A Wizard's staff is the staff of an Istari wizard, it seems that their magic is connected in some way to their staff and was his source of power and primary weapon. There are only a few known times where a Wizard’s staff has been broken. During his fight with the Balrog Durin's Bane, Gandalf the Grey’s staff was broken, though he would later have another one as Gandalf the White. After his defeat at the hands of the Ents of Fangorn forest, Saruman's staff was broken by Gandalf.

Wizard StaffsEdit

Gandalf the Grey's Staff of PowerEdit

Gandalf the Grey's Staff of Power was his primary weapon and his main way to channel his Wizard powers. It's also a useful walking stick. The staff of Gandalf the Grey was brown wood with a jewel fixed at the top which lit up at his command. He used it throughout The Hobbit, adventures like The Quest of Erebor, the War of the Ring, and The Fellowship of the Ring. It was destroyed when he smote it on the Bridge of Khazad-Dum in Moria while fighting the Balrog.

When Gandalf led the Fellowship into the Moria they encountered Durin's Bane; A Balrog of Morgoth so to buy the rest of the Fellowship time to escape the Grey Wizard fought with the ancient demon using his magic and sword skills. When he couldn't battle any longer he struck the Bridge of Khazad-dûm with all his might using his Staff, causing the bridge to crumble away at his feet, bringing the Balrog down with it. Gandalf also fell, as Durin's Bane wrapped its fiery whip around his ankle, pulling him into the darkness along with his staff, which was never seen again.

Afterwards, when Gandalf returned as Gandalf the White, he had a rough staff of ash, presumably white in colour.^[1]

Saruman's StaffEdit

Saruman's staff has been held by The White Wizard ever since he became a member of the Istari. This staff is, of course, magical, and it was used to overcome Gandalf at Orthanc. Although powerful, Saruman was unable to prevent his staff from being broken after the Battle of the Hornburg  by Gandalf the White.

Portrayal in adaptationsEdit

The Lord of the Rings Film TrilogyEdit

In the Peter Jackson films, Gandalf has a variety of different staffs. To date Gandalf is seen with 4 different variations of his staff, three of those as the Grey wizard. Gandalf's staff in The Hobbit Films vaguely resembles the staff of Gandalf the White if one looks closely at the white elven hollow embedded in the crown. It has been described by the Weta Production team as an "opening flower". It is possible that Gandalf leaves this staff with Galadriel to "bloom" until he becomes the White Wizard, however this is unconfirmed. Gandalf the Grey weilds two rough wooden staffs in the Lord of the Rings thrilogy. Gandalf's first staff in The Fellowship of Ring came to him from Radagast the Brown who loses his staff in an unexplained plot line. The fate of Radagast is set to be revealed later on in The Hobbit Films triology. Fans of the Lord of the Rings movies have mistakenly stated that the staff Gandalf inherits from Radagast is the stave he uses in Moria. If one looks closely at the crown of the staff, the shape of the shaft and the symbol plastered onto the staff it is clear to the viewer that the first staff Gandalf  weilds in the Fellowship of the Ring is the Staff of Radagast the Brown. He is seen with Radagast's staff until he loses it after his duel with Saruman at Orthanc. He acquired a slightly different looking staff in Imladris that held a powerful crystal which he illuminated in the Mines of Moria. The Staff of Gandalf the White is of elvish design and was given to him by Galadriel. Gandalf's white staff was broken when he fought the Witch-king atop one of the Minas Tirith walls. However, Gandalf is later seen holding the staff again at the Grey Havens. 

Radagast's staff is fashioned from an upturned sapling with spindly branches that have the ability to firmly hold a blue crystal in place. The crystal, embedded in the crown of the staff, seems to possess magical abilitys that have the power to heal dark wounds. Radagast somehow loses his staff in The Hobbit Films and it, as stated above, comes to Gandalf the Grey. The staff is seen again in the Fellowship of the Ring, however the branches on the top of the staff have been broken and withered away with time. Other alterations to the staff include a huge nail embedded in the crown, Gandalf's pipe (which slots into the hole where the crystal once resided), and a leather strap that runs directly through the shaft of the staff making it easier for Gandalf to hold and attach to his horse tack. 

Saruman's staff is black and metallic in Jackson's films but appears white at times, depending on the angle of the light. The head of the staff, which resembles the Tower of Orthanc, holds some sort of large, white jewel. In The Return of the King Extended Edition, Saruman's staff is broken by Gandalf's power.

Behind the ScenesEdit

• There are a few times in The Hobbit that Gandalf the Grey is referred to as having a Wand, this is likely referring to his staff.

ReferencesEdit

1. ↑ According to Daniel L. Cassens, professor and wood products specialist for Purdue University's Extension service, ash sapwood is white, while heartwood is light brown and sometimes marked with white spots or dark lines.

Gallery of StaffsEdit

The staff of Radagast the Brown

The staff of Gandalf the White

The staff of Gandalf the Grey

The staff of Saruman the White

The staff of Alatar the Blue

The staff of Pallando the Blue

From left to right: Radagast the Brown's staff, Gandalf the Grey's staff, Saruman the White's staff and Gandalf the White's staff in LEGO

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