PK Draft: Wizard companion on your epic journey

The first - and most powerful - sidekick in High Fantasy is invariably the wizard. 

The wise and enigmatic mage pops up in chapter 2, generally armed with explosive revelations of Hidden Destiny, Prophecy and Big Brooding Evils. 

So, pretend you're a stableboy that just learned you have a Magical Destiny. You're about to hike off on your journey to face the big bad, so which wizard are you taking with you?

A few rules:

- Try to be specific - so for legends and classics (e.g. Merlin), try to tie them down to one book or series.

- The definition of 'fantasy' is pretty broad. As is 'wizard'. More argument, less rules.

- They have to be a good guy - or, at the very least - on the same side. This is for the Companion, not the Dark. So Voldemort is out, but Snape is ok (please don't turn this into an argument about Harry Potter).

- Per usual, please wait 5 places before picking again. 

Comments

[Rob]

Belgarath. Because not only is he a great wizard and protective father figure, he's actually fun. He uses his magic (many others hold back more often than not), tells stories, tells jokes, transforms into a wolf.

[Jared]

Raistlin. He's pushing the 'good guy' thing (and he makes me feel like a 10 year old). But the man GOT SHIT DONE.

[Bryan]

Harry Dresden of the Dresden Files. While not neccessarily the most super duper powerful guy out there, he's resourceful and innovative with his abilities. he also has a knack for getting by without resorting to magic first. he's also loyal as hell, though that may get you killed.

[Anne]

I'd take Trent from the Xanth novels. He's got powerful (if limited) magic and is very, very smart. Also, he seems like he'd be interesting to talk to, and there'd be a lot of chatting on my epic quest.

Does he count as a wizard? He's a "magician" in the Xanth universe, which means he's got very powerful magic, but it's just one sort of magic, in this case transformation. Should the category "wizard" be limited to those with a broad range of magical ability?

[Jared]

Trent's a good one. And his 'limited' power is probably more versatile and more potent than many others (e.g. Gandalf can create fireworks AND talk to birds).

He didn't seem to have a very high opinion of women though. I imagine that you'd probably get sick of washing his socks for him on the quest.

[Anne]

No man in the Xanth series has an especially high opinion of women, really. Though, of course, it's 'worse' in Mundania! So I can just take my feminist desire to be treated like a human being and shove it up my ass. (And then work really hard not to make some tasteless joke about underage sex.)

[Jared]

'up her ass' sounds like the title for the next (46th) xanth book. of course, it is a pun about mules. but sex puns + horses? couldn't possibly be more piers anthony...

[Gordon White]

Radagast, the 'zoidberg' of the Istari. I'd choose him because no one else wants to hang around him... Which seems a little mean.

It also means he's probably got a lot of time on his hands and won't vanish mid-quest to do more important things a la Gandalf.

Plus I'm quite lazy and being able to summon the Eagles is definitely going to come in handy, if only for speedy Lembas Pizza delivery.

[Den]

Erm, my brain isn't working. I guess that leaves me Polgara from the Belgariad.

Great. She knits and drinks tea...

Actually I'm going to go with Sephrenia, just because I think the Sparhawk series was the first one I really got my teeth into, and I like the idea of gypsy witch teaching Knights spells.

[Jared]

Thank god. Polgara would be down at the bottom of my list. She's insufferably judgmental in that weird Eddings'-female way. (All female characters are either filled with ageless wisdom or painful brats).

I can't pick again yet. Dernit.