2nd Place: Saruman the White
Saruman was the first wizard to come to Middle-earth and for a long time also the most powerful. He was at the forefront in the fight against Sauron and used his abilities for a while to combat the dark lord.
It was only when Saruman himself wanted power over Middle-earth that he betrayed. Since he was weaker than Sauron, he submitted to his control but believed he was mentally free from him. He was mistaken.
Moreover, he also attempted to convince Gandalf to join Sauron’s side. Gandalf refused and immediately got a taste of Saruman’s power.
In their duel, Gandalf came off worse and was imprisoned at the top of Orthanc. Saruman used his magical but also tactical abilities to create his own army and seek influential allies.
He possessed knowledge of dark magic that made him even more powerful. To operate in secret, he utilized his shape-shifting ability, often appearing as an old man – resembling Gandalf closely. That Gandalf regarded Saruman as a serious threat alongside Sauron says a lot about the reputation of the “white wizard”.
