Every Major Antagonist Harry Potter Faced, Ranked Least To Most Evil
The Harry Potter franchise centers on the battle between the titular character and the most powerful Dark Wizard of all time, Lord Voldemort. But is Voldemort the evilest villain in the saga? He might be the story's main antagonist, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's the vilest.
Indeed, the saga has several other antagonists worth mentioning when talking about malevolence. Some appear in several books, while others are one-time characters, but they put Harry through hell and back. And while some are pretty tame when it comes to malice, others rejoice in their villainy, making it clear they love being bad.
8 The Dursleys
The Dursleys were the first antagonists that Harry faced. After Dumbledore left him outside their home, they took care of him, but made no effort to hide how much they resented him. The Dursleys emotionally abused Harry and exploited him by making him cook and clean for them.
Still, for all their flaws and mistreatment, the Dursleys weren't truly evil. Furthermore, although it was incredibly rare, they showed genuine concern for his safety, especially Aunt Petunia. Even Dudley shows concern after they leave Harry during the seventh book. The Harry Potter movies left out several facts about the Dursleys, probably to paint them more antagonistically, but the family was never irredeemable, just selfish.
7 Draco Malfoy
The prototypical bully who feels better by making others feel bad, Draco Malfoy is Harry's nemesis during his early years at Hogwarts. He uses his father's wealth and pure-blood status to justify his terrible behavior and enjoys antagonizing Harry for no reason.
As Draco grows up, he lets go of petty rivalries, especially as he becomes involved with the Death Eaters. The potential to inflict actual harm makes Draco mature and realize he doesn't want to become his father. Draco isn't entirely immoral, just petty and misguided. Above all, he's immature, thinking making fun of others will make him feel better about himself.
6 Quirinus Quirrell
Quirrell is the first major villain that Harry faces. Posing as a meek and seemingly harmless professor, Quirrell arrives at Hogwarts to search for the Philosopher's Stone to bring Voldemort back. Quirrell also houses what's left of Voldemort inside him, sharing his body and life with the Dark Lord.
Without a doubt, Quirrell is one of the evilest Ravenclaws in Harry Potter. However, he's also the least impressive of the series villains. Quirrell is a puppet, weak enough for Voldemort to handle and manipulate at will. Without the Dark Lord, Quirrell was another insecure young man looking to make a name for himself in the world. He pursued Voldemort out of ambition, only to become his servant.
5 Peter Pettigrew
Like Quirrell, Peter Pettigrew is but a servant to Voldemort. Described as timid and almost meaningless, Pettigrew was the weakest and most inconsequential of the Marauders. He wasn't even powerful enough to achieve an animagus form as impressive as Sirius or James's, settling for a lowly rat.
Pettigrew was treacherous and dangerous. He was self-serving and desperate to acquire power by any means possible. Still, he was cowardly and unimpressive, meaning he needed someone stronger than him to serve. Pettigrew didn't hesitate to kill anyone under Voldemort's orders, but he wasn't powerful enough to defend himself.
4 Barty Crouch Jr.
Lord Voldemort had many obsessive followers, but few compared to Barty Crouch Jr. The only son of prominent Ministry employee Barty Crouch, Barty Jr. successfully tricked all of Hogwarts by posing as "Mad-Eye" Moody for the entirety of Harry's fourth year at school.
Barty Jr. was staunchly loyal to Voldemort and willing to do everything and anything to ensure his return. Jr. also allowed his mother to take his place and die in Azkaban, showing how selfish and cruel he was. Barty Jr. was one of the evilest Death Eaters; he enjoyed inflicting pain on his victims and even participated in Frank and Alice Longbottom's torture, proving that he was someone worth fearing.
3 Dolores Umbridge
Dolores Umbridge represented a different kind of evil in the Potter universe. Obsessed with order and control and with stratospheric airs of superiority, Umbridge liked having power and enjoyed inflicting harsh punishments on those she deemed below her.
Unlike the Death Eaters, Umbridge never left the Ministry's side. However, she did turn a blind eye when Voldemort seized control of it as long as she could continue inflicting her punishments on others. Many fans consider Umbridge the most evil character in Harry Potter. She is arguably the most hated character in the franchise, more son than Voldemort himself.
2 Bellatrix Lestrange
Love and blind devotion often lead to darkness; Bellatrix is the perfect example. Obsessed with serving and pleasing Voldemort, Bellatrix was his most trusted vassal, a Death Eater of considerable power and few limits famous for her unhinged and barbaric behavior.
Bellatrix is one of the best female villains in movie history. She's vicious, unrestrained, and adamantly loyal to Voldemort. There's no reasoning or arguing with her. Bellatrix loves causing pain and misery and hates all those who are against her plans. She has no issue with killing her niece and cousin and would probably kill her entire family if it pleased her Dark Lord.
1 Lord Voldemort
As it turns out, Voldemort is indeed the most evil character in Harry Potter. The Dark Lord is the saga's main antagonist, the most powerful dark wizard of all time, hellbent on cleansing the magical world of impurity. Voldemort has a great deal of self-hatred, especially because he is a half-blood.
The Potter saga is basically a conflict between open-mindedness and inclusivity versus intolerance and bigotry. Voldemort represents the worst things a person can be: close-minded, hateful, intolerant, ignorant, and unwilling to accept his mistakes and limitations. He is sick with anger and hatred and terrified of losing his power. Dark wizards will come and go, but Voldemort will remain the most dangerous of all.