The Harry Potter saga remains a beloved part of cinematic history in the early 2000s. The series defined an entire generation, nearly single-handedly revitalizing the fantasy genre thanks to its irresistible premise and charming cast of colorful characters. Everyone waited for their Hogwarts letter, imagining what it would be like to walk those magical hallways and have a butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks.

Every great saga needs a great villain, and this one is no exception. And while Voldemort might be the series' big bad, numerous other villains stood out across the eight Harry Potter movies. From major antagonists who hunted Harry for years to one-time baddies whose presence was short but meaningful, these villains played their part in making Harry's life a living hell, turning the franchise into a once-in-a-lifetime event.

10 Draco Malfoy

Played by Tom Felton

Draco Malfoy was more of an obnoxious and petty brat than a genuine threat to Harry. Their dynamic was not the best largely because they were children encouraged to fight each other by almost every adult around them; even the Hogwarts House system prompted them to compete, with one being a courageous Gryffindor and the other a resourceful Slytherin.

However, Draco proves himself far from an evil person as time passes. He reluctantly becomes a Death Eater but is incapable of inflicting any real harm on others; he even refuses to rat Harry out to Bellatrix in Malfoy Manor. Eventually, he turns his back on the Death Eaters and grows up to be a worthy father and husband. Draco's role in the story is to be a childhood rival to Harry, but he is not a killer; in the end, he's not even a bad person.

9 Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley Dursley

Played by Richard Griffiths, Fiona Shaw, and Harry Melling

Harry's first major obstacle is growing up with the Dursleys. Aggressively conventional and desperate to fit in, the family loathes anything that steps out of the ordinary. They mistreat Harry, taking advantage of him and forcing him to act like a house cleaner while abusing him psychologically.

Still, the Dursleys are far from the worst. They are mean-spirited and abusive, but they care about Harry, albeit in a weird and highly unconventional way. Petunia demonstrates something close to concern for Harry upon Voldemort's return, and Dudley outright mellows following his dementor attack. The cousins even remain in touch in adulthood, even if they're not necessarily close. While they are certainly not the loveable and endearing Weasley clan, the Dursleys are still the closest thing Harry has to a real family; they have their differences, but they also share a bond.

8 Gilderoy Lockhart

Played by Kenneth Branagh

Oscar-winner Kenneth Branagh stepped into the flamboyant shoes of Gilderoy Lockhart in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Lockhart is Hogwarts' new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, a bumbling buffoon who is supposedly a bonafide hero and author of multiple monster-fighting books. However, Lockhart is nothing but a poser, stealing the tales of better witches and wizards and claiming them as his own.

Lockhart makes for an entertaining secondary antagonist in the story, but he is still rather harmless. Sure, he is good with a memory charm, but he is dim-witted enough to use a borrowed wand without realizing it's broken. Lockhart is more annoying than genuinely harmful, a pompous fool who is a nuisance throughout Harry's sophomore year at Hogwarts. Still, considering the basilisk let loose on the school, Lockhart is the least of the young wizard's problems.

7 Lucius Malfoy

Played by Jason Isaacs

The underrated but familiar TV and movie actor Jason Isaacs plays Lucius Malfoy in the Potter saga. Lucius is Draco's father and a high-ranking, highly influential member of the wizarding community. Malfoy is far crueler and snobbish than his son, believing in blood purity and wizarding supremacy.

Lucius is a genuinely dangerous presence in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; he even tries to kill Harry in the Hogwarts hallway, albeit only in the movie. However, he becomes more meek after his defeat during the Department of Mysteries battle. Following a stint in Azkaban, Malfoy is reduced to a shadow of his former proud self, proving to be a coward who followed Voldemort not out of true allegiance but rather the thirst for power. Like his family, he also abandons the Death Eaters and is even pardoned by the wizarding community.

6 Quirinus Quirrell

Played by Ian Hart

Unlike Malfoy, Quirinus Quirrell is a true believer. He, too, is a cowardly man who Voldemort manipulates by exploiting his insecurities and power lust. Quirrell's spirit is so weak that Voldemort easily takes over, even convincing him to share his body, essentially living inside Quirrell throughout Harry's first year at Hogwarts.

