Voldemort isn’t the scariest villain in the fantasy genre, but he’s one of the most daunting wizards in the Harry Potter franchise. Compared to most characters who inhabit the Wizarding World, Voldemort is extremely powerful — particularly after he collects multiple Horcruxes. He’s also among the most ruthless characters Harry encounters across seven books and eight movies.
Harry Potter establishes that aspect of his personality early, with one of Voldemort’s best quotes demonstrating how cold he is. It arrives in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, before the villain even has the chance to reclaim a body. When Harry first meets the Dark Lord, he’s on the back of Professor Quirinus Quirrell’s head. It’s a testament to how conniving and persuasive Voldemort can be.
He attempts to draw Harry to his side, too, hoping the boy will give him the stone he desperately seeks. Harry refuses, but Voldemort makes his case with a quote that’s among fantasy’s coldest: “There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it.” It reveals a lot about his character, and it also lays the foundation for Harry Potter‘s larger themes.
Voldemort’s Take on Good & Evil Reveals Why He’s Such a Terrifying Villain
Voldemort’s reflection on power is one of the Harry Potter franchise’s best lines, as it establishes the Dark Lord as a convincingly fearsome villain early on. There’s a time and place for antagonists who do bad things for the sake of it, but they’re often less believable than those with deeper motivations.
Voldemort doesn’t flinch at morally reprehensible deeds, but he does rationalize them. His pursuit of power and blood purity overshadows all else, including concepts like right and wrong. He doesn’t truly see himself as evil, as he doesn’t give weight to such descriptors. He says in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that he’s not wasteful, painting the picture of a wizard who feels his actions are justified and reasonable. He’s certainly not remorseful, though, and it’s because he views the world in such cold, black-and-white terms.
That makes Voldemort so terrifying — and he should be. There’s a reason his name alone instills fear in the hearts of witches and wizards everywhere. It’s hard to depict why in the early books and films, when his presence is more limited. However, this quote gets the point across while setting up a larger conversation that persists throughout Harry Potter.
This ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ Quote Sets Up the Series’ Thesis on Power
Power is a theme that crops up throughout the Harry Potter books and movies, and they make a clear argument about it. In general, those most suited to authority and power are the characters who don’t actively seek it. This is shown most clearly through Dumbledore, who avoids suggestions of joining the Ministry of Magic or overseeing it. After his mistakes in his youth, he understands how corrupting power can be. As such, he chooses to remain at Hogwarts instead.
By contrast, Harry Potter characters like Voldemort, the Death Eaters, Dolores Umbridge, and even Cornelius Fudge demonstrate themselves unworthy of the influence they have. To some degree, all of them operate under Voldemort’s idea that they’re entitled to it. They view themselves as deserving, while anyone who doesn’t claim similar authority is written off as “weak.”
The story clearly wants us to question that belief, as well as power structures, both within and outside the Wizarding World. Voldemort’s quote in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone lays the groundwork for that nicely, leading into this recurring theme. It sets the stage for Harry to constantly challenge authority, too, as doing what’s right sometimes requires going against it.
- Release Date
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November 16, 2001
- Runtime
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152 Minutes
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