30 Most Powerful Wizards and Witches in Harry Potter
Harry Potter series is full of well-written characters with detailed personalities. As such, some aspects of their personality often show in one way or another in their magical abilities. Many different characters were extremely talented, but which ones are the most powerful?
Our list may vary from your own opinions, so to check if you agree with us make sure to read the article all the way through since the article presents the 30 most powerful witches and wizards in the Harry Potter universe and a short breakdown of their magical abilities.
1. Albus Dumbledore
The headmaster of Hogwarts was for a long period of time considered the most powerful wizard in the world, courtesy of his legendary duel with Grindelwald. At the time where his former best friend presented the biggest threat to the wizarding world, Dumbledore defeated him and made a name for himself as an extremely powerful wizard.
He had to undergo a similar course of action when Voldemort rose to power, except this time, Voldemort did not show any kind of fear when it came to confronting the Headmaster.
Aside from his great historical feats, Dumbledore is known to be skilled at wandless and nonverbal forms of magic, transfiguration, and alchemy.
2. Lord Voldemort
Lord Voldemort is the one wizard previously mentioned headmaster could not defeat on his own. Even from a young age, he displayed immense talent when it came to using magic.
He was known at Hogwarts as one of the best students and was even encouraged by the then headmaster Armando Dippet to reply to the position of the teacher of DADA.
He could grasp even the most complex forms of magic and be always way ahead of his peers. In addition to this, he is one of the two known wizards who understood the concept of Horcruxes and managed to create them successfully.
Aside from his own magical talents, his power is only amplified by his group of loyal followers.
3. Severus Snape
Severus Snape is one of the most talented wizards Hogwarts ever produced. He is a master potion maker, well versed in defense against the Dark Arts and unmatched when it came to Occlumency, even when his mind was entered by Voldemort himself.
In addition to this, he was the youngest professor ever to teach at Hogwarts, starting at his position at only 21 years of age. To put this into perspective, during his first year at Hogwarts, some of his students were people who attended the school while he was a student himself.
4. Minerva McGonagall
Although most fans of the series know her as the head of the Gryffindor house, Minerva McGonagall was one of the most capable witches in Hogwarts.
She taught Transfiguration after taking the position from professor Dumbledor and was extremely proficient in the field. She was known as an animagus, which was an extremely difficult feat for any witch and wizard.
In addition to this, she was well versed with other forms of magic, especially in the field of Dark Arts, despite the fact that she did not use them.
She was also strong-willed and always stood up for what she believed was right no matter who was the person she was confronting.
5. Bellatrix Lestrange
Bellatrix exhibited signs of extreme competence when it came to magic. She was an extremely powerful witch and was regarded as one of the most dangerous members of the Deatheaters by the members of the Order.
Aside from the general knowledge, she received in Hogwarts, she was skilled with nonverbal and wandless magic. She later deepened her knowledge of the dark Arts and was taught by the Dark Lord himself, which is why she was considered the closest match to him when it came to Dark Arts.
In addition to this, she was skilled in the art of Occulmancy and even taught Draco this form of magic. She was so skilled that Draco managed to protect himself from Snape on several occasions. Another skill she was proficient in was Apparation.
6. Hermione Granger
Hermione is often referred to as the most powerful and the most talented witch of her generation. She was always the first student to grasp different forms of magic they were learning about. She also consistently performed magic at a more complex level than the rest of the students her age.
She was well versed when it came to nonverbal and wandless magic. She also excelled at every single subject taught at Hogwarts and was always at the top of her class. When she took her OWLs and received nine O grades and one E and passed her Apparation exam with flying colors.
Aside from theoretical knowledge, she was great at practicing magic and known as one of the best duelists in Dumbledore’s Army, managing to overpower older and more skilled opponents with ease.
7. Sirius Black
Although we don’t see much of Sirius in action throughout the movies, the book series reveals he was one of the most competent students during his time at Hogwarts and was praised for his accomplishments by many teachers, especially Professor McGonagall.
One of the feats of magic he performed during his fifth year is the most memorable one. Sirius, alongside his friends, managed to turn into an Animagus, which called for extensive knowledge of both Transfiguration and Potions.
