We all know the drill — we’re watching a nice magical adventure unfold before our eyes on the big or small screen, and the characters get to a point where they no longer have the option to be friendly. It’s time to throw down.
Maybe the spells are flying fast and furious, or maybe it’s a more subtle use of magic to assist a mostly physical blow, but one thing is for certain: even more so than standard fight scenes, battles that involve magic raise the dramatic stakes in any story, because when you’re hurling thunderbolts, you’re playing for keeps. Even when the stories they feature in are not exactly memorable (cough The Covenant cough), a good magical fight can be a visual feast. Here we count down some of our favorites.
10. Caleb vs. Chase (The Covenant)
Though at times this fight seems more like a mystical game of dodgeball using amorphous jellyfish-like energy, one can’t deny that it at least looks pretty cool when these dudes are blasting away at each other in a rain-soaked barn. It’s fun to see the mayhem that male witches can wreak on each other, when witchcraft is so often allocated to female characters.
Unfortunately, the movie itself sucked.
9. Raziel vs. Bavmorda (Willow)
Willow will always hold a special place in the hearts of many fantasy enthusiasts who emerged from that nebulous decade known as the ’80s. Part Star Wars, part Lord of the Rings, it featured a very hobbitish hero, a very Gandalf-ian sorceress named Raziel, and a mean, mean old witch name Bavmorda.
Bavmorda and Raziel are mortal enemies, and in the climax of the movie, as a huge battle takes place outside, a very private war is fought between these two magicians. Utilizing the latest visual technology of the time (Willow was one of the first movies to showcase morphing), the filmmakers introduced a wide-eyed generation to the wonders of a magical smackdown.
8. Gandalf vs. Saruman (The Fellowship of the Ring)
When you see two wizards fighting, you expect to see some crazy fireballs being thrown around, but when Gandalf and Saruman threw down in The Fellowship of the Ring, it was just the telekinetic version of an old-fashioned bar room brawl, with the two tossing each other around with the force of their minds. Bruising, bloody, and awesome.
7. Harry vs. Draco (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)
At this point in the Harry Potter series, we knew there was no love lost between the boy wizards Harry and Draco Malfoy, but they were just kids, and the last thing we expected to see was a full-on, wire-spinning melee, but that’s exactly what we got when they took each other on in Professor Lockhart’s dueling seminar.
6. Giles vs. Dark Willow (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Sweet Willow Rosenburg was the heart and soul of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, always a cheerful presence in a dark, demon-ridden world. But following the death of her true love Tara, she tapped into the vengeful part of her psyche and became a very bad witch. Who better to take her on than the mentor of the group, Giles, with a little borrowed magic from a coven of good witches?
5. Nancy vs. Sarah (The Craft)
An underrated gem from the angsty ’90s, The Craft showed what happened when the freaky girls in school have access to some seriously dark mojo. When good girl Sarah faces off with mean alpha-chick Nancy, all hell breaks loose in a spectacle of CGI mystical violence.
4. Pretty much every fight with Zedd (Legend of the Seeker)
Before Legend of the Seeker, the heir apparent to Xena: Warrior Princess, made its way to the airwaves, most people had never used the term “wizard’s fire” before (that is, if they weren’t Terry Goodkind fans). But every time a fight breaks out on Seeker, you can bet that Zeddicus will be blasting away to his heart’s content, and it just looks awesome every time.
3. Buffy vs. Adam (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Though the show was as magical as they come, Buffy’s fighting style always stemmed from the very real world of martial arts. So when in the fourth season she learned that she’d need a little extra boost to face a Frankenstein-like foe, her friends Willow, Giles, and Xander all got together and gave her their energy in a little power-enhancing spell, causing Buffy to bust out some kick-ass matrix moves, as well as turn a bullet headed for her face into a pair of white doves, which are of course the symbol of peace. And who doesn’t love a little irony with their smackdowns?
2. Dumbledore vs. Voldemort (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)
Though the main event is reserved for the very end of the very last movie, we got a nice little treat when uber-baddie Boldemort took on the bastion of goodness, Dumbledore, in the fifth installment of the Harry Potter series. They fought with all four elements — fire, water, earth, and air — before Voldemort finally took his leave. But what an exit!
1. Gandalf vs. The Balrog (Fellowship of the Ring)
There are fights, and there are fights. When the Fellowship was fleeing the mines of Moria, they were accosted by a demon of the ancient world, a Balrog of Morgoth, a creature of shadow and flame, and a nasty attitude to boot. When Gandalf took him on to protect his friends, it was a true clash of the titans, instantly resetting the bar for what we expect to see on screen from anyone audacious enough to film a magic fight. For the gift you gave the world, Peter Jackson and company, we thank you.
