Top 10 Most Powerful Characters in Harry Potter

Harry Potter was famous for being “the Chosen One” and “the Boy Who Lived.” But with two talented wizards as parents, he’s also a natural talent. His skill level has been questioned but he’s gone head-to-head, or wand-to-wand, with some of the strongest wizards around, not to mention dragons, trolls, and Dementors. Harry mastered the Patronus Charm, a highly advanced spell, then taught other Hogwarts students in Dumbledore’s Army how to cast their own. When Voldemort attacked him as a baby, he gained part of the dark wizard’s soul, giving him the ability to speak Parseltongue. He’s particularly gifted in Defense Against the Dark Arts, but with someone, or something, trying to kill him every year, how could he not be?

There’s no doubt that Hermione Granger was one of the smartest witches at Hogwarts, and her thirst for knowledge helped her friends out more than several times. She’s Muggle-born, leading some to underestimate her magical capabilities. But each year at Hogwarts, she proved that she’s a near genius-level witch, a quick learner, and often the first in the class to master a spell, charm, hex, or potion. She even took extra classes in her third year using a Time-Turner. Hermione was also inquisitive, resourceful, and protective. She may be book smart, but she always rose to the occasion when things got dangerous.

While a student at Hogwarts, Sirius Black, along with James Potter and Peter Pettigrew, secretly became unregistered Animagi to aid their fellow Marauder, and werewolf, Remus Lupin. Not only does that make Sirius an incredibly caring and loyal friend, it proved just how intelligent and gifted he was in potions and transfiguration. Plus, keeping his werewolf friend in check was no easy feat. Like Remus, Sirius was an exceptional duelist, able to perform nonverbal magic, and considered one of the strongest members of the Order of the Phoenix. As an adult, he managed to survive Azkaban for over a decade and was the only prisoner who escaped without assistance.

As Voldemort’s most dedicated and deranged Death Eater, Bellatrix Lestrange was an extremely powerful and feared witch. She excelled in the Dark Arts, and with the Dark Lord himself as her trainer, we’d expect nothing less. This master Occlumens was particularly fond of the Cruciatus Curse, her signature spell that she used on Hermione, Neville Longbottom’s parents Frank and Alice, and countless others. During the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, Bellatrix killed her cousin Sirius Black with an Avada Kedavra spell and then proceeded to gleefully taunt Harry. She also burned down both Hagrid’s Hut and the Burrow, and threw the knife that killed Dobby. Bellatrix did it all with a crazed cackle and a smile. Her cruelty knows no bounds.

Back in his younger years at Hogwarts, Alastor Moody proved he could master several areas of magic — Herbology, Potions, the Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration — pretty much everything. His expertise only increased over time, leading him to become the greatest Auror in the Ministry of Magic. Alastor had a reputation of fearlessly capturing dark wizards and witches, including Death Eaters, the worst of the worst. Hunting down powerful wizard criminals requires some seriously impressive dueling skills, but magical combat left him injured and scarred. After losing his eye, Alastor replaced it with a magical one that basically gave him x-ray vision, which was how he earned the moniker “Mad-Eye.”

Though he always longed to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, Severus Snape spent many years as the Potion Master at Hogwarts. Even as a student, he possessed an innate ability to improve potions by making his own alterations to the instructions. Snape’s expert brews could harm or heal, making him a wizard you definitely want to have on your side. His proficiency in both Occlumency and Legilimency, protecting his own mind while invading others’, aided him as a double agent working with Voldemort. And, while it might not seem like much of a skill, Snape also had the power of intimidation on his side, as many, if not all, students feared him.

As a student, Minerva McGonagall trained under Albus Dumbledore, who taught her how to become an Animagus, a very complex magical skill to learn, let alone master. When she became a professor at Hogwarts, she earned numerous titles — Deputy Headmistress, Head of Gryffindor House, and Head of Transfiguration. Minerva was a highly respected witch and educator but she also fought in her fair share of battles, including both Wizarding Wars and the Battle of Hogwarts. She may be stern, but she’s also bold, courageous, and incredibly witty. In one of her many legendary moments, Minerva cast the spell that transfigured the Hogwarts statues to protect the school and the students against Voldemort and his army.

While he’s a more prominent antagonist in the “Fantastic Beasts” series, we first heard Gellert Grindelwald’s name in Harry Potter’s story. He was the most formidable dark wizard until ol’ Voldemort came along and stole the show. Grindelwald was highly intelligent and mastered several areas of advanced magic, particularly the Dark Arts. His skills were significantly enhanced when he became the wielder of the Elder Wand, the most powerful wand of all. Grindelwald’s reasonable desire for basic wizard rights turned into a crusade to rule over the Wizarding and Muggle Worlds. His charismatic and manipulative nature attracted many loyal followers who joined him in committing heinous acts, including using the Killing Curse and Cruciatus Curse on the masses.

Before he even owned a wand, young Tom Marvolo Riddle already exhibited an impressive, if concerning, aptitude for magic. Dumbledore acknowledged Tom as a brilliant student, possibly the best in Hogwarts history. He excelled in several subjects, especially – you guessed it – the Dark Arts. He was also a Parselmouth, an expert Legilimens, formed a legion of Death Eaters, and managed to split his soul into seven Horcruxes. Voldemort was self-entitled and devoid of humanity since childhood, hurting others for his own amusement. That evilness plus his exponentially extraordinary abilities made him an extremely powerful and dangerous wizard. You-Know-Who, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, the Heir of Slytherin, the Dark Lord. Whatever you want to call him, or not call him, he’s the most feared dark wizard in history.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

One of the Fiercest Mothers in the Wizarding World

Without These 4, There’d Be No Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry

Charms Master & Former Dueling Champion

A True Master of Disguise

Albus Dumbledore’s remarkable level of power and extensive knowledge was simply unparalleled. A dedicated scholar and passionate about the advancement of magic, Dumbledore was first the Transfiguration Professor, and eventually promoted to Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Among his other accomplishments, he was the founder of the original Order of the Phoenix, as well as its revival. And, in addition to being the only wizard Lord Voldemort ever actually feared, he was the only wizard to take down Gellert Grindelwald, his childhood friend and love interest. Their legendary duel resulted in Grindelwald’s defeat, making Dumbledore the Elder Wand’s new master, further cementing Albus Dumbledore as the greatest sorcerer of all time.