The Fantastic Beasts version of Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) shows impressive skill as a wizard in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore; in fact, he is so powerful that the only Harry Potter wizard who could outmatch him might be himself. Dumbledore is portrayed as a younger man in the Fantastic Beasts series, which sees him take on Grindelwald (now played by Mads Mikkelsen after Johnny Depp’s removal from the franchise) face-to-face for the first time. But audiences are likely more familiar with the characterization of Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movies where he is portrayed at a much older age.

In the first two Potter films, Dumbledore was played by respected actor Richard Harris. Following Harris’ death, Michael Gambon took over and got to perform Dumbledore’s most action-packed and emotional moments from J.K. Rowling’s book series. Dumbledore is recognized in the Harry Potter books and movies as a brilliant wizard. He is a mentor to Harry, teaching him about powerful aspects of magic that very few wizards understand. He has a significant duel against Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) in which he comes out the champion.

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It’s only natural to compare the powers of the elder Dumbledore to the more youthful Dumbledore seen in The Secrets of Dumbledore. The younger Dumbledore has some physical advantages that are lost by the time period of the Harry Potter movies, whereas the elder has knowledge gained from the experiences of the younger. One wonders which might come out on top if older and younger Dumbledore were able to fight each other. Still, it's likely that no matter which version wins, Dumbledore is the most powerful wizard in the Harry Potter franchise–books or movies.

Albus Dumbledore's Powers In Fantastic Beasts Explained

Newt and Dumbledore looking in the same direction in Fantastic Beasts The Secrets of Dumbledore

The titular character of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore did not appear in the first entry of the Fantastic Beasts franchise but has shown a considerable amount of power in its second and third films. He is in only a few scenes from Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, giving him little time to perform magic on-screen but he makes his presence known to Newt (Eddie Redmayne) with a cleverly enchanted glove that appears again in the third film. The most recent of the Fantastic Beasts movies shows him in battle against Credence (Ezra Miller), the former Obscurus revealed to be Aurelius Dumbledor, Albus' nephew. Although Credence has significant power of his own, Dumbledore spends much of the duel easily defending himself from attack before swiftly subduing his nephew.

A major plot thread running between the first and second films is Dumbledore’s inability to duel Grindelwald himself, having made a blood oath and cast an enchantment that keeps each from fighting the other. Audiences are not really offered an opportunity to see his full dueling skills in the Fantastic Beasts series until the end of The Secrets of Dumbledore when the enchantment is broken. The wizards find themselves equally matched and the duel ends in a stalemate. While this initially might put Dumbledore’s power in question, Grindelwald actually has an advantage over him that makes a stalemate rather impressive.

During the time period in which The Secrets of Dumbledore takes place, Grindelwald is in possession of the Elder Wand. As one of the Deathly Hallows, the Elder Wand is the most powerful in existence, allowing its owner to perform extraordinary magic. The fact that Dumbledore could hold his own against Grindelwald while he wielded a weaker wand shows the depth of his power. The Harry Potter series reveals that Dumbledore later wins the Elder Wand from Grindelwald by defeating him; presumably, a future Fantastic Beasts movie will show this historic duel.

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Albus Dumbledore's Powers In Harry Potter Explained

Dumbledore during the battle at the Ministry og Magic in Harry Potter

While the younger Dumbledore seen in the Fantastic Beasts films is already very powerful, the Dumbledore seen in Harry Potter has his own merits. By the time Harry Potter enters Hogwarts, Dumbledore’s defeat of Gellert Grindelwald is decades past. According to Rowling’s books, he turned down the job of Minister of Magic to remain at Hogwarts but has many other honorable titles, including that of Supreme Mugwump. Dumbledore’s prowess as a wizard is more often heard of than seen in the Harry Potter films; he has many admirers who respect him and a good few enemies who don’t dare to fight him (prior to Voldemort’s return).

Similar to Fantastic Beasts, Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films is not often seen dueling but fights a tough opponent at the end of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. He takes on Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), who is noted as the most powerful dark wizard since Grindelwald, if not more powerful. Seeming unhindered by his age, Albus displays the ability to go on both offense and defense against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He also has the Elder Wand at this point and his already well-practiced magical abilities are an excellent match for the instrument.

Is Fantastic Beasts' Dumbledore Stronger Than Harry Potter's?

Having at least some exposure to the magical abilities of both the young Dumbledore of Fantastic Beasts and the elder from Harry Potter, it can be decided that one is stronger than the other. The younger Dumbledore is able to take on a very powerful wizard even while Grindelwald has the advantage of a more powerful weapon. However, the elder Dumbledore has gained that advantage and is able to take on Voldemort, who is even more powerful than Grindelwald.

It could be argued that the younger Dumbledore is more powerful because of his ability to duel on equal footing with Grindelwald with an ordinary wand. But the use of the Elder Wand enhances Dumbledore’s ability, and the elder Dumbledore has knowledge and experience that he didn’t have in his younger days. So the Dumbledore of Fantastic Beasts is not more powerful than that of Harry Potter’s, but it also would not have been possible for the elder Dumbledore to have become so powerful were it not for the experiences of his younger self.

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Is Albus Dumbledore The Most Powerful Wizard Of All Time?

The next logical question to ask is if there are or were any wizards more powerful than Albus Dumbledore. His skill with a wand has already been discussed, enabling him to defeat the two most powerful dark wizards of all time. Since he defeated both Grindelwald and Voldemort, they cannot be considered more powerful than Dumbledore. Dumbledore's death at the hand of Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) might stir some dissent over his power, but Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows revealed that this manner of death was entirely orchestrated on Dumbledore’s orders.

If there were any other rivals to Dumbledore’s power across both the Fantastic Beasts and Harry Potter franchises, they might be found among the founders of Hogwarts after whom its houses were named. These four witches and wizards knew enough that they were able to teach their youth and organize a school that lasted for centuries. A couple of them were also able to create powerful magical items; Harry Potter's Rowena Ravenclaw had her diadem that bestowed wisdom upon its wearers, and Godric Gryffindor had his sword that appears only to those worthy, and he also enchanted the Sorting Hat. Salazar Slytherin managed to build a large chamber hidden beneath the school without the full knowledge of his colleagues that was only accessible by those with the ability to speak Parseltongue.

Each of these accomplishments by the founders would have required significant magical ability. However, there is far less evidence of the power of the founders in comparison to that shown by Albus Dumbledore. Hogwarts’ most famous headmaster is also known for his restraint in use and acceptance of power, as exemplified in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore when Dumbledore refuses the Qilin’s bow. All of the evidence seen in Fantastic Beasts and Harry Potter present Albus Dumbledore as the most powerful wizard of all time but also as a wizard who only exercises the full extent of his power in time of greatest need.

Next: Fantastic Beasts 3: Why Mikkelsen Is A Better Grindelwald Than Depp