Another thing that shows just how powerful Sirius is, is the fact that he is the only wizard who managed to escape Azkaban. Sirius was also one of the most important members of the Order of the Phoenix and as such he was an extremely skilled duelist.
8. Remus Lupin
Remus Lupin is another member of the Order of the phoenix on this list. Just like the rest of the Marauders, he was a competent wizard. Although he was well-rounded and didn’t lack in any field of magic, he excelled in Defense against the Dark Arts and Charms.
He got called to take the position of the Defense Against the Dark Arts and displayed a talent for teaching the specific subject. Aside from an enormous theoretical knowledge, he was a skilled duelist and one of the most competent members of the order.
9. James Potter
James was a skilled duelist, perhaps the best in the Order. Even before graduating from Hogwarts, he was proficient with a number of offensive and defensive spells.
Just like the rest of the Marauders, he was able to take an animagus form which is extremely hard even for skilled wizards, let alone a fifth-year student. He was also a model student and had great grades in all of his classes.
He was a renowned quidditch player, mostly due to his flying skills and extreme agility on the broom. One of the most extraordinary feats he committed was creating the Marauders map alongside his friends.
10. Lily Potter
Harry’s mother was one of the most talented witches of her generation. She had great control of her magical abilities even before joining Hogwarts and her skills only amplified once she started studying there.
Although she excelled in every class, the one field she truly stood out in was potions. She impressed professor Slughorn so much that she became a member of the Slug Club.
The way she impressed him was through transfiguration, after gifting him a lily petal turned into a goldfish. She was an important member of the Order and at the moment of her death, she produced a magical spell which ultimately led to Voldemort’s defeat.
11. Ginny Weasley
Although Ginny gets overlooked a lot in the movies, she is one of the most talented witches alongside Hermione. She especially stood out when it came to defense against the Dark Arts and dueling.
During the battle of Hogwarts, while she was fighting Bellatrix with Hermione and Luna, she got singled out by Bellatrix as the biggest threat among the three.
Aside from being a great duelist, Ginny was proficient in all different forms of magic and one of the most competent members of the Dumbledore’s Army. Another thing that makes her a dangerous opponent is the fact that she is extremely agile, especially while flying.
12. Nymphadora Tonks
As an Auror, Nymphadora was skilled in different areas of magic and trained by Alastor Moody in offensive and defensive magic. Aside from a lot of knowledge and training, she was known for her preference towards using nonverbal magic and she could fight the most skilled Deatheaters without uttering a word.
She was also talented when it came to Transfiguration and was a Metamorphmagus, which was a rare talent. Besides that, she was talented when it came to other fields of magic, despite not using them often.
13. Horace Slughorn
Horace Slughorn is best known as the head of the Slytherin house, who is a living example of the fact that not all Slytherins are evil. Aside from being an extremely talented potioneer, at the very least rivaling Snape, he was also proficient in different forms of magic since he was a great student while attending Hogwarts.
One of the most impressive feats he did throughout his life was altering his own memories to forget the conversation he had with Tom Riddle regarding Horcruxes.
His other talents include proficiency in Charms, Occlumancy, Dark arts, and defense against the Dark Arts.
14. Alastor Moody
Alastor Moody, the former temporary Professor of DADA at Hogwarts is one of the most talented wizards of his generation. Since he excelled in all of his studies while attending Hogwarts, he qualified for Auror training.
He was proficient in all different areas of magic, but most notably in defense against the Dark Arts. After receiving his training, Mae eye Moody became one of the best Aurors out there and it was said that during the First Wizarding War at least half of Azkaban was filled by Deatheaters he captured.
He was also proficient with wandless and nonverbal magic, usually channeling his magic through his walking stick. This is further proven by the fact that he was equally proficient, even after being retired for a few years.
15. Draco Malfoy
Draco’s academic status didn’t get a lot of attention throughout the movies, however, the book readers will know he was always right behind Hermione when it came to his studies.
Although he easily grasped all different forms of magic and was able to perform a number of complex spells nonverbally, he stood out the most when it came to Potions and Charms. Later in his life, he took on the art of alchemy and was really good at it.
Additionally, he was taught magical repair in order for him to fix the Vanishing Cabinet during his sixth year and mastered Occlmency with the help of his aunt Bellatrix.
