Gandalf Vs. The Witch King

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by obloquy

But doesn't it conflict with Saruman's defeat-by-staff-exploding?

Sorry, I misunderstood. Well, one might take the breaking of the staff as symbolically suggesting defeat (thus heghtening tension etc), but that doesn't necessarily mean that the staffless Wizard is without power. Saruman in the films may still have had power, but we never find out as he takes a dive off the edge of Orthanc, courtesy of Grima.