Making its mark on the world in 1997, the Harry Potter franchise is without a doubt one of the most influential and important pieces of fiction in the 21st century. More than 20 years after the first book's release, the franchise still has a legion of passionate fans across the globe who are invested in the world constructed by J.K Rowling. A big reason why fans were eating up all of these books/movies so quickly was because of how great a job they did at building up one of the greatest villains ever; Dolores Umbridge. Nah, I'm kidding, it's just Lord Voldemort.
While it is debatable who the most powerful wizard in Harry Potter is, Voldemort is certainly a contender for that title. As a master of every form of magic who has a devoted army of powerful wizards at his command, Voldemort was not a man to be trifled with. In fantasy matchups against characters from other franchises like Disney, Voldemort is quite dangerous just because of the massive bag of tricks at his disposal. It's just the big three forbidden curses that are immensely powerful, there's a whole list of other spells that can cause much mayhem.
Only those who have consumed every last piece of Harry Potter-related information would know all the things Voldemort has shown to be able to do and everything he can do in theory. Luckily, I have compiled a list of twenty of them right here. Here are 20 powers and accomplishments that Voldemort has kept secret.
20 Transfiguration Savant
Transfiguration is among the hardest branches of magic in all of Harry Potter and one of the toughest in the Hogwarts curriculum. Nothing in magic is difficult for Tom Riddle, however, and that means that Transfiguration is just another form of magic that he is a master of.
Voldemort's feats of this form of magic range from the normal all the way to the immensely powerful. In terms of small scale, he was able to create a silver hand for his servant Peter Pettigrew. In combat, Voldemort was able to turn a fire rope cast by Dumbledore into a massive fire snake that would obliterate most wizards. That's how it was in the book, anyway.
19 Can Peer Into Your Mind
With somebody as powerful as Voldemort mucking around in the wizarding world, you need to prepare counter strategies against him. I mean, it's not like he can read your mind, can he? Well actually, he can.
Good luck fighting somebody who can read your mind.
In fact, this was one of Voldemort's favored things to do as said by Snape in The Half-Blood Prince; "It was often the Dark Lord's pleasure to invade one's mind." Using the art of Legilimency, Voldemort can look into your mind and interpret your feelings and memories. He doesn't need his wand to do this and is one of the most advanced wizards in this field. While it is true that wizards can learn to resist this magic via occlumency, Voldemort never had trouble against anyone.
18 He's Quite The Charmer
In the world of Harry Potter, there are several different kinds of spells. One classification of these spells includes charms, something that J.K Rowling described as the "softer" side of spells. Despite that description, charms are anything but soft in the hands of The Dark Lord.
Being the most powerful wizard in history, Voldemort is capable of performing such incredible spells such as Silencio, Stupefy, and Immobulus. The first one of those can make a target mute, the second can knock a target unconscious, and the third one freezes them in place. There are several more, but needless to say, just those three can be used to great effect.
17 Master Of Curses
With the power of magic in Harry Potter, you are capable of doing nearly anything you can set your mind to. However, there are three unforgivable spells that will land you in jail; Avada Kedavra, which instantly ends the life of its target, Crucio, which tortures its victim, and Imperius, which is essentially mind control. It would be bad enough if a wizard was skilled in one of these, but Voldemort is highly adept at all three.
His proficiency in Avada Kedavra and Crucio is shown several times throughout the franchise, but while it's never directly shown, we do know that he's used Imperius on Bartemius Crouch Sr. With these spells, Voldemort is a tough customer for any character in or out of Hogwarts.
16 Can Create His Own Spells
If you have a ton of time to waste, look up the extensive list of spells in the world of Harry Potter. From the powerful to the mundane, there are too many spells to discuss, but even if there was something you wanted that wasn't listed in the spells, it is still possible.
In a way, Voldemort was an artist. Remind of you any real-world evils?
Using the highly advanced art of spell creation, Voldemort was able to create four spells/magical items unique to him alone. These included being able to fly under his own power, creating the infamous drink of despair, the rudimentary body potion, and morsmordre. Theoretically, Voldemort could have done even more which just makes him scarier.
