
After seeing The Multiverse of Madness, fans continue to be puzzled about the plotholes and a specific question of which book is more powerful: the Darkhold, the Book of Vishanti, or the Book of Cagliostro. Since providing a straightforward response is difficult, let’s dive deep into which book could be more potent than the other.
To begin with, the most powerful counterspells to other magical schools may be found in the Book of the Vishanti, which is part of the white/order magic tradition. There seems to be an infinite amount of pages that magically appear. One may utilize the book itself as a shield against magical attacks. The other limitation of its spells is that they can never be employed offensively but only defensively.
For instance, Doctor Strange of the Illuminati universe first used the Darkhold to beat Thanos. However, he failed to find a way to defeat Thanos in the multiverse. This is when he used the Book of Vishanti and slandered Thanos by himself. At this point in time, Thanos had four infinity stones. So, it is safe to assume that this book is probably just as powerful as the infinity stones.
The Book of Vishanti is the total opposite of the Darkhold. This is so because, unlike the latter, their mind is not corrupted when they use them. In the comics, Doctor Strange often uses the Book of Vishanti to defend himself.
The Book of Cagliostro is first seen in the hands of the Ancient One. This book is exceptionally equipped with powerful magical spells. And with Kaecilius having read the book only once, he was quick to absorb the mighty powers from the dark dimension. Consequently, his and the rest of the team’s abilities were enhanced.
Furthermore, it was solely because of this book that Dormammu found his way to Earth. If Ancient One could use the powers from the Dark Dimension, it seems plausible that a connection with the latter may have been so because Ancient One used the book.
Doctor Strange learned how to use the time stones through this book. In doing so, the sequel’s protagonist managed to walk back in time with time-reversal and view the page that Kaecilius read. However, had Doctor Strange not read the book, he may have not been able to beat Dormammu either.
Keeping MCU aside for a moment, What if…? showed how much the book was used by Doctor Strange that ultimately helped him defeat monsters and demons and other magical beings and absorb Shuma-Gorath. Consequently, making him more powerful than before, so much that he went beyond the absolute point of time and destroyed the entire universe.
In ancient times, Scarlet Witch’s followers had built a temple on the top of a mountain- a sacred place to worship the witch. Chthon’s darkest spells on the temple walls were engraved and later found in the Darkhold. After which, several copies of the book were created.
There are several dark energy spells in the Darkhold. There is even, in fact, a chapter dedicated to Scarlet Witch. The bottom line is that their powers are amplified by whoever reads the spells in the Darkhold.
It is difficult to conclude with a perfect answer as to which book among the three is the most powerful. I believe the Book of Cagliostro could be given a runner-up position. This is so because the book does not expedite the powers of those who read it.
Both, Darkhold and Book of Vishanti allow users to enhance their powers. These books can stand as the most powerful because the Book of Vishanti is just as powerful as the Darkhold, however, is the opposite. While one book is filled with dark energies, the other contains white magic.
Despite this, the Book of Vishanti may be the most powerful after all. In fact, Doctor Strange himself said that it was indeed because of the Book of Vishanti that he was able to fight the Scarlet Witch.