The movie wasn’t that epic.
After the battle with the demonic creature on top of Celebdil, the wizard did not upgrade to a new level. On the contrary — it was reset to factory settings. In The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, only a few shots of the battle were shown, but in the book everything was explained in much more detail.
Gandalf is essentially a demigod — he is an Istari sage from the Maiar people. He was sent to help the inhabitants of Middle-earth in the fight against dark forces. According to theories, Gandalf was originally white, like the other Istari. He was imbued with love for the inhabitants of Middle-earth, gradually became human and became Gandalf the Grey.
After Gandalf and the Balrog fell into the abyss of Khazad-dûm, they fell into the lake, where the Balrog’s fire went out. However, the demon survived and, like a snake, tried to strangle Gandalf. He fought back with a sword and eventually put the enemy to flight. The Balrog knew well the tunnels that lay beneath Khazad-dûm, and Gandalf was on his heels.
As a result, Gandalf drove the enemy to the top of Mount Celebdil, where Durin’s Tower was located. There, the Balrog flared up again, and they continued the duel. If someone saw this, then from the side it might seem that the top of the mountain was enveloped in a storm: smoke and steam swirled from melting snow, lightning struck, hot rain fell and rocks collapsed.
As a result, Gandalf defeated the Balrog and threw him off the top, and he himself was mortally wounded and died.
“But my journey in this world is not complete, I was sent back,” said Gandalf.
By the grace of the supreme god, the wizard has returned. And he became as strong as he was originally — Gandalf the White.