Looking to buy something mentioned in this column (or any other media)? Support TheTorchOnline.com by purchasing it through this link.
Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
Similar Posts:
- Deadliest Fantasy Warrior: Willow Ufgood vs. Samwise Gamgee
- Sex in Space! Sci-Fi’s Hottest Couples
- HARRY POTTER Board Games: Hogwarts-opoly, Connect Gryffindor, and More!
- Can We Please Drive a Stake in All the Vampires?
- The Seven Sexiest Vampire Moments!
good….
cure of black magic
http://blackmagicremoveswithquran.blogspot.com/
Darn. I was looking for a battle between 2 wizards.
I think Vincent Price was in it, but it was NOT the Raven.
They keep trying to kill each other, but each time they do, it is only a fake version of them that dies.
Thanks for putting Willow/Giles’ fight on here. Wicked bitch Willow is the best thing about Buffy (I like the show (except for Xander) but Willow is the best) & her killing that obnoxious #($) Warren was the second best after her & G.
I’m not sure if this was intentional or not, but in the Number 2 spot, you have “Boldemort” written. Just wanted to let you know incase it was a typo. =)
The final battle between Galen, Ulrich, and the dragon in “Dragonslayer” was very well done and I would argue could have beaten out one or two others on this top 10. That movie left me thirsting to learn more about Ulrich, and not so much his apprentice. I would have posted a link, but the keywords I chose netted bad results at YouTube.
There was so much potential for a battle epic between Merlin and Queen Mab in “Merlin,” but it just didn’t materialize. Her power always seemed to dwarf his, and her final defeat was a terrific disappointment, however logical.
Glad to see so many great scenes on your list. I’d forgotten about Raziel and Bavmorda. (And what great names!)
I would have listed Dumbledore and Voldemort as #1, though, even ahead of my beloved Mithrandir and LotR. That was one creative, cracklin’, finely executed, multi-faceted battle scene in the Ministry of Magic.
That’s a great scene, but it’s not really a “magic battle.” Another article to be written: dragon slayings!
Wizard vs. dragon disallowed but wizard vs. balrog okay?
The final battle in Dragonslayer was wizard magic vs. a fire-breathing mythical creature. I think I recall Ulrich declared it also a magical creature … and was the fate of magic in the world also bound up with the existence of the dragon, as Ulrich’s fate was? Wasn’t their mutual destruction supposed to end the age of magic (excepting a small teaser at the very end)? Or am I mixing up my movies?
But then Gandalf vs. the Balrog was also wizard magic vs. fire-breathing mythical creature. It did have a fiery sword and whip, but neither had any discernable magical power beyond their size and the force with which their owner could wield them. But true, the Balrog did also exert a maleficent energy by itself that affected Gandalf, and it was described as a demon, which implies an evil supernatural power. However, it did not appear to cast spells - its battle was physical, even if its inherent evil emanated bad mojo, affecting wielders of magic who were sensitive to it.
Then again, Ulrich’s striving against the dragon Vermithrax Pejorative felt much the same. It seemed to exert a baneful power felt by Ulrich.
But it is late here, and my memory is foggy, and I could just be trying to be contrary to win a point. Sigh. Bedtime.
An honorable mention, perhaps? The wizard’s duel from Disney’s animated “The Sword in the Stone.” Not fearsome/awesome to adults, but to a child, very much so.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTN0L92HAwg
How could you leave out the classic duel between Vincent Price and Boris Karloff in “The Raven”??
Uh…because I’m in my 20’s? Heh. Seriously, though, that is a great duel, and excellent use of special effects for its time. Great suggestion!
Here’s the link for anyone who wants to see it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDEDcYrvnss
Uh…because I’m in my 20’s? Heh. Seriously, that is an excellent duel, and made good use of the special effects of its time. Great suggestion!
For those who want to see it, here’s the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDEDcYrvnss
Wow that’s going WAY back!
Sadly you left off one of my favorites, the witch battle from Midnight Offerings, starring Melissa Sue Anderson (older daughter from Little House on the Prairie).
Not sure it stands the test of time though.
OMG, I remember that movie. Didn’t she have like an altar or something in her closet? Too funny. I forgot about that movie. I’m going to Google it, or maybe I can find a clip on YouTube!
Okay A Ruth, here it is, one of your favorites, ripe with cheesy 80s dialogue and overly long close-ups, the final battle from Midnight Offerings.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOH3vMKo0zU
Jeepers, I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but I still kind of liked it. :) It must be because I’m a child of the eighties. Well, and seeing Mary of Walnut Grove turned rogue *itch/witch is awesome!
Wow, that clip was…something else. 80’s-tastic, to be sure.
You are a god among mortals for finding that
I sit happy to read my two favorite fantasy fight scenes as no. one and two. Kudos to Tim for seeing things my way! LOL :)