As the main protagonist and titular character of the movies, Harry Potter certainly is a force to be reckoned with and the fact that he was able to take down Voldemort is no small feat at all.
Even still, there are several other more powerful witches and wizards without whom he would never have become the great wizard he is today. Not to mention, there are multiple Dark Wizards and Witches whom Harry found difficult to compete with.
Here are the top 25 strongest wizards and witches in the Harry Potter movies, from “The Sorcerer’s Stone” to “The Deathly Hallows- Part 2”. Note that I am only ranking them based on their powers and potential we saw in the movies; I have not taken into account any information about them from the books.
This also means that I have not included any characters from Fantastic Beasts, including Gellert Grindelwald. Although he has a small scene in the last Harry Potter movie, we do not find out anything about his prowess until the prequel series. The Founders of Hogwarts are not on this list either.
25Draco Malfoy
Draco Malfoy may be a pure blood wizard and from a wealthy family, but that doesn’t give him any advantage over his peers. Most times he runs away from a fight.
Draco only claims to be better than the other witches and wizards his age but he has never proved it. He isn’t entirely useless though; he manages to duel Harry Potter in a couple of movies. However, he still isn’t as skilled as anyone else on this list.
24Cedric Diggory
Cedric Diggory managed to make it to the Triwizard Tournament which should already speak volumes about his abilities. He was an excellent Quidditch player who was skilled at flying and using his broom.
Cedric was able to progress through the tasks in the tournament quite easily. Had it not been for the interference in the last task, his chances at winning would have been quite high.
23Neville Longbottom
In the final battle of the last movie, Neville Longbottom proves his worth when he stands up to Voldemort with his speech and destroys a horcrux.
At first, it didn’t seem like Neville had as much potential as his peers. But over the years, he develops a lot more courage and talents, especially in Herbology. He also shows great leadership skills.
22 Luna Lovegood
Luna Lovegood seems a little ditzy and eccentric but she knows more about the magical world than most of her fellow witches and wizards, like thestrals for example.
Outside of school, she goes against Bellatrix Lestrange, along with Hermione and Ginny, and we all know how much Bellatrix is feared by others. After all, Professor Slughorn would not have invited her to his dinner if he didn’t think she was skilled enough.
21Ginny Weasley
Ginny Weasley has shown confidence and wit since her first year at Hogwarts itself, when she discovers Tom Riddle’s diary. She proves herself while battling Death Eaters on multiple different occasions, which tells us she has great skills in defense against the Dark Arts.
Ginny was also one of the students invited to Professor Slughorn’s dinner. Most of her story arc in the movies is overshadowed by her romance with Harry, but she proves that she is so much more than just his love interest.
20Fleur Delacour
Fleur Delacour was one of the witches chosen for the Triwizard Tournament which goes to show that she is one of the strongest from her school and has great skills as a witch, despite her limited screen-time.
She shows both bravery and strength while standing against the Death Eaters both times- once in the Battle of the Seven Potters and the second time in the Battle of Hogwarts.
19Molly Weasley
Molly Weasley was one of the few witches and wizards responsible for casting a protective spell around Hogwarts to shield it from Voldemort. She is also able to defeat Bellatrix Lestrange single-handedly when Bellatrix threatens Ginny.
It wasn’t until the Battle of Hogwarts that we witnessed Molly’s incredible wizarding abilities because up until then, we only knew her as a warm and caring mother. But as soon as she sees her children at risk, she proves that she is ready to fight.
18Fred and George Weasley
The Weasley Twins use their abilities to play pranks with spells and to sell a wide range of their own gadgets on Diagon Alley. They are highly skilled with their broomsticks and showed immense courage when they had to face the Death Eaters in the final battle.
It wouldn’t make sense to mention Fred and George Weasley separately since they both have the same skillset. They would do almost all of their magic together, that is until Fred tragically dies.
