Dark Wizard

Warning!

At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, and Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery.
As such, spoilers will be present within the article.

"First, and understand this, Harry, 'coz it's very important... Not all wizards are good. Some of them go bad. And a few years ago, there was one wizard who went as bad as you can go."

—Rubeus Hagrid to Harry Potter^[src]

A Dark Wizard or Witch is any magical person who primarily studies and/or practises the Dark Arts, otherwise known as Dark Magic. They often partake in the illegal breeding of Dark creatures, use or create dark objects, or inflict injury or death on others often using dangerous curses, and other dark charms.

In recent history, two dark wizards of particular notoriety were Gellert Grindelwald and Lord Voldemort. Grindelwald sought the Deathly Hallows to become the master of death and to establish a global wizarding order that would dominate Muggles all for "the greater good", while Voldemort sought to gain unmatched power, immortality and to impose pure-blood supremacy on the wizarding world.

Overview

Some of the magic Dark wizards have been known to practise includes the use of the three Unforgivable Curses and other dark charms, creating or brewing dark potions, utilising and creating dark objects, animating Inferi^[1], and attracting all kinds of Dark creatures to make huge armies and command them to attack their enemies^[2]. Noted Dark wizards and witches include Herpo the Foul, Raczidian, Morgan le Fay, Emeric the Evil, Salazar Slytherin, Merwyn the Malicious, Ekrizdis, Yardley Platt, Barnabas Deverill, Loxias, Gellert Grindelwald, and Lord Voldemort, as well as the latter's followers, known as Death Eaters. According to Rita Skeeter, in a list of Most Dangerous Dark Wizards of All Time, Grindelwald would miss out on the top spot only because Voldemort arrived, a generation later, to take his crown.

Types of wizards

Others who might be considered Dark wizards are the owners and customers of shops such as Borgin and Burkes, and arguably students of Durmstrang Institute, as the curriculum there teaches much of the Dark Arts^[3]. Many Dark wizards and witches appear to believe in the importance of blood purity and to hate Muggles and Muggle-borns, though there is not necessarily a connection. Many historical dark wizards, such as Gellert Grindelwald and his followers and acolytes, supported the ideology of Wizarding supremacy, as opposed to Pure-blood supremacy.

In Great Britain, many well-known Dark wizards and witches came out of Slytherin house at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, though this is not universal to this house. For example, Peter Pettigrew was in Gryffindor, yet he betrayed the Order of the Phoenix and joined Voldemort^[4]; Quirinus Quirrell, a Ravenclaw also allied himself with the Dark Lord; and (albeit only in an alternate timeline) Cedric Diggory from Hufflepuff would become a Death Eater^[5], whereas Slytherins such as Horace Slughorn, Regulus Black, Andromeda Tonks and later Severus Snape opposed the Death Eaters and fought against them.

Known Dark Wizards and Witches

Dark Wizards and Witches

Fictional Dark Wizards and Witches

The Warlock from The Warlock's Hairy Heart.
The Evil Sorcerer from The Fountain of Fair Fortune.

Possible Dark Wizards and Witches

Members of the Black Family
Members of the Carrow Family
Members of the Crouch Family
Members of the Gaunt Family
Members of the Lestrange Family
Members of the Malfoy Family
Members of the Nott Family
Members of the Rosier Family

Behind the scenes

In the Harry Potter films, most Dark Wizards appear to Apparate differently than other wizards. Dark Wizards Disapparate by turning into a whirlwind of black smoke and flying into the air, and then spiralling back down to the desired spot. Meanwhile, other wizards can just pop and disappear, or similarly can disappear in a whirlwind of white smoke. The ability to conjure this whirlwind may reflect an advanced dark wizard or witch.
In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 and its sequel LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7, only Dark Wizards can use dark magic on items that are black and glow with red sparks, symbolising dark magic.
Also in this game and LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7, most if not all playable dark wizard characters, including Death Eaters, can perform the Patronus Charm, despite this not being canonically possible, as most dark wizards are not capable of performing this charm, due to them being impure of heart and their association with Dementors. Voldemort can incorrectly cast this spell in LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, but is correctly unable to perform it in LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7.

Appearances

Notes and references

↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 3 (The Dursleys Departing)
↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
↑ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
↑ Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

[DH3-0] Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 3 (The Dursleys Departing)

[OOPfilm-1] Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)

[GOF-2] Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

[POA-3] Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

[CC-4] Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

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