Top Harry Potter Villains and Heroes

In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, the war for the wizarding world and beyond wages on as the Dark Lord seeks to kill The One he marked as his equal. Here, we present our top heroes and villains of J.K. Rowling's magical series, starting first with the ones we love to hate…

By Lizerne Guiting
Rita Skeeter

Using words as her weapon, Skeeter's sensationalist reporting managed to destroy the reputations of countless wizards and witches, including Dumbledore, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Hagrid. Although she never sided with Voldemort, her slanderous stories in the Daily Prophet and her biographies turned many against Harry and his advocates.
Draco Malfoy

Draco adopted his father's snobbish bigotry and spent his years at Hogwarts bullying Harry. Things took a much darker turn when Lucius fell from Voldemort's favor and went to prison; Draco, in an attempt to save his father from Voldemort's wrath, was coerced into doing the Dark Lord's bidding. Although tasked with murdering Dumbledore, Draco hesitated in fulfilling the deed, which was completed by Severus Snape.

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Yaxley

As one of Voldemort's most devout Death Eaters, Yaxley was instrumental in infiltrating the Ministry of Magic, and fought in the wizarding wars alongside the Dark Lord. His ambition for Voldemort's praise and obsession with blood purity made him relentless in his efforts to capture Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and persecute all Muggle-borns.
Peter Pettigrew

Pettigrew befriended Harry's parents and their closest friends and later betrayed them to Voldemort. After the fall of Voldemort, Pettigrew faked his own death and framed Sirius Black for the betrayal, then went into hiding by changing into his Animagus form of a rat. He conveniently spent 12 years as the Weasley family's pet. When the Dark Lord returned to power, he scurried back to his side.
Fenrir Greyback

This most savage werewolf, who’s in league with Voldemort, but yet is forbidden to bear a Death Eater's Dark Mark, loves hunting and attacking children. Greyback brutally fought Harry's allies, and led the Snatchers in their hunt for them.
Lucius Malfoy

Wealthy, manipulative, and bigoted, the Malfoy patriarch attempts to sabotage and discredit the Muggle-loving Weasely family. Harry thwarts his attempts, and Lucius eventually falls from Voldemort's favor. The once revered aristocrat and Death Eater is publically humiliated, and is an outcast from both sides of the war.
Dolores Umbridge

She'll give you a reason to hate cats...and the color pink. Imelda Staunton portrays Umbridge's annoying qualities and tyrant behavior with pitch perfect accuracy. As the one-time Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and the appointed High Inquisitor, she wreaked havoc at Hogwarts, torturing students with cruel and unusual punishments. When Voldemort returned to power, she fully supported the Dark Lord's regime.

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Barty Crouch, Jr.

Barty served as one of the Dark Lord's most useful Death Eaters. After Voldemort's first defeat, Barty was sentenced to life in wizarding prison Azkaban, but his father later broke him out. Voldemort discovered Barty's whereabouts, sending him on a mission to find and deliver Harry Potter. Barty successfully infiltrated Hogwarts impersonating Mad-Eye Moody and rigged the Triwizard Tournament, although Harry managed to escape.
Bellatrix Lestrange

As Voldemort's second in command, this sadistic witch is crazed and wonderfully wicked. She proudly takes credit for torturing Neville Longbottom's parents to the point of insanity, and murdering others in her family whom she deemed blood traitors. Helena Bonham Carter disappears in the role with her wild mane and sinister smile.

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Lord Voldemort

J.K. Rowling created a villain so fearsome that only the most daring speak his name. Most refer to him as The Dark Lord, He Who Must Not Be Named or You-Know-Who. Ralph Fiennes plays the power-hungry wizard with scary intensity, seeking to destroy the only boy prophesied to defeat him…

And now, onto the Harry Potter heroes we most love to hail…

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Severus Snape

We didn't want to spoil the ending, so we're not sure exactly where to put Snape (Alan Rickman). He's done some pretty despicable things, but there's also plenty of good in him. The Head of Slytherin House went from teaching Potions to Defense Against the Dark Arts to finally becoming Headmaster. Rowling's Half-Blood Prince is so complex, it isn't until the very end that his true loyalties are revealed.

