Summary
- Blood status is a driving issue in the
Harry Potter
series, with pure-blood supremacy creating conflict. - Characters like Seamus Finnigan, Nymphadora Tonks, and Aberforth Dumbledore defy pure-blood prejudices.
- The story highlights the dangers of discrimination based on blood, with powerful half-blood characters.
There were many powerful half-blood characters in the world of Harry Potter. In a world where muggles, pure-bloods, and half-bloods collided, blood status was sadly the driving sociopolitical issue at the heart of the Harry Potter movies. Voldemort’s reign of terror was based on pure-blood supremacy, driving him to seek total dominance over muggles. Harry Potter, Albus Dumbledore, the Ministry of Magic, and the Order of the Phoenix opposed Voldemort staunchly, advocating equality regardless of blood status.
Voldemort’s pure-blood supremacy recalled real-world racist ideologies like nazism and fascism, creating a compelling story about defending human rights. Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling may not be the paragon of human rights advocacy, judging from her transphobic statements, but her famous story remains a powerful statement of the dangers of discrimination based on blood. Rowling populated her story with powerful half-blood characters to demonstrate that Voldemort’s pure-blood supremacy was fundamentally false.
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10 Seamus Finnigan
Gryffindor
Played by Devon Murray in the Potterverse movies, half-blood Seamus Finnigan’s fox Patronus marked him out as a wily survivor. Irish legend Seamus was not just hilarious in the movies, but strong, with his heart in the right place. Despite not believing Harry at first when he said that Voldemort had returned, he later joined Dumbledore’s Army.
Seamus was friends with another notable half-blood, Dean Thomas. The two Gryffindors were both members of Dumbledore’s Army, fighting Voldemort for control of Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. Fighting in the Battle of Hogwarts, Seamus sealed his legendary status in the world of Harry Potter.
9 Nymphadora Tonks
Hufflepuff
Nymphadora Tonks was a notable half-blood owing to her position in the Order of the Phoenix. Tonks was the partner of another famous half-blood, Remus Lupin, and the two took the wizarding world by storm. Tonks was a Metamorphmagus, a rare witch able to transform her body at will, unlike Animagi like Sirius Black, who could only transform at will into one other animal.
Tonks fought bravely all throughout the Second Wizarding War, in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, and the Battle of the Seven Potters. Tonks was tragically killed by Bellatrix Lestrange in the Battle of Hogwarts, but her legacy lived on in her son with Remus, Teddy. Harry Potter helped raise Teddy, who was eventually sorted into Hufflepuff house like his mother.
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8 Aberforth Dumbledore
Gryffindor
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Aberforth was one of two famous Dumbledore brothers, the other, of course, being Albus, the renowned headmaster of Hogwarts. Aberforth Dumbledore had more than enough of his own merits to set him apart in a crowd, despite his brother’s renown. Aberforth was vital in the resistance to Voldemort in the Second Wizarding War, providing refuge and passage to students.
Richard Coyle played a young Aberforth in
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.
Aberforth’s power came, strangely, in the form of his ownership of the Hog’s Head Inn at Hogsmeade. This ended up being a strategic military position, allowing him to ferry members of the resistance back and forth between Hogwarts and the Room of Requirement. In Hogwart’s darkest hour, Aberforth hid students and supplied them with food and water.
7 Remus Lupin
Gryffindor
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Harry Potter’s famed werewolf wrestled with lycanthropy his whole life but overcame it to become Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts and a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Remus married another half-blood and powerful member of the Order, Tonks, and had a child with her. Remus’ role in the Second Wizarding War helped ensure Voldemort’s defeat.
Remus Lupin was widely seen as the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher ever had by Harry Potter’s generation, arming them against attacks in the battles to come. Lupin’s lycanthropy also ensured he was always a bigger threat on the full moon. Tragically killed in the Battle of Hogwarts, Remus died fighting for what he believed in.
6 Dolores Umbridge
Slytherin
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Dolores Umbridge was unquestionably one of Harry Potter’s top five villains, if not one of the top three, and a surprising half-blood. Her power was thinly veiled by social niceties and etiquette, proving her diplomatic approach to politics. Underneath the veneer of professionalism, Umbridge was a powerful Death Eater bent on Voldemort’s ascension to power.
Umbridge’s pure-blood supremacy was a match for Voldemort’s, surprisingly, considering her half-blood status. Pottermore reveals that “in the books, Umbridge lies to bolster her own pure-blood credentials,” proving the complexity of her relationship with her blood status. Regardless, Umbridge was a half-blood witch that ran Hogwarts with an iron fist as High Inquisitor, demonstrating her control with her every move.
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5 Severus Snape
Slytherin
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Severus Snape was a half-blood and one of the Hogwarts headmasters, demonstrating his capacity to assume power and lead. Of course, he only got there after operating undercover as a Voldemort supporter. This was unfortunate, because Snape died young before he could redeem himself in the eyes of his true allies, and his abilities deserved more recognition while he was alive.
Snape sacrificed glory, friendship, and recognition in order to go deeply undercover in Voldemort’s forces, proving his self-appointed title of the Half-Blood Prince to be more valid than he ever could have realized when he penned his nickname.
Severus Snape gets a special mention on account of being the titular Half-Blood Prince of the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince movie. Snape’s genius in the potions and spells department was proved by his textbook, found by Harry and alluding to Snape’s self-appointed title. Snape sacrificed glory, friendship, and recognition in order to go deeply undercover in Voldemort’s forces, proving his self-appointed title of the Half-Blood Prince to be more valid than he ever could have realized when he penned his nickname.