17Ronald Weasley
Ronald Weasley fights against Death Eaters alongside Harry and Hermione many times. He also proves his wit during the life-threatening Wizard’s Chess match in the first movie, and in the search for Voldemort’s horcruxes.
Ron occasionally has his moments of insecurity but time and time again he proves his courage and loyalty, especially when it comes to protecting his friends.
16Horace Slughorn
Professor Horace Slughorn is a master of potions and can perform a variety of powerful charms, especially ones that were helpful in protecting Hogwarts even prior to Voldemort’s attack.
Although he was responsible for introducing Tom Riddle to the concept of horcruxes, it wasn’t something he meant to do. He proves his talents outside of battles, like casting illusions and transfiguration spells and also hiding his dark secrets from everyone, including Dumbledore.
15Fenrir Greyback
Fenrir Greyback is not only a wizard but also a werewolf. He is easily able to deflect most of Harry’s spells in the attack on the Weasley house.
Fenrir also proves his strength when he survives a fall from a high window after being struck by one of Hermione’s spells in the Battle of Hogwarts. He is often seen by Bellatrix’s side which means she most probably had faith in his skills.
14Harry Potter
Harry Potter, or the Boy Who Lived, proves his power as a child itself when he survives a curse by Voldemort. He doesn’t just defeat Voldemort in the end but he also speaks parseltongue, conjures a powerful patronus, and is extremely skilled with a broomstick.
Despite all his commendable qualities, Harry is ranked this low on the list because it is quite clear that he gets through most of his battles only because he has help from others. I believe he hasn’t fully realized his potential as a wizard yet.
13Nymphadora Tonks
Nymphadora Tonks was excellent in executing transfiguration spells. She could turn her mouth into a pig snout and a duck bill by just a simple thought and not having to cast a spell or use a potion.
She fought well in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries and escaped without any injuries. However, she was no match for Bellatrix Lestrange when Bellatrix killed her in the last movie.
12Sirius Black
Sirius Black was the only wizard who was able to escape Azkaban. He was an important member of the Order of the Phoenix and also a great mentor to Harry.
The movies do not show Sirius in combat as often as the books but there are plenty of instances where he proves his wizarding abilities. However, he was also no match for Bellatrix because she managed to kill him as well.
11Remus Lupin
Remus Lupin was a skilled wizard as well as a ferocious werewolf, which gave him a lot more powers than most wizards. He was also a key member of the Order of the Phoenix. Despite not being able to save himself in the end, he was still extremely powerful.
Like most others on this list, he too was able to face the Death Eaters. But what sets Remus apart is his wide knowledge of magic. He was a great Defense of the Dark Arts teacher and was also responsible for teaching Harry the Patronus charm.
10Kingsley Shacklebolt
Kingsley Shacklebolt is an Auror at the Ministry of Magic as well as a member of the Order of the Phoenix. He fights two Death Eaters at the same time during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, and also shields the school from curses during the Battle of Hogwarts.
During the same battle, Kingsley is seen using a spell that makes a Death Eater freeze mid-air. No other wizard exhibits the ability to do this, thus making it unique to him.
9Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody
Mad-Eye Moody had the ability to cast spells without any incantations. He was masterfully skilled in casting charms and curses and could also brew potions like the polyjuice potion quite easily and quickly.
He was an experienced Auror as we saw when he repelled a Death Eater with just a tap of his staff. He proved to be a great leader of the Order of the Phoenix as well; however, these skills of his couldn’t save him from being defeated by an unforgivable curse.
8Barty Crouch Jr.
Barty Crouch Jr. exhibited the same powers as Moody when he was disguised as him for several months, and managed to deceive everyone from Harry to even Dumbledore. Thus, he is as skilled and knowledgeable as Moody, if not even more.
It’s no surprise that Voldemort trusted him to be on his side. He was able to break the rules and get Harry’s name into the Goblet of Fire. He is also talented in casting non-verbal transfiguration spells and potions. None of these abilities are seen in ordinary wizards.
