Top 10 Fantastic Harry Potter Creatures

These beasts come in all shapes and sizes; from the cute and the cuddly, to the downright terrifying. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 magical creatures in “Harry Potter.”

For this list, we’re focusing only on creatures that appear in the “Harry Potter” film universe, and we’ll be looking at what makes these creatures so memorable, whether it’s their magical powers, their personalities, or just their good looks. We will be discussing major plot points from the films, so this is your spoiler alert!

#10: Boggart

Nothing’s more terrifying than a boggart! Okay, that’s not true – we’re only at #10 – but they sure are scary! Boggarts take the form of a victim’s worst fear, which can be something as trivial as a hated professor, or something more sinister, like a soul-sucking prison guard. But a boggart doesn’t just manifest as that something; it also gains its magical powers, although in a much weaker form. Harry’s boggart is a dementor, so he uses the Patronus Charm against it – a spell specifically for dementors. But most people can rely on the Boggart-Banishing Spell to do its job. Simply chanting “ridikkulus” transforms the boggart into something funny rather than horrifying. Laughter’s the best medicine AND the best protection!

#9: Werewolf

Man by day, monster by full moon, these badass creatures will tear through anyone who gets in their way. In the “Harry Potter” world, this beast is compared to a wolf, but there are notable differences: namely its sheer size and the fact that they can walk on their hind legs. After transforming, werewolves lose control and are driven solely by instinct. Because of this, they have a bad reputation, with their condition is seen as a curse. Professor Remus Lupin, a werewolf since childhood, can control himself during his transformations using Wolfsbane Potion. Of course, then there’s Fenrir Greyback, an uncontrollable, bloodthirsty Death Eater who wants to see werewolves outnumber wizardkind. The werewolf’s intimidating presence is undeniable.

#8: Acromantula

Arachnophobes, beware! These giant spiders are notable not only because of their size and valuable venom, but also because they’re capable of human speech – not that you’d wanna get close for a chat. In the case of those acromantula that live in the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts, the only person they let close to them is Hagrid, since he raised them. Harry and Ron learn this pretty quickly when they meet Aragog, a blind acromantula, to get information from him about the chamber of secrets. To Aragog’s credit, he answers all the questions, and has helpful information, but ends the conversation by sending thousands of his spider babies after the duo… to eat them… That was decidedly less helpful!

#7: Basilisk

As if being a giant snake weren’t enough, this creature also has venomous fangs, and can kill you with a single glance – literally. If you’re lucky and just catch a glimpse of its reflection rather than looking it directly in the eyes, you will instead be petrified – aka frozen. As demonstrated by the basilisk at Hogwarts, they harbor murderous intent, having killed before and attempted many other times. Despite the basilisk’s size, it sneaks around Hogwarts through the pipes, so it’s tough to avoid. Oh, and to show you just how scary basilisks are, even the spiders are afraid of them! We’re not just talking about little house spiders either; we’re talking about Aragog-sized spiders – yikes!

#6: Phoenix

Known for their ability to regenerate, these extremely intelligent and fiery birds are pros at getting their friends out of difficult situations. When Harry’s fighting the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets, Professor Dumbledore’s pet phoenix Fawkes comes to his rescue, and really, does most of the work. Not only does Fawkes blind the basilisk, bring Harry the sword of Gryffindor, and heal the wound that would’ve otherwise killed Harry; he then goes above and beyond by carrying Ron, Harry, Ginny, and Professor Lockhart out of the chamber. Hey, he knows how to make a quick and stylish getaway, which he demonstrates while whisking Dumbledore to safety in a burst of flames. Oh, ALSO, both Harry and Voldemort’s wands are made from Fawkes’ feathers – that’s power!

#5: House-Elf

Don’t let their size fool you, because these creatures pack quite a punch! They can apparate and even overpower wizards if they need to. The house elves are a loyal race of creatures that stay devoted to a household – although many times that’s not by choice. In fact, a house elf’s power is greatly limited by their masters, although they can use magic without permission if the situation calls for it. The most important house elf in Harry Potter’s life, Dobby had been under the control of the Malfoy family until Harry helped to set him free. Dobby remains loyal to Harry from that day on, and eventually makes the ultimate sacrifice to save him.

#4: Dragon

No magical world is complete without its own spin on the dragon. Coming from all across the globe in different shapes, sizes and colors, these oversized lizards can of course fly and breathe fire. The first glimpse Harry Potter sees of these powerful creatures is the birth of baby Hagrid’s Norwegian Ridgeback Norbert. It isn’t until a few years later that Harry sees their full power, however, as he’s challenged to steal one of their eggs in the Triwizard Torunament. Everyone knows not to mess with a mama bear, but multiply that by about 800, and you have the wrath of a mama dragon. Of course, Harry eventually learns to tame a dragon, as he convinces one to help him and his friends escape Gringotts Wizarding Bank.

#3: Hippogriff

This creature is magnificent with a capital M! Even before Harry Potter came around, the hippogriff was a creature of legend, with the head and wings of an eagle and the powerful body of a horse. But in this Wizarding World, the hippogriff is one of the most majestic creatures you’ll find – and they know it. These guys are extremely proud and – although they’re usually quite peaceful – they’ll attack anyone who doesn’t show them ample respect. Malfoy learns first-hand how powerful these fellows are when he tries to ride Buckbeak, one of the resident Hogwarts Hippogriffs, without demonstrating the correct etiquette. Buckbeak quickly puts Malfoy in his place by kicking him into the dirt. Buckbeak 1, Malfoy 0.

#2: Thestral

You can’t judge a book by its cover, and this is especially true for the thestral since many people can’t see them at all. Thestrals are the winged, skeletal, vaguely reptilian horses that pull the carriages at Hogwarts. However, many students think the carriages move by themselves, because thestrals are only visible to those who have witnessed death and accepted it. For that reason, many wizards think they’re unlucky. When Harry sees thestrals for the first time, he’s understandably freaked out, but Luna Lovegood shows him how peaceful they really are. They even show their heroic side when Harry and Dumbledore’s Army ride a herd of them to save Sirius Black, making quite an entrance at the Ministry of Magic.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Centaur
- Three-headed Dog
- Pixie

#1: Dementor

Called some of the foulest beings on Earth, these floating, cloaked figures literally suck the happiness out of the room, leaving only despair in their wake. As guards at the wizard prison Azkaban, they can administer the ‘Dementor’s Kiss’ when the need arises, meaning they can suck a person’s soul out of their body. Unfortunately, this doesn’t kill the victim; it only leaves them an empty shell with no feelings or memories. This punishment is supposed to be reserved for escapees of Azkaban, but dementors will perform it on anyone they see as a threat. Despite the fact that Lord Voldemort has been after him since he was a baby, Harry Potter considers dementors his greatest fear, showing just how powerful they really are.

Do you agree with our list? Which magical beast from Harry Potter would you like to meet – or not? For more entertaining Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.