4 Minerva McGonagall
Gryffindor
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Minerva McGonagall’s history as the head of Gryffindor house at Hogwarts and a professor of Transfiguration mark her out as one of the most powerful half-blood characters in Harry Potter. McGonagall worked for the Ministry of Magic and, additionally, later joined the Order of the Phoenix. Minerva fought valiantly in the First and Second Wizarding Wars.
McGonagall relayed crucial information to the Ministry of Magic and aurors in the First Wizarding War, and dueled in the Second. She took part in the Battle of the Astronomy Tower and the Battle of Hogwarts, leading the charge against Voldemort in the latter. To top it all off, McGonagall took over from Dumbledore as Headmistress of Hogwarts.
3 Albus Dumbledore
Gryffindor
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Dumbledore is one of the most powerful characters in Harry Potter with half-blood status and may well be the second most powerful. However, with so many legendary witches and wizards in the running for the accolade of most powerful half-blood, Dumbledore’s status as one of the top three alone speaks volumes. As the best Hogwarts headmaster of the whole book and movie series, Dumbledore’s power was unquestionable.
Dumbledore admitted his ruthlessness in cementing Harry as the one to defeat Voldemort. However, the truth remains that if Dumbledore had not made these choices, Voldemort would have won.
Not only could Dumbledore lead a school and a resistance movement, he was a father figure to Harry in a way that Harry’s biological father never could be, having died young. Dumbledore pushed Harry Potter towards greatness every step of the way, even to a fault. Dumbledore admitted his ruthlessness in cementing Harry as the one to defeat Voldemort. However, the truth remains that if Dumbledore had not made these choices, Voldemort would have won.
2 Voldemort
Slytherin
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Ironically, the leader of the pure-blood movement to take control of the world and subjugate muggles was a half-blood. Tom Riddle, of course, was the leader of this movement, known by most as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, or Voldemort. If a moniker like He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named doesn’t confirm power, maybe nothing does. Voldemort’s skill as a wizard was matched only by his ruthlessness. Riddle murdered his family in a chilling display of his rejection of his blood status, and of his humanity, in his pursuit of wider goals.
Voldemort showed skill, ingenuity, tenacity, originality, and – believe it or not – courage.
Voldemort’s strategy to embed himself into Horcruxes was the military strategy of a lifetime, quite apart from a symptom of his need for immortality. Voldemort showed skill, ingenuity, tenacity, originality, and – believe it or not – courage. His work with the Horcruxes was a solitary and revolutionary pursuit, and it’s easy to see how propaganda would have spun him as a hero, had he won. Unfortunately, Voldemort’s cruelty and tyranny were his own downfall, and he could not defeat the Boy Who Lived because he had inadvertently made him into a Horcrux.
1 Harry Potter
Gryffindor
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The most powerful of the Harry Potter main characters in general as well as the most powerful half-blood in the story is, of course, the eponymous hero, Harry Potter. One of the members of the Order of the Phoenix and the head of Dumbledore’s Army, Harry was the only thing between Voldemort and world domination. Harry was led to this role by factors outside of himself, but he repeatedly showed his determination to do what was expected of him.
Harry Potter is not just the most powerful half-blood character in
Harry Potter
, but one of literature’s greatest heroes.
Harry took on his responsibilities with humor and the courage native to Gryffindors. He was a Quidditch legend to boot. Harry rose from the bottom to the top, in every sense of the word. From orphan and abused child living in a cupboard to the savior of the world, Harry’s character arc could not have been bigger. Harry Potter is not just the most powerful half-blood character in Harry Potter, but one of literature’s greatest heroes.
Harry Potter $89 $95 Save $6
Harry Potter is a multimedia franchise about an orphaned boy who enrolls at Hogwarts School of Wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family, and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world. Adapted from the novels, Harry Potter is an eight-episode film saga that follows the journey of Harry Potter and his friends, Hermoine Granger and Ron Weasley, as they navigate the tricky world of growing up, school life, and magic. Starting from year one and moving to their seventh year, the films chronicle the students’ time at Hogwarts while unfurling a sinister plot that centers around the unsuspecting Harry. With the return of the dark wizard, Voldemort, the students and professors at Hogwarts will fight to carry on as the world around them may change forever. Harry Potter has expanded beyond the world of its films and novels with several video games, a spin-off film series titled Fantastic Beasts, and even attractions at Universal Studios.
Created by J.K. Rowling First Film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone First TV Show Harry Potter Cast Daniel Radcliffe , Emma Watson , Rupert Grint , Tom Felton , Alan Rickman , Matthew Lewis , Bonnie Wright , Evanna Lynch , Maggie Smith , Michael Gambon , Richard Harris , Ralph Fiennes , Helena Bonham Carter , Alfred Enoch , Harry Melling , Gary Oldman , Robert Pattinson , Warwick Davis , Oliver Phelps , James Phelps , David Bradley , David Thewlis , Katie Leung , Jason Isaacs , Imelda Staunton , David Tennant , Jamie Campbell Bower , Timothy Spall , Robbie Coltrane , Eddie Redmayne , Jude Law , Katherine Waterston , Ezra Miller , Dan Fogler , Alison Sudol , Johnny Depp , Mads Mikkelsen Expand $89 at AmazonSee at TargetSee at Walmart