Summary
Manwë is the Elder King of Arda and brethren to Melkor in the mind of Eru Ilúvatar. He is said to be the one that best understands the will and designs of Eru, and acted as the chief instrument against Melkor's discourse during the second theme of the Ainulindalë, the Great Music. Manwë would later come to lead the Ainur loyal to Eru against Melkor's ambitions over the world, leading to many of the events that defined the Silmarillion, with the conflict ultimately concluding with Melkor's defeat in the War of Wrath, afterwhich he would be cast through the Door of Night into the Void beyond Eä, bound in the great chain Angainor.
Manwë is a kind, compassionate ruler, unconcerned with his own power, though he was indeed the mightiest of the Aratar, and second only to Melkor in might.
Manwë is said to have been dressed in blue robes and to have had piercing blue eyes. His sapphire crowned scepter was made by the Ñoldor, though the Vanyar are said to be his favourite. It is said that when he and Varda are together, he can see further than any other, and that she could hear further than any other can hear.
Powers and Stats
Tier: High 3-A | Low 1-C
Key: Within the confines of Eä | Prior to entering Eä
Name: Manwë, Mânawenûz, Sûlimo
Origins: The Silmarillion
Gender: Male
Age: Existed before the creation of time
Classification: Ainu, Vala, Arata, King of Valinor, King of Arda, Elder King, Lord of the Breath of Arda, Vicegerent of Eru
Powers and Abilities:
Powers and Resistances of the Ainur (Abilities and Resistances of the Aratar from "Within the confines of Eä"), Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Flight, Regeneration (Low-Godly), Immortality (Types 1 and 3), Shapeshifting, Size Alteration, Elemental Manipulation, Air and Weather Manipulation (He is the Vala of the skies and winds), Electricity Manipulation (Can create lightning), Empathic Manipulation (The lords of the Ainur could create joy), Telekinesis, Transmutation, Precognition, Invulnerability (The Ainur are immune from harm via conventional weaponry, as seen when, upon unlocking more of his divine power, Gandalf became invulnerable), Resistance to Death Manipulation (In Lord of the Rings the land of the dead is a real tangible place, Mandos, and can be affected and exited. Ainur don't go there upon death, rather becoming spirits until the regenerate. The only way to keep them there is if they are physically brought there and held by physical might), Intangibility and Incorporeality (At the very least in spirit form), Acausality (Type 2; Changes to the past or future are unable to affect the "Music in being", otherwise referred to as the present)[1] as a verse-wide ability. Resistance to Mind Manipulation (The barrier of Unwill within every individual mind prevents mental penetration by even the likes of Sauron without consent.)[2] and Soul Manipulation (Soul with free-will are considered indestructible)[3] due to verse-wide resistances
Powers and Resistances of the Ainur (Abilities and Resistances of the Aratar from "Prior to entering Eä"), Resistance to Mind Manipulation and Soul Manipulation due to verse-wide resistances.
Attack Potency: High Universe level (Manwë is the King of the Valar and is the greatest of their ranks. He has been described as being mightier than Ulmo and "the most powerful spirit in Arda" following Morgoth's decline.[4][5] As such, he should be incomparably superior to the Lesser Valar, who are said to have a great individual[4][6][7] command over the physical material of Eä, a limitlessly expansive universe[8][9] | Low Complex Multiverse level (The Ainur, as described by Eru, are considered to be powerful and genuine entities, being capable of shaking the Timeless Voids as a result of their strife during the Music of the Ainur.[10] As beings that exist in a realm beyond the world depicted in The Lord of the Rings, the Ainur perceive the space-time of Eä as a lower and secondary plane of existence, with them dwelling alongside Eru within the Timeless Halls, a higher and more primary level of existence.[11]As the greatest of the Aratar, Manwë is second only to Melkor from amongst the Ainur)
Speed: Unknown; Massively FTL+ combat speed and reactions (Doubtless above the likes of Ancalagon the Black and Eönwë, his Herald), Infinite when discarding his physical form (While no longer capable of travelling to the future, the Ainur were still capable of travelling at any speeds they desired, being able to instantly appear anywhere they desired within Eä)[12][6] | Immeasurable (In their origin, the Ainur were unbound by space-time, and were capable of exploring both the past and future with their movements)[12]
Lifting Strength: Infinite (The Valar, are said to have "had a command, great individually, almost complete as a united council, over the physical matter of Eä")[6] | Immeasurable
Striking Strength: High Universe level | Low Complex Multiverse level
Durability: High Universe level | Low Complex Multiverse level (Comparable to Melkor)
Stamina: Superhuman (The bodies of the Ainur are described as being akin to clothing, which they can discard at will. Lesser Ainur than Manwë have been known to fight for days, and he, alongside the other Valar, were said to have contested Melkor for entire ages) | Limitless
Range: Extended Melee Range. High Universal with his abilities (When seated next to his wife Varda, he is said to see further than all other eyes, even through mist, darkness, and over the seas. One of the chief architects of the universe) | Low Complex Multiversal
Standard Equipment: His sapphire-crowned scepter and his sword
Intelligence: Unknown (Despite their reduced perspective due to their entry into time, the Valar are said to be the most knowledgeable of all the Ainur. Each member of the Valar are said to have a supreme understanding of their repsective spheres of influence, such that the collective knowledge of the Valar encompassd "all knowledge". Of the Valar, it is said that Manwë was the most knowledgeable, with almost all lore and arts of the world being known to him) | Possibly Nigh-Omniscient (The Ainur acted as the origin to all that which existed within Eä, except for that which Eru himself withheld. Of the Ainur, it is said that the Valar possessed the most knowledge, with Manwë being the most knowledgeable of all the Valar. He is said to have the most understanding of the designs of Eru)
Weaknesses: He is too pure, and cannot understand evil. However, he was wise enough to avoid being tricked by Melkor a second time
Notable Attacks/Techniques: Like all Ainur, Manwë has access to a wide range of dangerous powers, mostly related to the elements.
