How big is Master Chief compared to Gandalf?
Master Chief measures 2.18 m (7.15 ft) from the ground up, and Gandalf measures 1.8 m (5.91 ft) from the ground up. That puts Master Chief at 1.21 times the height of Gandalf: 38 cm (15 in) of difference, 21%. Put the other way round, Gandalf covers 83% of Master Chief on the axis both are judged on. Master Chief and Gandalf are both written in single metres, and the 21% between them is the whole of the difference.
| Object | Real size | Axis measured | What the figure covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Chief | 2.18 m 7.15 ft |
Height | Halo |
| Gandalf | 1.8 m 5.91 ft |
Height | LOTR |
Both figures, Master Chief and Gandalf, come from the Size It Up measurement set, one real-world size and one measured axis per object, last checked in September 2026; outline provenance is listed on the sources page.
Why this one is hard to judge by eye
Both shapes fit in a single glance here, which is exactly why the 21% between Master Chief and Gandalf slips past: at this size the eye compares whole outlines, and the figures above compare one axis.
What each figure covers
Master Chief. The height is the character in armour, the only way the character is ever seen. Out of armour the figure drops by about twenty centimetres.
Gandalf. The height is the figure used for the character as he appears in the films, staff excluded. The staff would add roughly another half metre above the head.
Master Chief and Gandalf are both quoted as a height, which is what makes the ratio above a like-for-like figure.
What else is about that size?
Measured the same way, Master Chief at 2.18 m sits within a tenth of Chewbacca at 2.28 m, Sulley at 2.29 m and Shrek at 2.33 m. Gandalf at 1.8 m has C-3PO at 1.77 m, American Bison at 1.75 m and Human at 1.71 m for company, within a tenth. Swapping any of those in for Master Chief would move its ratio to Gandalf by less than 10%.