When he joined the Deatheaters he became proficient in the Dark Arts which in turn made him an even more dangerous dueling opponent than he already was.
16. Luna Lovegood
Luna is best known for her quirky personality and because of that her magical ability often gets overlooked. Just like both of her parents, Luna was a naturally gifted witch, a fact best proven that she managed to produce a corporeal Patronus at the very young age of 14.
Due to her personality, she was naturally drawn to the less known and more obscure forms of magic such as ancient runes and care for magical creatures. However, this doesn’t mean she wasn’t talented when it came to the more common branches of magic.
She was one of the most important members of Dumbledore’s army and an extremely competent witch. She was among the best duelist of the bunch since she was very familiar with the defense against the Dark Arts and capable of using nonverbal magic.
17. Fleur Delacour
When we first meet Fleur in the Goblet of Fire, the movies don’t do Fleur justice when it comes to her magical abilities. She clearly was an able witch since she was chosen as Beauxbatons’ champion in the Triwizard tournament, however, the conditions of the tournament stopped her from showcasing her talents fully.
Her magical abilities were well beyond most of her peers, however, her most prominent field was Charms, especially household magic, which she developed after marrying Bill Weasley.
Aside from that, she possessed the Veela magic which was centered on using Veela beauty to help them in everyday fighting.
18. Molly Weasley
Molly was depicted as a strong maternal type throughout the series however she is also a powerful witch and an important ally to the rest of the Order. Her personality and nurturing nature go hand in hand with her most important magical ability, the power of love.
This only adds to her natural talents as a witch, especially nonverbal magic. She was also a skilled duelist, despite not being present at every single fight the heroes took part in. She managed to singlehandedly defeat Bellatrix who was known as a witch bested by very few opponents.
19. Cedric Diggory
Although we don’t spend a lot of time with Cedric throughout the series, one thing which is made abundantly clear is the fact that he is an outstanding wizard. He was known among the Hogwarts teachers as someone well ahead of other students his age.
The best example of his magical abilities comes from the fact that he made it to the last task of the Triwizard tournament without any difficulties and would have probably won if it hasn’t been for the interference during the last task.
The areas he was the most skilled at are charms and transfiguration, with everyone’s favorite anecdote surrounding his magical abilities the story of him turning a rock into a dog.
Aside from the magic, he was also skilled at flying and agile while using a broom which is what made him an accomplished Quidditch player.
20. Harry Potter
Harry often gets pushed aside when it comes to his own magical ability since Hermione usually gets described as the brains of the trio, however, his own skills are no joke.
Despite the fact that the movies don’t give us a lot of information about his academic achievements, we do know he passed all OWLs he took and qualified for Auror training, which is a feat not everyone can achieve.
Throughout the years he became proficient at many different forms of magic, including the Dark Arts, which made him a great duelist with a lot of experience in fighting even opponents with more experience.
Talents and skills which were transferred to him when Voldemort tried to kill him made him an even bigger threat and a dangerous opponent.
21. Neville Longbottom
Although Neville did not have a lot of experience in practical fighting, he had extensive theoretical knowledge. The field where Neville stood out the most was Herbology and it was showcased during the Triwizard tournament where he helped Harry figure out the way to stay underwater for an hour.
Aside from that, he earned great grades during OWLs in both Charms and Transfiguration. Although he seemed to lack in Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall concluded the reason behind that was the fact that he lacked confidence.
22. Dolores Umbridge
With her high ranking position in the ministry and the prestigious position of the teacher of DADA at Hogwarts, Dolores Umbridge did not possess any extraordinary magical abilities and she even gave off the idea of a less than competent individual.
Despite this, she did develop a specific skill set over the years on the job and it made her extremely dangerous in her own field. She was proficient at Charms, even being able to perform a Patronus charm.
In addition to Charms, she had knowledge and experience with the Dark Arts, especially the unforgivable curses, and spells which made the user in control of Dementors.
She was known as a capable duelist with an affinity for nonverbal magic, despite not engaging in them often.
23. Narcissa Malfoy
There isn’t much we know about Narcissa’s academic ability and how well she did in Hogwarts, however, if her sisters are anything to judge by she was just as accomplished as Bellatrix and Andromeda were.