15 Believe A Wizard Can Fly
Flying in the world of Harry Potter isn't that big of a deal. That is, of course, if we're talking about flying with the aid of a magical item or a beast, like a broomstick or Pegasus. Flying under your own magical power, however, is a very big deal and can only be done by two people. Snape is one, and guess who the other one is?
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a... snake?
Not only can Voldemort do this, he's also the one who invented the spell. This gives him a tremendous speed and mobility advantage over all other wizards in the world of Harry Potter. A flying evil wizard who can end you with a flick of his wand? That will make your pants darken.
14 He Can Teleport
In an anomaly of this fictional world, teleportation is actually a simpler magical feat than flying. That's not to say it's easy however as only advanced wizards and witches are able to pull it off effectively and they don't come anymore advanced than Tom "Voldemort" Riddle. Goku vs Voldemort, anyone?
Although apparition is one of the most powerful tools in a wizard's arsenal, it does have limitations on it.
It requires intense concentration making it difficult to perform in the heat of a battle. Also if it ends up going wrong, it is possible the user loses an arm, leg or some other part of their body. Voldemort, however, seems to be near perfect with it meaning that he can likely go anywhere he wants outside of a fight.
13 Can Possess Others
Aside from some people with odd tastes in men, nobody wants Lord Voldemort inside of them. But the sad truth is that if he wanted to be inside you, there is nothing you can do to really stop him.
We are all potential puppets for the Dark Lord.
The rules of how exactly this ability of Voldemort works are a bit inconsistent. However, since he was able to possess Professor Quirrell no problem, I'm going to assume that the rule where he can only possess those with an emotional connection to his Horcruxes is not true. The good part is that it is possible for one to resist this, but it requires great mental strength.
12 He's A Tremendous Actor
No, I'm not talking about the actor Ralph Fiennes here, although he was awesome in the role. I'm speaking about the character Tom Riddle himself.
That's right, that charming guy in class can totally be the lord of all evil.
Being a true psychopath, Voldemort was able to form relationships with people that on the surface looked genuine but in reality were superficial disguises meant to further his own power. While it is true that Voldemort has used several magical means to affect people's minds, it is said that his own natural charisma and charms have influenced many people he's met over the decades. Can't form an evil cult without being a tad charming,
11 Doesn't Need A Wand
While performing spells without a wand in Harry Potter isn't unheard of, it's not exactly a simple thing either. To be able to pull it off, a wizard must be highly skilled and practiced in its art like Mr. Small Nose over here.
At multiple points in the films, Voldemort has shown that he can use powerful magic even without the use of a wand. When he first returns to the realm of the living in Goblet of Fire, he swats away Harry's spell attempts with a flick of the hand. He's also levitated objects without a wand including the lifeless body of a giant. Considering giants are a few times bigger than humans, I can conclude that Voldemort does lift... with his mind yo.
10 He Can Possess Animals
When Voldemort's physical body was destroyed courtesy of his own Avada Kedavra, Voldemort was forced to wander the Earth as a weak spirit. In this form, all of Voldemort's normal magical powers and abilities were lost to him until he found another human body. What he was able to do, however, was possess the bodies of animals.
If not for his pride, Voldemort could have probably lived under the radar much longer using this.
Roaming the forests of Albania, Voldemort took control of snakes in order to have a physical body of any sort. This came at a price, however, as he had to change bodies frequently since this possession shortened the lifespans of his hosts. It wasn't until the idiot Professor Quirrell came into the forest where he found a human that he could possess.
9 He Was The Best Student
With somebody as evil as Lord Voldemort, it should be obvious to anyone that this person is the most dangerous wizard in the world. But if you were just a member of Hogwarts either as a student or a faculty member, you would never have guessed it.
Tom Riddle was on paper the best student Hogwarts ever had.
During his seven years in Hogwarts, Tom Riddle was the perfect student. Not only did he graduate at the top of his class, but he was also a member of the famous Slug Club and on great terms with everybody... except Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore knew the darkness that resided in the boy and always kept a close eye on him.
8 Highly Resistant To Mind Control
The art of Legilimency is one of the most potentially dangerous magical branches in the world of Harry Potter. Being able to peer into the mind of another and reading their thoughts and memories gives you a tremendous advantage. Wouldn't it be great if the heroes can use it against Voldemort? Well, they can't.
