he would have been able to defeat the dark lord, but after that, Gandalf would replace him as the new dark lord of Middle Earth. That is how powerful the corrupting nature of the One Ring is.
It’s actually terrifying to think of how evil someone like Gandalf could become. Considering Sauron and Gandalf are both from the same line of beings, the Maiar, it’s likely that Gandalf’s power with the ring would extend to a similar extent as a full-power Sauron. This would mean that Gandalf would have the potential to be so powerful and evil that Middle Earth would be doomed all over again without any kind of divine intervention. It would be a sad fall for a fan-favorite character, but that’s what happens to anyone who believes they can master the One Ring. Luckily, Gandalf would never be foolish enough to make such a decision in the first place.
