What makes Gandhi special?

I think he possessed two very-very rare qualities.

1. He had an unwavering sense of purpose and he was not willing to compromise on it given the necessities of practicality - he'd rather be unreasonable than compromise. He'd rather pay the price of being impractical, than reap the rewards of being an opportunist. This made him extremely selfless;
2. He was supremely competent which made him extremely effective as a leader. He could capture the imagination of the masses, instilling self belief in them. And he did not need violent force to achieve it.

Any wonder then that Gandhi has been invoked in almost all popular movements related to human rights and freedom.