While Harry Potter and his friends spend must of the franchise struggling to turn the tide against Lord Voldemort and his loyal band on Death Eaters, they possess some of the greatest witches and wizards in their ranks. And though the Dark Lord seems to boast an advantage throughout much of the story, his own followers are significantly weaker than their opponents.
With that in mind we now take a look at 10 characters who would have made brilliant bad guys - whether that be working under Voldemort or independently instead.
Albus Dumbledore
Let’s face it. If Lord Voldemort had found a way to convince Albus Dumbledore into becoming a dark wizard then Harry Potter and the rest of the wizarding community would have had no chance of ever reigning supreme.
Dumbledore is one of the most-powerful wizards of all time, regarded as so strong that even Voldemort himself was fearful of him. Even when the villain looked to have been behind Severus Snape’s murder of the Hogwarts headmaster, this was revealed to be part of the hero’s own master plan instead. Had he lived to the very end of the series then Harry’s task of destroying Horcruxes would doubtlessly have been much, much easier.
Sirius Black
With a loyal attitude towards those he cares about, and the fiery, reckless spirit of a soldier, Sirius Black is a valued member of the Order of the Phoenix. And, had he worked under Voldemort, would have no doubt risen to become one of the finest Death Eaters out there.
For years, many believed Sirius was a follower of the Dark Lord, only for that mantle to belong to Peter Pettigrew instead. Harry Potter’s godfather falls at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange during the battle at the Department of Mysteries in a cruel act of fate but later returns to give his godson some much-needed courage during Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
Severus Snape
Like enemy Sirius Black, Severus Snape is another character who many wrongly believe to be working for Lord Voldemort - particularly after he murders Albus Dumbledore during the Half Blood Prince.
Snape certainly plays his part as a double-agent well, tricking Voldemort into thinking that he had merely been keeping up appearances in front of Dumbledore during the years of his exile. He’s loyal (as demonstrated when he agrees to kill the Hogwarts Headmaster), cunning and fearless and his loyalty to the good guys, rather than the bad, helps them eventually bring peace to the wizarding world.
Neville Longbottom
Neville Longbottom goes on quite a journey during the seven Harry Potter books and eight movies in the series. He initially appears to be a below-average student and fodder for bullies such as Draco Malfoy, only to end up being one of the key players in the fight against Voldemort.
The Dark Lord himself admits Neville would make for a good Death Eater and is later left reeling when the future Hogwarts Herbology teacher slays his pet snake and final Horcrux, Nagini. Longbottom’s stock rises so much even his notoriously-difficult grandmother comes to respect and admire him.
Hermione Granger
Harry Potter is a good wizard, but he’s far from the best. And he spends much of his time both at Hogwarts and outside of it relying on the intelligence of Hermione Granger, whose savviness and intellect saves them from countless dangerous situations.
Had Hermione fancied turning her back on Harry and teaming up with Voldemort it’s hard to see how he would have survived. But she’s somebody who could likely have become a villain in her own right with her Muggle past something that would have counted against her on the Death Eater application form.
Minerva McGonagall
Minerva McGonagall is arguably one of the most-underrated characters within the whole franchise. She’s not only an extremely good teacher (albeit a fearsome one) but she’s also a competent fighter on the battlefield, helping spearhead the final battle against Voldemort and his followers in Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
McGonagall is so powerful she even dares face off against the Dark Lord in the book, albeit with the help of Horace Slughorn and Kingsley Shacklebolt. It’s this strength and courage that means she would have been a valuable asset on the other side.
Alastor Moody
Alastor Mad-Eye Moody is a tad eccentric, to put it mildly. He’s a fierce warrior, one always ready to step up and engage in combat if needed, but he’s clearly losing his marbles and becomes increasingly paranoid as the books, and movies, go on.
However, that’s not to say that Moody wasn’t a brilliant wizard. He was, particularly during the prime years of his career as an Auror. It’s he who was responsible for many incarceration’s in Azkaban, helping land Durmstrang headmaster Igor Karkaroff in there and also cursing Barty Crouch Jr when he tries to escape. When Crouch Jr impersonates him, it offers a glimpse of what a villainous Moody would look like - a powerful force of nature.
Rubeus Hagrid
Rubeus Hagrid is somewhat a source of mockery for many in the Harry Potter universe down to the fact he can’t really use magic, stands out from a mile away due to his sheer size and spends much of his time fluttering his eyelashes at some of the most undesirable creatures in the entire world.
But Hagrid’s loyalty, to both Harry and Albus Dumbledore, coupled with his strength and tendency to act on feelings of impulse and rage make him a precious member of the Order of the Phoenix. His power is shown when he slams Death Eaters down using just his hands during the Deathly Hallows book - although it’s sadly a detail that was left out of the movie.
Dobby
You may be thinking ‘how on earth would Dobby make a brilliant bad guy when he spends much of his time hitting himself and ironing his own hands?’ Well the answer is because of his trustworthy nature, the House Elf could have ended up being a valuable spy for Lord Voldemort instead.
Dobby could have used his closeness to Harry to trick him into going down the Chamber of Secrets during the book and movie of the same name, while he could also have drowned the Boy Who Lived by giving him trick Gillyweed during the Goblet of Fire. Dobby could have even killed Harry during a Quidditch Match and has powers that normal wizards can’t compete with. Had he followed the Malfoy party line and been loyal to the Dark Lord, Harry may have never made it out alive.
Harry Potter
Of course, Harry Potter would have made for a brilliant Death Eater or bad guy in his own right. Like the others on this list he’s somebody whose unwavering commitment for the cause, coupled with his prowess with a wand, makes him one of the strongest characters in the series.
Harry’s clever, too, and acquires the Elder Wand late in the day when he realizes that he’s it’s true owner, rather than Severus Snape and Voldemort. With the Elder Wand he could have been tempted to stray down a darker path, something he realizes when he snaps the weapon in two and throws it into the abyss of Hogwarts castle.
