Harry Potter: All 4 Marauders, Ranked by Power

While Harry Potter fans will have to wait for the long-desired Marauders spinoff that’s been a staple part of wishlists for the best part of two decades, the characters remain an important part of lore. HBO’s Harry Potter series will also introduce a new generation of fans to the four wizards, but so far, no casting information has been revealed, despite James Potter’s part in The Philosopher’s Stone. But looking forward, the inevitable third season – based on The Prisoner of Azkaban – will bring in the three surviving adult Marauders for the explosive reveal of Peter Pettigrew’s betrayal of Lily and James. Until then, we’ll have to go back to the books and the movies to celebrate the characters.

The Marauders are arguably the second most interesting group of characters in JK Rowling’s books, after the Golden Trio, and are partly more interesting because we didn’t get to see much of them as a group. Add to that the trauma of how the group fell apart, and you have one of the most compelling stories in the entire Wizarding World. All four were extraordinary – in very different ways, of course – and one question that persists among Harry Potter fans is how they rank in terms of power. Here’s the definitive answer to how James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew rank.

4. Peter Pettigrew

You could be forgiven for dismissing Peter Pettigrew as a snivelling, cowardly weakling, given his part in the betrayal of the Potters and his alliance with Voldemort, but that would be too reductive. For starters, Pettigrew learned the complex, highly advanced magic required to become an animagus, and while some may claim he was helped by the prodigious abilities of James and Sirius, you cannot simply bully someone who is not gifted into becoming so capable. So strong was Pettigrew’s command of the spell, in fact, that he was able to hide as Scabbers for 12 years. Curiously long life for a common garden rat!

Pettigrew’s weakness was his cowardice and arguably his envy: he had been friends with the other Marauders because they were the strongest allies he could make. And when Voldemort came along, his parasitic instinct pushed him towards that alliance. But he was also more powerful than he is given credit for, having killed Cedric easily, and of course, having been chosen for Gryffindor by the Sorting Hat. Presumably, the Hat saw some potential in him that others overlooked. Infamously, he also killed 12 muggles with one curse, proving further prowess there, though there is little doubt he was the least powerful of the four friends.

3. Remus Lupin

It almost feels cruel to place Lupin in third, but the gap between him and Pettigrew is considerable. Not an animagus like his friends because of his lycanthropy, Lupin was nevertheless a very capable wizard whose appointment to the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher was testament to that ability. Lupin is most frequently discussed as a skilled defensive magic user, which is more tied to his paternal role and the careful way he looks after his students (as well as his teaching position, naturally), but he was also a skilled duellist.

He survived multiple major battles, including coming through both the Battle of the Department of Mysteries and the Battle of the Astronomy Tower completely unharmed. And during the Battle of the Seven Potters, not only was he trusted to lead that mission, despite the presence of both Alastor Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt. Obviously, the fact that he died in battle counts somewhat against him in the end, but so too were the two Marauders widely considered superior wizards.

2. James Potter

Wherever you land on the issue of whether James Potter was actually a good person or not (the books do not provide enough evidence to suggest Snape’s perception of him wasn’t somewhat correct), there’s no doubting he was incredibly skilled as a wizard. The animagus factor doesn’t really mean much as a deciding factor, because Peter Pettigrew mastered that, so you have to look a little deeper. James’ son Harry’s prodigal power level was often said to be proven by his ability to conjure such a strong patronus, which James was also capable of, of course, so there’s one positive point immediately.

James was also said to be an exceptionally gifted duellist, as well as one of the two smartest students in Hogwarts during his time there, and was a legendary broom rider. While we don’t know the exact meaning, he also “defied Voldemort thrice”, and we know his reputation was enough that Voldemort wanted to recruit him (as well as Lily). He was known to be a proficient user of Transfiguration, a master Potions student, and, sadly, an impressive enough duellist to embarrass Severus Snape – himself a significantly powerful wizard even as a youth.

1. Sirius Black

The James or Sirius debate is probably the most hotly contested in Harry Potter lore for good reason: both were exceptionally talented, of course, and were explicitly mentioned as being the top two students at Hogwarts in their era. The only question mark here is why they weren’t selected to be part of the prestigious Slug Club by Professor Slughorn, but that is presumably more about behavior than academic achievement. Or, more sadly, because of their association with Lupin. That oversight shouldn’t be classed as a slight against them even as youngsters, and by all accounts, the young members of the Order of the Phoenix grew into even more impressive wizards.

Sirius beats James partly because we saw more of his magical feats on the page (and on screen) on top of the achievements we know he shared with the other Marauders. He was, of course, an animagus from an impressively early age, and helped charm the Marauders’ Map, and beyond that, was an exceptional duellist, a master of Transfiguration and non-verbal magic, had an affinity for magical creatures, and could also conjure a patronus (though it was non-corporeal). He also defeated Dolohov – the Death Eater who killed Lupin – in a duel, and could have beaten Bellatrix Lestrange were it not for being distracted. It’s certainly a close battle, but Sirius is the right victor.

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