Voldemort Vs. Grindelwald: Which Harry Potter Villain Is More Powerful?

Two dark figures prevail in the wizarding world of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter franchise — Lord Voldemort and Gellert Grindelwald. While Grindelwald's reign of terror ended long before Tom Riddle rose to power, fans can't help but wonder what would happen if the two were pitted against each other.

Yes, it's true that He Who Must Not Be Named kills Albus Dumbledore's genocidal ex-boyfriend during the events of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," but the context of that encounter does not place both participants on equal footing. When Voldemort slays Grindelwald, the Dark Lord is at the height of his power, and Grindelwald is a defenseless old man in a prison cell. So, the question remains ... which of Rowling's magical tyrants is stronger?

There are no easy answers here. What defines power, genuinely? Are we referring to their perceived strength or literal, quantitative magical abilities? Are we factoring in their organizations, the duration of their empires, end goals, achievements, or battle tactics? Would this be any fun to read if we excluded those things? Of course not! But when we factor in everything, something funny happens because the most powerful villain in Harry Potter is by no means the most successful. We'll mainly cite the books for this one, but the movies will crop up whenever necessary. 

Voldemort and Gellert Grindelwald crave a drastic restructuring of the world. Their common theme is that those with magical blood should publically dominate the social ladder. Under either of their dominions, witches and wizards would no longer be expected to hide from Muggles, something that even the meekest magical folk find irksome. During his time, Grindelwald carried his mission with him across the globe. There were precious few magical communities that weren't affected by his crusade. Conversely, Voldemort focused his efforts against Britain. Neither wizard succeeded in the long run ... and Voldemort failed twice, bested both times by a child. 

That said, Grindelwald's campaign held firm for far less time than Voldemort's. Although more or less a public nuisance from birth, Grindelwald becomes a dyed-in-the-wool mass murderer in the early 1920s, and he later declares open war on the wizarding world in the late 1930s. In 1945, Albus Dumbledore steps into the fray and stops Grindelwald's assault on humanity. On the other hand, Tom Riddle, who would have only just graduated from Hogwarts by the time Grindelwald went to Nurmengard, spends the following two decades fleshing out his Voldemort persona. In the 1970s, he, too, wages full-out war on the wizarding world, and his first campaign lasted 11 years before falling in 1981 to the Boy Who Lived. When his second campaign, from 1995 to 1998, is included, Voldemort openly fights the world for approximately 15 years. Conversely, Grindelwald did the same for about six.

The second core trait that J. K. Rowling's two big baddies share is their lust for immortality. Gellert Grindelwald chases that fantasy through the discovery and usage of the Deathly Hallows, three legendary items fabricated by Death themself. The story he bases his ambition upon claims that anyone who controls all three — the Elder Wand, the Ressurection Stone, and the Invisibility Cloak — would master death. He only ever finds the Elder Wand, and Albus Dumbledore rests it from his possession in 1945 during their famous duel.

Voldemort approaches eternity by different means. He believes that Horcruxes, enchanted items or beings that carry a fraction of one's soul, are the best avenue to immortal life. The Dark Lord creates seven Horcruxes, six of which are intentional and destroyed by Harry Potter and his various allies. It's worth noting that Voldemort's life is hilariously short for someone who intended to live forever. For context, Grindelwald dies around the age of 110. He probably would've lived longer, had he not fallen prey to a curse. In contrast, Voldemort dies at the age of 71.

Statistically speaking, Voldemort comes closer to achieving his goal than Grindelwald does, but neither manages to safeguard their ambitions well enough to maintain them.

Gellert Grindelwald is a bold man. Make no mistake, he is an evil monster who leaves a trail of bodies in his wake, but he is no less bold for it. When at war, he leads the charge himself, brandishing a wand alongside those loyal to him. His tenacity and intellect earn him many followers, all ready to see his dream become reality or die trying. Grindelwald approaches his quest for world domination like some heroic knight might face a dragon, making him all the more menacing to those who aren't blindsided by his charm.

Then there's Voldemort, a coward if ever there was one. Cowardly, yes, but no less cunning for it. The Dark Lord leads his compatriots from behind the scenes, where shadows and shields could ensure his safety. (They didn't, but ... you know). The biggest win here is that Voldemort earns status as a ghost whose name is taboo to speak. He gains support through blackmail and fear. His minions would only die for him because failure is punished by death, anyway.

Despite Grindelwald's bravado seeming more proper, Voldemort's tactics prove far more effective. Remember how we mentioned one of them only managed six years on the front line, while the other managed 15? There's a reason for that. In the long term, charging headfirst into battle might appear stronger, but it's the quickest way to end up in a coffin. Albus Dumbledore didn't kill Grindelwald ... but he very easily could have.

So, funny story: The best headmaster Hogwarts ever knew is the main reason there's even a debate about which dark wizard is more powerful. In the 1940s, the magical community pleads with Albus Dumbledore to put an end to Gellert Grindelwald. And he does. On the other hand, the only documented time that Dumbledore ever comes face to face with Voldemort is during "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." For some reason, Dumbledore was willing to approach Grindelwald headfirst, but not Voldemort.

There's an argument to be made here that Dumbledore only defeats Grindelwald because he doesn't want the man rattling off their shared history. Concerning Voldemort, Dumbledore faces no immediate personal threat, so he sends the Order of the Phoenix instead. Dumbledore's comparatively decisive action makes Grindelwald seem like a lesser threat than Voldemort and, thereby, less powerful.

We have to take Dumbledore's inaction into account. It shapes the opinion of the greater wizarding world. Why would witches and wizards continue to be afraid of someone who Dumbledore handily defeated after one battle? Instead, it's far easier to assume the greatness of a man hiding in shadow. Because here's the kicker — there's no version of this story where Voldemort is more powerful than Grindelwald; he's just more successful.

Hey, what great powers does Voldemort have? What can he do that other wizards and witches can't? Horcruxes? Old magic, made by the dude who first bred Basilisks (which have a surprising origin story). Legillimancy? Severus Snape can do that. The Unforgivable Curses? Every single one of his Death Eaters can do those. Parseltongue? Cool, he genetically inherited a skill from his grandfather, Salazar Slytherin. To Voldemort's credit, he invents a method for wandless, broomless flight and the spell "Morsmodre," but that's about it for credits unique to his name. His greatest accomplishment is housing all these different pieces in one body, and even then, he couldn't maintain rule over a single country.

Conversely, did Gellert Grindelwald ever display awesome power? Yes! He has a wider array of abilities. Along with some of the ones listed above, he is also a Seer, a healer, and an elemental magician. What's more, the Fantastic Beasts franchise showcases Grindelwald as someone who can deflect magical attacks from entire battalions of Aurors and dish them out on an equal scale. Voldemort is a powerful wizard, but Grindelwald is a late-game "Dark Souls" boss. Again, it cannot be overstated that his war was waged on a global scale.

When Grindelwald faces Voldemort in his prison cell, the old wizard laughs at the Dark Lord. Voldemort might've set his sights on a smaller scale, held out for longer, and even come closer to his goal, but only one never feared death. Only one of them truly fought Dumbledore. Only one of them believed in something bigger than themselves. Also, which one lost to a 17-year-old?