She couldn’t quite match up to her sister when it came to her dueling skills, but she was very confident in her abilities and was unafraid to stand up to any opponent, even her sister.
Some of her other skills include Apparation and Occlumency.
24. Delphini
It is no surprise the daughter of the Dark Lord made it to this list as well. Just like Voldemort, Delphini was a skilled duelist, perhaps the most competent in the series. While in the ministry it took combined forces of Harry, Hermione, Draco, and Ron to defeat her.
Her skillset included great abilities with charms, transfiguration, flying without any magical objects, and wandless magic.
25. Barty Crouch Junior
Barty Crouch Junior was one of the most competent wizards out there and one of the most skilled Deatheaters in his ranks. There are very few witches and wizards who could equal him.
He managed to capture and subdue Mad-Eye Moody during the events of the Goblet of Fire. He was also one of the best duelists in the wizarding world and that skill was backed up with his extensive knowledge in all different branches of magic.
He also had extensive knowledge in other fields, but he stood up when it came to Transfiguration and Potions. His skillset also contains the abilities in the art of Occulmency as well as the ability to perform highly advanced and complex nonverbal forms of magic.
26. Ron Weasley
Although Ron did not stand out when it came to his grades he was more than capable to hold his own against his opponents, even if they were more experienced than him.
He is best known for being an alert duelist and quick on drawing the wand, which is why he survived both the battle of the Department of Ministry and the Battle of the Astronomy Tower.
His skills were prominent especially when it came to defense against the Dark Arts and the Dark Arts itself. He was exceptionally good with charms as well as Apparation and Transfiguration.
27. Fred and George Weasley
The Weasley twins are mostly on the same level when it comes to their magical abilities. Their disinterest in academic success may lead you to believe they lacked talent, however, this could not be further from the truth.
The two of them simply focused on aspects of magic that were important for actions they were interested in, mostly pulling pranks. Some such aspects are Transfiguration, Potions, Herbology, and Magical device invention.
Both twins were well versed in Dark arts and defense against the Dark Arts and that made them great duelists.
28. Lucius Malfoy
Lucius Malfoy is one of Voldemort’s most valued Deatheaters. This is no surprise of course. Lucius was a talented wizard, but especially knowledgeable in the field of the Dark Arts.
He was experienced when it came to dueling, mostly due to the fact that he was a Deatheater ever since he graduated from Hogwarts. As such he participated in most of the Deatheaters’ missions in the First and Second Wizarding war.
Aside from the Dark Arts, Lucius was a great potioneer. He was seen by Harry in the Borgin and Burkes selling his collection of dark poisons in the light of the recent raids performed by the Ministry.
29. Newt Scamander
Although Newt often seems like someone whose only passion is the care of magical creatures, he was also a naturally talented wizard, despite never finishing his education at Hogwarts.
He was always leaning towards peaceful options, Newt could hold his own against different opponents, even escaping Gellert Grindelwald on several occasions. He also managed to escape multiple trained MACUSA Aurors.
Aside from being a great duelist he also had mastery of magical skills and it displayed best when it came to charms and defense against the Dark Arts. Due to his nurturing nature, he advanced in fields that could help him with the care of magical creatures such as herbology and potions.
30. Gellert Grindelwald
Gellert Grindelwald was the original Dark Lord of the wizarding world before Lord Voldemort rose to the power. He was outstandingly talented from a young age and he was admired by many. His talent and ambition were the main factors that led to his friendship with young Albus Dumbledore.
Grindelwald mastered magic at a young age and at the time when he started amassing followers he was considered to be the most powerful wizard of the time, rivaled only by Albus Dumbledore.
He was skilled at the Dark Arts and had such preference for that branch of magic that even the teachers at Durmstrang, who traditionally allowed the Dark Arts into their curriculum, taught he went too far.
His high level of skill at different areas of magic made him one of the most feared duelists. This fear only grew once he acquired the Elder Wand. He also had excellent knowledge of wandlore, the history of magic, the study of Ancient Runes, and other less known forms of magic which would help him get an upper hand against any opponent. Some of the most useful skills he acquired were wandless and nonverbal magic.
