Have you ever like… watched the WC2 cut scenes?
Khadgar blowing up the dark portal at the end of Tides of Darkness is one of the defining images burned into my brain from childhood. (He blows it up again at the end of Beyond the Dark Portal)
Actually he’s blown it up 3 times if you count WoD.
And that was before he spent time learning from people like Adal.
The real answer is…whichever is faster on the draw.
They both possess enough raw power to obliterate the other with one spell…so the one that casts first, wins. Further, if their casting time is close enough, they’re both doomed.
Petty.
Just because you have not witnessed the depths of the ocean for yourself, you assume it’s not there. Khadgar using less force for more effect only shows a higher level of experience; it is not any message on the limits of power.
It reminds me of LotR where Gandalf is constantly doing minor cantrips, when you know the wizard can literally shatter reality.
I bet Jaina and Khadgar are intentioned to be “evenly matched”, as both are incredibly strong wizards. But Khadgar’s ability to generate multilateral attacks on his problems is easily more powerful than Jaina’s “brute force every problem” approach.
By the way, Jaina couldn’t even save her own city. While Theramore smolders as a crater, Dalaran floats on.
Important note: Sylvanas with Jailer lending her his power.
Without it she’s one of weakest faction leaders.
Yes, but Laura Bailey is like Golden’s best friend and has more fans than Tony Amendola.
In the scope of lore: Khadgar. Khadgar stopped the dark portal invasion almost single handedly, over-powered a Sargeras-Powered-Medivh, and has protected the planet more time than Jaina has had birthdays.
In reality: Jaina wins because plot armor makes her an unstoppable magic spewing death machine the second something even remotely inconveniences her.
Jaina loses in BfD. “Plot armor” doesn’t at all make her unbeatable. But they have tipped a bit towards incomprehensibility in terms of “Does the power of named actors have limits?” Even Thrall had this problem.
Palpatine could fight the entire Council of Six at once, and win easily.
Oh wait, wrong franchise. Khadgar is more powerful.
Sigh… depending who is writing and the narrative main NPC attraction, that’s who would win. 
Without plot armor narrative, Khadgar hands down. No question and no contests at all just by reading the lore history of this character alone.
Depends on plot armor
Probably Khadgar. Jaina has more raw power then him, but Khadgar has finesse and I feel a bit of trickery under his sleeve that he would pull on her.
Jaina will simply tell Khadgar to lose or he will sleep on the couch.
They’re both stupid strong.
At least based on lore, Khadgar just edges out Jaina, but the plot might buff frost over arcane.
Khadgar would be the stronger of the two on raw power, but he’s also streets ahead on discipline, study and self control. Plus, age and experience will trash youth and enthusiasm nearly every time. I can see him wearing a T-shirt that says “Be careful, there’s a reason I’m old.”
Isn’t khadgar reaching like the guardian levels of power at this point?
Like, the mans beat down things much stronger then jaina has. Her highest achievement being what, killing some grunts in a war?
While I agree that Jaina is strong, I believe Khadgar is a tier above. I mean, he does have Medivh’s staff, doesn’t he?
Khadgar of course, he studies more than Jaina and has alot of tricks to his sleeve from his battle experiences.
I’ll have you know it was me and an angry dwarf that blew it up in WoD.
And back on topic. Khadgar as he uses logic and reason where Jaina is ruled by emotion.
Khadghar, Jaina is all brawn and no brains.
Dadghar wins 