What's your favorite wizards duel?

[Hagashager]

Because the Force isn't magic, you silly; just advanced bionanotechnomancy (midichlorians for dummies). Magnetism isn't magic either, AFIK (quantumancy?)

Real magic is what the actors oozed over the whole film. Magic is all about theatrics after all*.

Besides, I'd rather take telekinetic airbender boxing any day over flashy dragonball-zy CGI volleyball.

*I'd appreciate where that quote comes from, bc I don't seem to recall (maybe the Belgariad or something?)

I believe the quote comes from the 4th book in Jack Vance's Dying Earth series in which the book's protagonist, Rhialto puts on a display of sorcery while musing to himself, "Magic is 1/5th Arcane Practicum to 4/5th Theatrics and Grandeur. A Wizard is, at his core, a showman"

[Knaight]

I'd have to second Ged vs. his shadow self in A Wizard of Earthsea*, as well as the bending fights in Avatar in general. That said, Balrogs have magic, and this makes the Gandalf vs. Balrog fight in The Lord of The Rings (novels, not movies) a wizard duel, and one of the best.

*Though I think that was actually in The Farthest Shore.

[Khedrac]

I'd have to second Ged vs. his shadow self in A Wizard of Earthsea*, as well as the bending fights in Avatar in general. That said, Balrogs have magic, and this makes the Gandalf vs. Balrog fight in The Lord of The Rings (novels, not movies) a wizard duel, and one of the best.

*Though I think that was actually in The Farthest Shore.

The fight with his shadow self is in A Wizard of Earthsea, it's well before he becomes Archmage.. However it is high time I went and re-read that trilogy. (I was not impressed with the later books, though the last is OK.)

[veti]

Rincewind vs Coin. Coin being armed with the raw stuff of magic, the power to remake whole worlds with a thought, Rincewind with a half brick in a sock.

[Wraith]

Merlin vs. Madam Mim has always been my favourite since I was a small child, and it's been mentioned a couple of times so far.

Rincewind vs Coin. Coin being armed with the raw stuff of magic, the power to remake whole worlds with a thought, Rincewind with a half brick in a sock.

By the same token, I also liked Rincewind vs. Ymper Trymon in The Lite Fantastic.

One is a particularly astute 7th Level Mage who, having just assassinated the Arch-chancellor of the Disc's premier magic college and assumed his title, has read 7 of the 8 Great Spells Of Creation and become infested with something that lives under Cthulhu's bed and scares it a night; the other is a dropout with all the bravery and tenacity of a weasel.

"He was winning! Something was running away from Rincewind! That had never happened before!"

[Orcus The Vile]

Althoug not wizards all the mind battles in the Tv show legion count for me, in special this one:

Spoiler: Spoliers for Legion season 2

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That's how you do a battle in the astral plane, none of that punching the astral form BS in doctor strange.

God I love that show, you guys need to watch Legion.

In the comics I really like Exodus Vs. Xavier mental battle.

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Exodus has the upper hand throughout most of the duel, he shows Professor X all his failures, every time one his pupils died or were hurt, every time he was unable to protect his dear mutants, an professor X falls for it most of the time suffering and falling in despair, until he realizes he's Professor X the most powerful mind in the universe and just beats Exodus with his raw mental power. I liked how despite the fact Exodus had the upper hand in tactics and mental manipulation he was unable to beat Xavier's power. All his years of experience were not match for Xavier's innate power.

[Ibrinar]

Perhaps not much of duel, but how i would see wizard doing it.
Nanoha has pretty nice fights and for me most memorial would be this moment

I know it is because of the age of the targed dem but damn it is always impressive how she can throw around devastating magic that is still somehow non lethal.^^

[Drascin]

I know it is because of the age of the targed dem but damn it is always impressive how she can throw around devastating magic that is still somehow non lethal.^^

Nanoha is actually especifically called out as specializing in nonlethal firepower. Fate and Hayate have to be more careful (since one of them is a swordswoman with a laser blade and the other's spells start at "cataclysmic" and go from there to the point she basically needs orbital targeting assistance), but Nanoha is specifically real good at busting stuff while not killing people.

Also, the "target dem" for StrikerS is absolutely adults, as a note .

[Some Android]

Obligatory Merlin v. Madam Mim.

Easily my favorite too.

doctor strange sanctum sanctorium fight is one of the best ones i see in recent times.

Is that the one where...

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...Dr. Strange dies like a dozen times to the evil space deity whose name I can't remember?

Avatar vs. Black Wolf

Now that's how you end a magical duel!

HA! I love that film! As well as the other works by Ralph Bakshi. Animated LOTR still great...not as good as Peter Jackson's but still good.

While were on the topic of Bakshi (and I don't want to derail the thread) there's a line from the animated LOTR film which I can't remember if it's from the books or not. It's right after the hobbits meet Strider/Aragorn. I think Sam asks how they can trust Striger and Frodo says "I think a servant of the enemy would look fairer and feel fouler," to which Strider/Aragorn replies "So I look foul but feel fair!" or something like that.

I just want to know if Aragorn's quip is in the Fellowship of the Ring or a Bakshi original. Thanks.

[zimmerwald1915]

I just want to know if Aragorn's quip is in the Fellowship of the Ring

It is. It is.

