Harry Potter & the 13 Antagonists

Ever wanted to write a story with killer antagonists? Follow the lead of JK Rowling. She nails every single Antagonist Archetype in Harry Potter!

So, who are the 13 Antagonists you want in your story?

1. Pure Evil

Warner Bros. Entertainment

That face says it all. Evil to the core.

2. Flunkies of Pure Evil

Warner Bros. Entertainment

Just the first to sell his soul so he could grovel. That, and wear a turban.

3. Villains

Warner Bros. Entertainment

Yeah, they're Flunkies. But for Lucius and Draco, it's all about pure blood and power.

4. Authority

Warner Bros. Entertainment

She'll do anything to keep the world the way she likes it--and we grit our teeth every time we see that pink dress coming.

5. Viper in Our Midst

Warner Bros. Entertainment

Traitor. Pure and snivelling.

6. Flawed Parents and Guardians

Warner Bros. Entertainment

A bed under the stairs? Locked in the room (without a bathroom)? St. Brutus' Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys? These two make the stepmother in Cinderella look nice.

7. Sidekicks

Warner Bros. Entertainment

What?! Hermione?! Yep. Don't forget the nagging and high expectations. Even great friends can make life tough.

8. Flames

Warner Bros. Entertainment

Cho might look innocent, but remember how Harry felt in The Goblet of Fire? Angst. Humiliation. Guilt. Need we say more?

9. Thorn in the Side

Warner Bros. Entertainment

The one who pesters and drives you nuts!

10. Creatures

Warner Bros. Entertainment

Snakes! Spiders! Rats! They don't need a lot of backstory. They are just freaking scary!

11. Hostile World

Warner Bros. Entertainment

Hogwarts is brilliant! But it's not an easy place to live. 142 staircases—moving staircases!—dungeons, the grumpy Fat Lady, the Whomping Willow, the Great Lake filled with vicious mermaids, the Forbidden Forest loaded with other antagonists, and the list goes on. Definitely a Hostile World.

12. Ticking Clock

Warner Bros. Entertainment

Remember the climax of The Prisoner of Azkaban, where Hermione uses the Time Turner to send her and Harry back? The pressure is on! They are messing seriously with the past and if they don’t get it right Sirius and Buckbeak will die, and who knows what will happen to Harry and Hermione.

13. The Enemy Within

Warner Bros. Entertainment

What is more frightening than having Pure Evil inside your head?!