Still, what he lacks in strength, Quirrell makes up in allegiance and ruthlessness. He obeys Voldemort's orders without question, killing everyone who gets in his way to ensure his master's return. Quirrell is no match against the other figures at Hogwarts and even proves quite weak in battle, being very easily overpowered by the then-eleven-year-old Harry. However, the mere fact Quirrell was still willing to kill Harry is proof enough of his villainy.

5 Peter Pettigrew

Played by Timothy Spall

The Harry Potter series has a lot of foreshadowing, but hardly anyone anticipated the reveal that Ron's rat, Scabbers, was actually an animagus named Peter Pettigrew. Furthermore, his reveal as a former friend of Lily and James Potter, who eventually sold them out to Voldemort, was equally shocking.

Pettigrew is among the series' vilest characters. A deeply opportunistic and embarrassingly cowardly man, Pettigrew always looks for someone stronger to defend him. Like Malfoy, he is with Voldemort not out of loyalty but fear and a desire for power. His ambition leads him to commit heinous acts, including killing Cedric Diggory and Frank Bryce. Alas, he still has a conscience, and that small glimmer of integrity ultimately proves his undoing. He is not infallible, but he is certainly dangerous.

4 Barty Crouch Jr.

Played by David Tennant

David Tennant might be best known for Doctor Who, but the beloved British actor also tried his hand in the Potter universe. Tennant played Barty Crouch Jr. in the fourth film, leaving a strong impression on fans. The film does a poor job explaining Crouch Jr.'s plans compared to the book, but Tennant remains a fascinating presence.

Crouch Jr. is among Voldemort's staunchest supporters, with blind and complete loyalty towards him. He spends years waiting for Voldemort's return and acts without hesitation once the time arrives. Crouch Jr. is cunning, clever, and willing to do everything in service of Voldemort, from killing his father to exploiting his sweet domestic elf's feelings of loyalty. Utterly despicable and discomforting, Crouch Jr. is one of the saga's most effective yet underrated villains.

3 Bellatrix Lestrange

Played by Helena Bonham Carter

Played by two-time Oscar nominee Helena Bonham Carter, the complex Bellatrix Lestrange is among the series' most chilling characters. Like Crouch Jr., Bellatrix is wholly committed to Voldemort, to the point of devotion. There are several hints that she might actually be in love with him, making her character all the more disturbing.

A pure sadist, Lestrange loves to kill and torture, taking pleasure in her wicked actions and harboring a genuine, consuming hatred for those she deems inferior. She is behind many of the series' biggest deaths, including Sirius and Tonks. Bellatrix might be more dangerous than Voldemort because she lacks a plan; she is a truly chaotic force of nature who will kill anyone who crosses her path without so much as batting an eye. Few Potter characters are as unsettling as Bellatrix, who takes the cake in the "creepy as heck" department.

2 Dolores Umbridge

Played by Imelda Staunton

Contrary to popular belief, Voldemort isn't the Potter saga's best villain. Instead, that honor goes to the odious Dolores Umbridge, the main antagonist in the fifth film. Played to perfection by the mighty Imelda Staunton, Umbridge is someone whose awful behavior makes her uncomfortably similar to many real-life figures fans could easily meet at school or work while still being a character with zero redeeming qualities who exists solely to provoke the audience's hatred.

And yet, Umbridge is also one of the saga's most compelling characters. Her fascination and blind loyalty to the Ministry make her as deranged as Voldemort's Death Eaters, yet she prides herself in her commitment to "order." Umbridge is the magical version of a "Karen," a woman who loves being in control and lashes out at anyone who dares question her. Further elevated by Staunton's deliciously wicked and instantly hateable performance, Umbridge is the saga's most infamous foe.

1 Lord Voldemort

Played by Ralph Fiennes

Lord Voldemort is the scariest villain in Harry Potter, if only because he is the series' overreaching villain who successfully evades death more than once. Voldemort is self-hatred embodied, gloating about blood purity while being a half-blood himself and desperately trying to ascend within the wizarding world's ranks to make up for his lack of birth status.

Voldemort's evil is precise and relentless. He kills indiscriminately, holding no affection for anything or anyone but himself. He is the embodiment of authoritarianism, a man who draws a line and asks people to choose a side without any middle ground. Intimidating and dangerous, Voldemort slaughters men, women and children on his path to glory. Like many other villains in the series, Voldemort is a coward, desperate to avoid death and rendered utterly helpless when faced with the prospect of his demise.

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