7Hermione Granger
Hermione Granger is without a doubt the most powerful and talented witch of her generation, which explains why she’s been placed so high above her friends and peers. Hermione’s ability to excel in every single subject she was taught proves to be her greatest strength.
Many might argue that she is too young to be ranked so high but you can’t say that anyone else here was setting cloaks on fire at 11-years-old or blowing up rogue bludgers at 12 or using undetectable extension charms at 17. She was always way ahead of all her classmates.
Without her, Harry and Ron would have barely survived. Not to mention, she was a muggle-born and learnt all her magic on her own.
6Aberforth Dumbledore
Dumbledore’s Army trusted Aberforth to help defend Hogwarts against the Death Eaters and he proves them right by fighting off dementors and snatchers effortlessly. We didn’t see much of him in the movies but in his few scenes he proves to be extremely powerful.
Aberforth isn’t as strong as his brother but he is still worthy of being ranked so high. He is an incredibly skilled wizard and this is evident when he repels all the dementors without even using the Elder Wand.
5Bellatrix Lestrange
Bellatrix Lestrange was a master of the unforgivable curses and other torturous spells. She was responsible for several characters’ deaths and was also trusted by Voldemort to hold on to one of his horcruxes and the Sword of Gryffindor.
Bellatrix has already been mentioned in this list multiple times because quite a few wizards have earned their spots by facing her in duels. She was almost as feared as Voldemort in the Wizarding World. Her ruthlessness is what made her so powerful.
4Minerva McGonagall
Professor Minerva McGonagall is not only a great teacher but also an exceptional witch. She proves her strength and leadership as the Head of Gryffindor and is not afraid to stand up to her opponents.
She has great knowledge of transfigurations spells which she shows when she animates all the guardians of Hogwarts and sends them to protect the school from Voldemort’s forces. She also fought extremely well and without hesitation during the Battle of Hogwarts.
3Severus Snape
Professor Severus Snape has great knowledge of the dark arts and is highly trained in defending dark magic. He is also a master of potions. This explains why he was secretly sent to teach Harry to protect not just himself but also his mind.
Although it seems like Snape is the villain most of the time, he has good intentions. He is dedicated, cautious, and courageous. He always keeps his cool and isn’t afraid of doing what is necessary, even if it is something as horrible as killing Dumbledore.
2Lord Voldemort
Voldemort had many loyal followers and was one of the only two wizards to master the concept of Horcruxes, which made it very easy for him to come back to life, any time he wanted.
Even before becoming Voldemort, Tom Riddle was exceptionally skilled and talented. As time passed, he only got more and more powerful.
He was so difficult to defeat that Harry needed help from the entire Hogwarts to take him down. He was so feared in the Wizarding World that no one would even dare to say his name. His skills as a Dark Lord remain unmatched even after his death.
1Albus Dumbledore
Albus Dumbledore is the strongest wizard in the Harry Potter movies. He earns this top spot for possessing the power to perform great feats of magic like disappearing into an inferno, without having to use the Elder Wand, and having great knowledge of the magical arts that he acquired over his lifetime.
Dumbledore was highly skilled in nonverbal forms of magic, transformation, and alchemy. No other witch or wizard came close to Dumbledore in strength and courage.
The beloved Headmaster of Hogwarts truly was the greatest wizard and somewhere in Voldemort’s mind even he was aware of this.
The only reason he died the way he did is because he made no attempt to defend himself at that moment. Otherwise, I’m sure he’d still be alive.
About Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a film series based on the eponymous novel series by J. K. Rowling. The series is distributed by Warner Bros. and consists of eight fantasy films, beginning with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and culminating with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.
The film series follows Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, and his journey to take down the evil wizard Lord Voldemort and save Hogwarts, the Wizarding School he attended, with his best friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.
The series was mainly produced by David Heyman, and stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson as the three leading characters: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger.
No Comments on Ranking the 25 Strongest Wizards & Witches in the Harry Potter Movies