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Minerva McGonagall

Maggie Smith stars as the beloved head of Gryffindor House, Transfiguration professor and Deputy Headmistress at Hogwarts. Stern, fair and kind-hearted, she never strays from her principles and moral values and bravely supports Dumbledore and Harry. In the final battles at Hogwarts, she leads the faculty and students in the stand-off against Voldemort's allies.
Kingsley Shacklebolt

One of the few Aurors brave enough to call Voldemort by name, Kingsley joined the Order of the Phoenix convinced that the Dark Lord had returned, while others at the Ministry of Magic remained in denial. He worked as a covert op in Voldemort's regime, supplying wrong information of Sirius Black's whereabouts. His sensibility and character would later rid the Ministry of Magic of discrimination and revolutionize the wizarding world.
Remus Lupin

As one of the Marauders, Lupin (David Thewlis) was a best friend to Harry's father. Because he was a werewolf, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black became unregistered Animagi, so they could keep him company in their animal forms. Lupin became the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor and taught Harry valuable spells, such as how to conjure a Patronus. As an Order of the Phoenix member, he fought against the Dark Lord's Death Eaters.
Sirius Black

Sirius (Gary Oldman) rejected his family's pure-blood elitism early on in his childhood. He attended Hogwarts and became best friends with the other Marauders, and later became Harry's godfather. Pettigrew framed him for revealing the Potters' whereabouts to Voldemort, and was sentenced to Azkaban. After 12 years, he escaped and exposed Pettigrew's treachery and became a mentor and father figure to Harry.
Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody

Extremely paranoid from his active duty days, Moody wears an enchanted eye to, well, keep an eye out. Arguably the most skilled Auror of all time, he battled the Dark Arts and suffered losing his leg, his eye and part of his nose. Moody was ambushed by Barty Crouch, Jr., who impersonated him and took his teaching post at Hogwarts. When he was finally rescued, Mad-Eye joined the Order of the Phoenix and continued battling the Dark Arts.
Luna Lovegood

Known for her eccentric personality, she earned the nickname "Loony" among classmates. As one of the first students to believe Harry's claim that Voldemort had returned, Luna struck a lasting friendship with Harry, Ron and Hermione. She joined Dumbledore's Army and demonstrated special ability in dueling, holding her own in battling Death Eaters.
Dobby

Formerly the Malfoy's house elf, Dobby knew of Lucius' plans to re-open the Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts, and attempted multiple times to keep Harry from returning. Harry finds a way to free Dobby from the Malfoys, which secures the house elf's unwavering loyalty to him. Dobby bravely makes the ultimate sacrifice to secure Harry's safety.
Neville Longbottom

Neville grows up shy and awkward, having suffered the ordeal of Death Eaters torturing both his parents into insanity. Determined to overcome his obstacles, he stands up for what he believes is right and joins Dumbledore's Army. Matthew Lewis reprises his role as one of Rowling's most beloved characters, who courageously rises to the challenges at hand.
Ron Weasley

Rupert Grint returns as Ron Weasley, fellow Gryffindor student and loyal friend to Harry and Hermione. He might be the most immature of the trio, but he also provides much of the comic relief. Longtime fans of Ron will rejoice at seeing him mature and play Hermione's love interest.

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Hermione Granger

She may be Muggle-born, but no other witch or wizard can claim this overachiever hasn't earned her magical stripes with near perfect O.W.L.s in almost every subject. Emma Watson portrays Hermione, whose essential smarts prove useful in battling the Dark Arts even outside the walls of Hogwarts.
Albus Dumbledore

Hogwarts' beloved headmaster is known for his many magical contributions, endearment of students and fearlessness when facing Voldemort. Even after his death, he aided Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the war against Voldemort, bequeathing special items to them in his last will and testament.

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Harry Potter

You can't help but root for Harry, who--even as a baby--the Dark Lord sought to kill. He survived, however, while Voldemort spent years recovering from his own rebounded killing curse. Daniel Radcliffe reprises his role as the titular character in J.K. Rowling's magical series for the final stand.
Note: Is your favorite hero or villain not listed? We just couldn't include them all. Sound off below who your faves are.

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Rita Skeeter

Draco Malfoy

Yaxley

Peter Pettigrew

Fenrir Greyback

Lucius Malfoy

Dolores Umbridge

Barty Crouch, Jr.

Bellatrix Lestrange

Lord Voldemort

Severus Snape

Minerva McGonagall

Kingsley Shacklebolt

Remus Lupin

Sirius Black

Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody

Luna Lovegood

Dobby

Neville Longbottom

Ron Weasley

Hermione Granger

Albus Dumbledore

Harry Potter

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