[OutOfThyme]

Althoug not wizards all the mind battles in the Tv show legion count for me, in special this one:

Spoiler: Spoliers for Legion season 2

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That's how you do a battle in the astral plane, none of that punching the astral form BS in doctor strange.

Legion is one of the trippiest shows for showing just how weird psychic powers can be, and it's fantastic. There's also the dance-off in the first episode of Season 2, and

Spoiler: Season 2 Spoilers

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the episode where Oliver and the Shadow King dance-destroy all of the soldiers. That shows just how huge the power gap is between Farruk and basically everyone else.

[Lvl45DM!]

I'm gonna count Infinity War as having a couple of mage duels.

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Strange and Wong vs Ebony Maw, them with magic, him with shockingly powerful telekinesis. Maw turns a bunch of bricks into nails and sends it at the wizards. Strange makes a portal to space to get rid of them, and then Wong opens a another portal to send them right back. Theres lots more

Strange then fights an inifinity stone powered Thanos, binding him with the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak, sending a Power blast to the Mirror Dimension, multiplying himself hundreds of times, each one casting a weak light whip which adds up, and turning a black hole into butterflies.

Cadderly vs Ghost in the Cleric Quintet has a great bit of astral plane dueling. The only limit is imagination and at first Cadderly is losing, cos he keeps making straightforward attacks, like sword hands and Ghost goes all T1000 on that. But Cadderly just met a dragon in real life so when Cadderly gets a dragon head Ghost can't come out with a counter quick enough. Fwoosh

[Jay R]

I quite enjoyed Granny Weatherwax vs. the young witches (Lords and Ladies - the hat challenge more than the sun) and Granny vs. her sister in the mirrors (Witches Abroad).

[lord_khaine]

If we are talking about animated fights, then i think Azula vs Zuko from Avatar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83J9dfoNTTk is not just the best wizards duel, but just the best animated duel in general.

Or maybe Nox vs Grougalougraran from Wakfu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KOH2Ocy778

I am kinda torn between those two. Avatar has the biggest emotional impact. While Wafku had the most impressive magical fight between a time wizard and a dragon.

Honorable mentioning to both Dr Strange vs Thanatos and the last fight of Naruto (they are wizards, not ninjas by then)

edit.
Dam i had forgotten just how completely brutal that last fight were. In the fight between the time wizard and a dragon the loser is the island it takes place on..

[Doorhandle]

Something I've noticed with the best duels (except perhaps the one in Avatar vs. Black Wolf1.) is that they tend to involve a great deal of spell and counterspell.

Like, "White hat sends a fireball at Black hat, who transforms it into harmless confetti. Black hat turns his staff into a giant snake, so White hat turns his shoes into a giant mongoose, " and so on and so forth until one of them outwits the other.

I think that interplay of magical attack and magical counter is the key to making it seem like a "wizard's duel" as opposed to a "regular" fight between supernaturals. Sure, having mindgames between two opponents is good for a lot of combat in fiction but it's very pronounced here.

Just my 2-cents.

1. (In this case it still sort-of applies on the strategic scale: grand warfare and propaganda vs hot lead and a well-timed assassination. )

[Fyraltari]

Or maybe Nox vs Grougalougraran from Wakfu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KOH2Ocy778

Oh man, that took me back.
Such a cool fight, such a great villain...

[The Troubadour]

Some of the picks in this thread have been... ...enlightening.

Anyway, one of my favourite sorcerous duels in modern literature is the one between Granny Weatherwax and Archchancellor Cutangle in "Equal Rites"; not only does it draw heavily on bits of folklore and myth, it also underlies the personality of both duellists and also the book's themes. Another is the one between Finrod and Sauron in "The Silmarillion" - it features great poetry by Tolkien.

When talking about myths, legends and ancient literature, it's already a cliché to mention the Kalevala, so instead I'm going to mention the saga of Bosi and Herraud. At the end of it, Smidr and his foster mother, Busla, fight King Harek; King Harek is impervious to non-enchanted weapons, but Smidr deals a serious wound with his magical blade, so Harek turns into a dragon and kills him. Then a gigantic, monstrous bird (which may have been called by Busla) hurts him so bad he's forced to change back, and he then turns into a giant boar to fight Herraud (a regular warrior), then Busla turns into a giant dog to fight him, and both fall overboard. So yeah, not a typical wizard duel - no back-and-forth between spells and counterspells -, but in the context of the Norse sagas, it's practically a Hollywood blockbuster, and it's interesting to see the antagonist displaying qualities which modern audiences tend to associate more with heroic characters.

As for movies, I really like Bavmorda's duel with Fin Raziel in "Willow", even if the effects show their age. I'm drawing a blank on other live-action wizard duels that haven't already been mentioned, though. Most of those I can think off the top of my head are actually battles between sorcerers and warrior-types, not proper wizard duels.

Speaking of improper wizard duels, I'd like to give honourable mentions to Ged's battle with Yevaud in "A Wizard of Earthsea", Elric summoning hundreds of Stormbringer's siblings to destroy Arioch and other Dukes of Hell in "Stormbringer", Thor steamrolling over Loki and a bunch of other villains with rune magic in the "Ragnarok" arc in the second volume of his comic series, and Loki's fight against Thor in "Thor".