The bad guys. Sometimes they are the best part of a story, I mean, who doesn’t love a good villain? Those deliciously evil people who cause so much havoc in a story are often a catalyst for the hero to become the hero. Good vs. Evil is just one of those conflicts that will always have its place in storytelling. It is the oldest story ever told…good vs. evil, and one that comes in many different forms: person vs. person, person vs. self, and person vs. environment – these conflicts in some way all speak to the same conflict of good and evil. Of course, we’re generalizing here, but there’s no denying that we love a good hero as much as we love a good bad guy.

The Harry Potter series had some pretty amazing villains. There are the more obvious antagonists in the likes of Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and their son Dudley. Harry and friends all faced some kind of conflict with Draco Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. And of course, there is “He Who Must Not Be Named” – the villain upon which the whole story turns: Lord Voldemort.

We found a great video that breaks down the top villains in the Harry Potter series. Check out their detailed explanation for each of their selections. We’ve also made a quick reference list below. This was a fun list to consider! How would you rank Harry Potter’s most villainous bad guys?

Top 10 Harry Potter Villains

10. Yaxley. One of the Death Eaters and the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

9. Professor Quirrell. If you recall, he went on sabbatical to learn more about Lord Voldemort and ended up becoming his servant. He even shared his body with Voldemort.

8. Fenrir Greyback. A werewolf and Death Eater. He was obsessed with attacking children and wanted the world to be filled with werewolves.

7. Lucius Malfoy. Father to Draco Malfoy and a Death Eater, it was Malfoy who tried to ruin Arthur Weasley’s career by giving Tom Riddle’s diary to Ginny Weasley, essentially planting evidence of a criminal act that Weasley did not commit.

6. Bartemius “Barty” Crouch, Jr. He was the man responsible for bringing Voldemort back to life.

5. Peter Pettigrew. It was his action that was the catalyst for the entire book series: he’s the one who betrayed James and Lily Potter and we all know what happened after that.

4. Draco Malfoy. He was Harry Potter’s biggest rival and an all-around bully at Hogwarts.

3. Dolores Jane Umbridge. She tortures Harry Potter and his fellow students and is responsible for getting Dumbledore fired as headmaster at Hogwarts.

2. Bellatrix Lestrange. She was Voldemort’s most loyal supporter and she murdered Sirius Black, Harry’s godfather.

1. Lord Voldemort. “He Who Must Not Be Named” earned this title for being the very definition of evil.