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Gandalf
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Ian McKellen as Gandalf smokes a pipe while Elijah Wood as Frodo stands behind him in a warmly lit hobbit home in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
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Gandalf

fictional character
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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ā€¢History

News •

ā€œYou Shall Not Passā€: Gandalf, Black Panther and Deadpool Take to the Streets of France • Nov. 3, 2026, 3:52 PM ET (The Hollywood Reporter)

Gandalf, fictional character, a wise wizard who guides and advises the hobbits Bilbo and Frodo Baggins throughout their many adventures in J.R.R. Tolkienā€™s The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings (1954ā€“55).

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.