7 Best Harry Potter Villains, Ranked

The last Harry Potter movie may have been released way back in, still the books and the films hold undeniable appeal for audiences of all ages. And with good reason, too. After all, when it was first released, the story was deemed unique and secured a place in the hearts of millions. People were especially enamored with the world-building and the magic system. And while JK Rowling may have suffered a lot of backlash due to her certain views of late, one must still acknowledge her talent for creating characters with vivid backstories and layered personalities. The series has as many villains as it has heroes. But not all of them are as memorable as the others. While some villains we encounter are annoying yet forgettable, there are others whose very presence is petrifying. Here are the 7 best among those very villains, ranked by how great they are at being truly villainous: 

7) The Dursleys

It’s easy to see the Dursleys as just an annoying inconvenience at best. But once you consider the years of bullying and abuse they put Harry through, things start looking much grimmer. Each of the 3 characters plays a role in ensuring Harry’s childhood is as miserable as possible. Petunia Dursley, jealous of her sister’s magical abilities, takes it out on the poor child. Vernon Dursley follows suit, driven by his hatred of the wizarding world. Dudley Dursley and his cronies even go as far as to physically abuse and bully Harry. While they may not be powerful villains, their actions shape Harry’s character and outlook on life through his childhood years.

6) Peter Pettigrew

Another seemingly annoying (if not disgusting) instead of powerful villain, Peter Pettigrew may not often take the limelight but is instrumental in ensuring the return of the Dark Lord. While he may not come as especially clever or helpful, he does show a lot of craftiness in hiding as Scabbers, the old rat Ron inherits from his family, for all those years. He hid in plain sight in an enemy camp, collected information, and got pampered as a pet, all while patiently waiting for Voldemort’s return. He is also constantly at Voldemort’s side from the beginning, serving petty roles, but always there, nevertheless. He is the one following orders to make all the arrangements for the Dark Lord’s return. His slyness also comes to the fore when he cuts off his finger to frame Sirius, who then spends 12 years in Azkaban. The fact that he is the one who gave away Potters’, his once best friends, location away so Voldemort could murder the family, makes him especially vile.

5) Draco Malfoy

Draco Malfoy is not just another snooty rich boy with bullying tendencies. When we meet him, he is a child just like the trio, irritating but not irredeemable. One could even say that he and Harry are 2 sides of the same coin, both unwittingly a central part of a war neither of them signed up for. Like Harry, Draco had little choice in his destiny. He is a child of war, raised by Death Eaters. His character development through the books is especially interesting. Draco goes from a bully and rival to a reluctant pawn. He is the first to join Umbridge’s team, full of spite and determination. Draco’s actions finally force Dumbledore to flee to avoid being arrested. He is also responsible, albeit reluctantly, for the fall of Hogwarts and the Death Eaters taking over. He is, thus, an important villain, a tormented one, yes, but critical to the plot nevertheless.

4) Lord Voldemort

The Dark Lord himself failed to claim the first spot on this list, unfortunately. Of course, he is the main villain, Harry’s nemesis, etc. He is appropriately creepy, his acts heinous, his presence goosebump-inducing. Still, he fades into the background in the face of the terror and the evil portrayed by, say, Bellatrix Lestrange. That doesn’t mean he is appropriately vicious as the Dark Lord. It’s just that the stories we hear about him are sometimes far scarier than his physical manifestation. His dark history with horcruxes, his actions at his orphanage, and treatment of his parents make for grim tales. After all that build-up, the one we meet, and only a few times, seems like a shadow of his former self, his glory days behind him. Basically, Tom Riddle Jr. is a better villain than Lord Voldemort.

3) Barty Crouch Jr.

Barty Crouch Jr. was first introduced to the audience in Goblet of Fire, immediately claiming his spot as one of the more terrifying villains in the series. An ardent devotee of the Dark Lord, he became a Dark Wizard in his teenage years and was imprisoned in Azkaban for his actions. After he escaped from Azkaban, he captured the real Alastor Moody and kept him in a box so he could impersonate the latter and deliver Harry to Voldemort with his own hands. He fooled every powerful wizard in Hogwarts, messed with the powerful magic of the goblet and the events of the tournament, and successfully sent Harry to Voldemort, so the latter could use his blood to turn corporeal. Everything about Crouch Jr. is creepy from the start — his obsession, his snake-like movements, and how casually he tortures a spider with the Crucius curse. He is the reason Cedric Diggory dies and he is responsible for driving Alice and Frank Longbottom insane.

2) Bellatrix Lestrange

If there is one villain who is as petrifying as she is unhinged, it would be Bellatrix Lestrange. Another one of Lord Voldemort’s obsessive followers, Bellatrix is wicked to the core. She revels in torturing people and treating those less powerful than her like filth. She has no respect, no care for anyone other than Voldemort. Played by Helena Bonham Carter, her cackle is enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine. She takes immense pleasure in inflicting pain and spreading despair for the heck of it. Till the moment of her death, she is involved in many heinous activities, including the murder of Dobby, the free elf, Tonks, who had finally found a semblance of happiness with Lupin, and Sirius, Harry’s father figure. 

1) Dolores Umbridge

Where does one even begin with Umbridge? Everything about her is vile. But where Bellatrix is unhinged in her evil, Umbridge is calculative and cunning. She is loyal to no one and only answers to power. When she takes over Hogwarts, she giddily carries out a lot of ministry-sanctioned cruelty on students and teachers alike. Somehow, her saccharine voice and penchant for the color pink only seem to add to her vileness. She adores inflicting pain, always finding new ways to punish those she holds power over. Her punishments are never impulsive, but deliberate, like that time she makes Harry write with the black quill using his own blood as ink. She even uses Moody’s mechanical eye as efficient decoration after he is killed. Unlike most followers of Voldemort, she did not support him out of mere bigotry, but an insatiable lust for power. Overall, Dolores Umbridge is truly the most loathsome villain in the series, inspiring hatred in the hearts of fictional characters and real-life fans alike.