Lightning: Manwë is the lord of the wind and the skies, and as such, his control over lightning should come as no surprise. He used this power to destroy the dome upon the temple of Morgoth in Númenor. Though, since Sauron was able to "defy [it]," there is a chance this is not his full power.
Powers of the Ainur: As a Vala, Manwë has access to wide variety of potent and devastating supernatural abilities, for the Ainur (The Valar specifically) were created as elemental spirits, and each have divine authority and absolute control over a certain aspect of nature. Each and every one of the Ainur is also able to manipulate magical energies and reality to serve their needs, and take any form they wish, even intangible and non-corporeal spiritual forms. Given he is a Vala, above any of the Maiar, there is no doubt he can use all of the basic Ainur powers.
- Elemental manipulation: Manwë is the Vala of the sky and weather, having deep control over it. He can create bolts of lightning (See above), or shapes in the sky, such as when he summoned eagle-shaped clouds. He even created a massive storm around Númenor after their betrayal and corruption.
- Foresight/Hindsight: The Ainur can see the past and the future (Though the latter is fallible). It is unknown how much he used this power, though it may be useful sometimes, as he is the king of Arda and foreknowledge of the future would likely be useful for him. Regardless, there is no doubt that he possesses this power.
- Empathy: The Ainur are surrounded by an a powerful aura, which can affect those around them, bringing joy and presumably sorrow to those near them: "In Beleriand King Thingol upon his throne was as the lords of the Maiar, whose power is at rest, whose joy is as an air that they breathe in all their days, whose thought flows in a tide untroubled from the heights to the deeps."
- Shapeshifting: As one of the Ainur, it was highly likely that Manwë possessed the famous Ainur ability to transform and reshape the form of one's body, appearing in whatever form he desired. They can also appear as inanimate objects, such as when Yavanna appeared as a tree.
- Spirit form: As one of the Valar, it was highly likely that Manwë had the typical Ainur ability to cast off his physical form like a snake shedding its skin, and take on an intangible and non-corporeal spiritual form. In this spiritual state, the Ainur can travel forward and backward in time (Though they are unable to affect the future or the past, only see it). Of the Ainur's spirit forms and precognitive powers this was said:
“ | They could move backward or forward in thought, and return again so swiftly that to those who were in their presence they did not appear to have moved. | „ |
Others
Notable Victories:
Notable Losses:
Inconclusive Matches:
References
- ↑ Morgoth's Ring: PART FIVE. III.
- ↑ The Nature of Middle-Earth, Part Two: Body, Mind, and Spirit, IX ÓSANWE-KENTA.
- ↑ Letters of Tolkien: Letter 211
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Nature of Middle-Earth, Part Two: XII Spirit
- ↑ Silmarillion: VALAQUENTA
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 The Nature of Middle-Earth: Part Two, XIV The Visible Forms of the Valar and Maiar
- ↑ The Nature of Middle-Earth: Part Three, III Powers of the Valar
- ↑ Letters of Tolkien: Letter 328
- ↑ Letters of Tolkien: Letter 165
- ↑ Silmarillion: AINULINDALË
- ↑ Letters of Tolkien: Letter 200
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Morgoth's Ring: PART FIVE. Text XI
Discussions
Discussion threads involving Manwë |