As previously stated, Gandalf is a Maia and is therefore superior to Elves regarding power. Still, this isn't to say that an elf couldn't develop enough skill and power to defeat a Maia. As a bearer of one of the Three Elven Rings (Nenya), Galadriel would have an edge against Maiar like Saruman and Radagast.
All this is to say, she's probably one of - if not the most - powerful elves in existence at that time, and she has a Ring of Power on top of that. Gandalf, on the other hand, is more limited. Yes, he is a Maia, and in his true form he would probably easily outrank Galadriel in terms of power.
3 Sauron. A being has to be rather powerful to no longer be able to move in a physical space, but still be considered the greatest threat to an entire land. He is the titular character of the film trilogy as he is often referred to as The Lord of the Rings.
As previously stated, Gandalf is a Maia and is therefore superior to Elves regarding power. Still, this isn't to say that an elf couldn't develop enough skill and power to defeat a Maia. As a bearer of one of the Three Elven Rings (Nenya), Galadriel would have an edge against Maiar like Saruman and Radagast.
In a one-on-one battle, Galadriel would likely lose to Sauron. Even though she's an Elf, both powerful and intelligent, Sauron is Maiar. Odds are, Sauron didn't fear a physical defeat — only a fellow Maia ring-bearer could physically oppose him and win, after all — but Galadriel is threatening in other ways.
For those that haven't read Tolkien's work, it's easy to see why many audiences suspect Gandalf and Galadriel are in love. After all, many of their interactions in The Hobbit trilogy practically scream romance. However, their relationship remains purely platonic in Tolkien's source material.
Summary. Gandalf, as an Istari, was sent to Middle-earth to assist in the fight against Sauron, but he was forbidden from using his full power to interfere with the natural order. Saruman's downfall serves as a warning of the dangers of exceeding the limits placed on the Istari by the Valar.
Thus, Galadriel's dark form in Jackson's The Lord of the Rings personified what would have occurred had the Lady of Lothlorien given in to temptation and taken the One Ring for herself. She would have succumbed to evil because the Ring was indomitable, even with her power.
Gandalf is much older, because Galadriel was an Elf one of the Children of Illuvatar which awoke in the First Age. Gandalf was a Maia, one of the lesser spirits created by Eru since before the beginning of time. So, Gandalf is much older than Galadriel.
Gandalf is no mere man, but a Maiar, which are essentially the equivalent of angels in Tolkien's world. Not only that, Gandalf is capable of feats of sorcery that could easily beat back the Dark Lord. Fighting the Balrog for three days and two nights makes everything else seem like a cakewalk.
As a wizard, Gandalf's magical power is in light and fire, which he is able to manipulate by casting beams of light, starting and directing fires, and more. Although he is very powerful magically, his power does have its limits.
Though neither is someone you'd wish to annoy, Galadriel is generally considered more powerful than Elrond in Lord of the Rings. Not only is she older than her Rivendell counterpart, but Galadriel witnessed the light from Valinor's Two Trees, giving her a mystic quality.
The majority of her powers come from her Ring of Power, Nenya, the Ring of Water. The ring, also known by the names the White Ring and the Ring of Adamant, is one of the three Rings of Power given to the Elves of Middle-earth in the Second Age.
Galadriel in Rings of Power Bears Little Resemblance To Her Lord Of The Rings Character. The Rings of Power showed Galadriel as bitter and impatient. She was driven by a desire for revenge. Her father and three of her brothers has been killed by Morgoth.
Galadriel's powers were so vast that it's said that other powerful beings like Saruman or even Elrond could not fully comprehend them. The powers she did have were used for good, of course, such as protecting Lothlórien and even toppling Dol Guldur, a fortress that was enhanced by Sauron's magic.
Contrary to assumptions that Sauron would likely be the one to offer Galadriel the biggest challenge, Clark instead revealed that she felt that the High Elf Glorfindel would be the only one capable of beating her.
Saruman seems to be the senior member of the White Council, with the most authority, and he holds Orthanc as his base of operations. Gandalf the Grey, Radagast the Brown and the other two Wizards regarded Saruman as the authority over them. That is a key factor in an organization.
"He was tall as a young tree, lithe, immensely strong, able swiftly to draw a great war-bow and shoot down a Nazgûl, endowed with the tremendous vitality of Elvish bodies, so hard and resistant to hurt that he went only in light shoes over rock or through snow, the most tireless of all the fellowship."
Morgoth is the more powerful of the two. Morgoth was the mightiest of the Valar, a group whose weakest member would outpace Sauron. However, there are some circumstances and eras in which Sauron would win the day. Morgoth was born far beyond Sauron but lost and surrendered much of his power.