Not only is Voldemort one of the most powerful Legilimency practitioners ever, he's also an expert at using its defense known as Occlumency. This magical art involves shutting off your mind to people wishing to probe it and making your mind empty. For someone as creatively evil as Voldemort, this defense is of great importance.
7 Superhuman Reflexes
If Voldemort wasn't so hell-bent on ridding the world of all muggles and half-bloods, he could have made a heck of a career as an e-sports player or an athlete. How so? Well, quite simply, his reaction times are off the scale.
Now to get more specific in this case we have to turn to the book version of the Order of The Phoenix. In the battle between himself and Dumbledore, Voldemort was able to dodge attacks from a teleporting Dumbledore. The reaction time needed to do this would put him above any human reaction times to a bullet for example. Good luck catching this slimy guy.
6 Immortality (Sort Of)
Immortality is something that most big bads in fiction strive for, but few of them actually are able to attain this sought after ability. Voldemort can count himself as part of an elite club as he actually did become immortal! Sort of...
His Horcruxes are all jinxed or cursed, so good luck trying to destroy them on your own.
Horcruxes in Harry Potter are items in which a person can put a fragment of their soul into. As long as that item remains intact, a person's spirit can never truly perish. Even when Voldemort's physical body was destroyed when he tried to end the Potter family, his spirit stayed lingering on Earth. Thanks to the help of his minions, he was given a new body to where his soul could reside.
5 Breathe In Space
For as crazy as the world of Harry Potter gets, there's never any question of the events taking place other than Earth (I'm not counting spiritual realms for this purpose). But in theory, it is possible for a wizard to travel into space. How about it, y'all, Voldemort in space?
This one is more of a theory, but I don't see why it can't be done.
How is this even possible? Well with the spell known as Ebublio, a wizard can encase somebody inside of a bubble that encompasses their whole body. In this bubble, you can still breathe and are protected from anything outside the bubble. If we combine that with Voldemort's power of flight, we can have a Dark Lord traveling through deep space.
4 Implant Fake Memories
We know that Voldemort can attack your mind in several different ways. We've seen him use the forbidden imperius charm several times to control people to get what he wants out of them. If he didn't want to do that exactly, there are other options.
Another mental attack that Voldemort has used over his demented rule is the spell known as the false memory charm. This specific charm does exactly what it says; it implants a false memory in its victim. You can imagine a wide set of uses with this spell but Voldemort has used on people to cover up his crimes and have them think they're responsible. An untraceable madman like Voldemort ensures that he is near impossible to capture.
3 Control Over The Lost Souls
Necromancy in Harry Potter is something of a complicated art. While it cannot be done in the sense that people who lost their lives cannot be brought back in their true "living" form. However, zombie-esque creatures do exist in Harry Potter and they're known as the Inferi.
An Inferius is best described as a lifeless body who has been brought back by a Dark Wizard's magic. A being like this can only be brought back in this form by extremely powerful magic but since this is Voldemort we're talking, he was able to create an entire army of them. They almost destroyed Dumbledore and Harry, but thankfully they're weak to fire so the old man exploited this weakness.
2 He Can Hear His Name Anywhere
Throughout most of the series, most people dare not speak Voldemort's name out of some superstitious fear. This was all nonsense, however, as speaking his name wouldn't actually do anything. However, by the time of the final book, this becomes a legitimate fear.
Why not call him snake brain or the no nosey nuisance instead of He Who Must Not Be Named?
After taking over the Ministry of Magic, Voldemort and his cult create a curse around his name. With the Taboo curse in place, if anybody spoke the name Voldemort, his cult members could instantly appear at their location and snatch them into prison. This is why in the final book and movie characters have to use other means to identify him.
1 Can Heal Himself
Voldemort's fear of perishing from the realm of the living is what propelled him to seek out ways to prevent that from happening. Of course, the main way he did that was to create his infamous Horcruxes, but even if he isn't dealt a fatal blow, Voldemort can still recover from great injuries.
While he may not possess an innate talent for healing like Wolverine or Deadpool, Voldemort can still heal himself using various magical spells. Ferula can heal bone fractures, Vulnera Sanetur can heal deep gashes in your body while Reparifors heals him from magically inflicted ailments like spells that cause paralysis. Wizards in Harry Potter are largely glass cannons, but they're not completely helpless defensively.