Quote:
Originally Posted by Inziladun
The Witch-king was destroyed at the hands of Éowyn, and no mass panic of Sauron's forces ensued. Why should things have been different if Gandalf had done it?
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The real battle had not started yet when Gandalf confronted the Witch King. Also, the hosts of Mordor would have been mortified with fear and amazement at seeing their so-called invincible leader falling to a superior power before their eyes. It would have mesmerised them. The Witch King was slain in the midst of battle where far fewer soldiers would have seen his fall, and there was no time to pause for reflection.
Would anyone else have had the guts to take on Gandalf the White? The Uruk Hai of Isengard fled with terror at his coming. One thing to consider is whether Gandalf would have broken the rules bestowed on the Istari to not reveal their true power against Sauron directly. In slaying the Witch King, he probably would have had to have used is true Maia powers, thus dying himself as a consequence. But that is one possibility, and Gandalf living on to fight another day to continue the battle against Sauron is another.