The Harry Potter franchise is one of the most famous fantasy franchises to date. Thus, its main villain, Voldemort, remains a powerful figure for many fans, perhaps even creeping into nightmare territory. Voldemort, or Tom Riddle, is one of the most powerful characters to ever exist in the Harry Potter universe, but not in the entire fantasy genre.
A descendant of Salazar Slytherin and a child prodigy, Voldemort could cast spells and manipulate the world around him even as a child, then grew into a man who performed feats of magic the world had never seen before. His potential seemed endless, and the addition of Horcruxes gave him an immortal soul, making him almost unkillable. However, even with all of this ability, Voldemort can’t match the strength and power of some of fantasy’s greatest villains.
Smaug Is a Cruel and Terrible Force To Be Reckoned With in The Hobbit
The famous fire-drake who plundered and stole Erebor in The Hobbit, Smaug carries many names: Smaug the Terrible, The Chiefest and Greatest of Calamities, Fire and Death, and Smaug the Unassessably Wealthy, among others. Obscenely powerful, his defeat wasn’t even something the dwarves planned for, as the original plan was to have Bilbo sneak in and steal enough heirlooms to entice other dwarven armies to take back the mountain eventually.
Smaug’s power comes from his size, strength, flying ability, sharp senses, wisdom, age, and breath of fire. But in terms of beating Voldemort, Smaug’s most powerful asset would be his impenetrable dragon scales. Voldemort could throw all the spells he wanted at Smaug, but unless they were able to hit the one missing scale or perhaps his eyes, there would be little effect. So, Voldemort would be reduced to running away before getting crushed or burned alive.
The Lord of Darkness From Legend is an Underrated Fantasy Villain
The Lord of Darkness from Legend, released in 1985, and despite his appearance, he isn’t actually Satan. But he is closely tied to the Devil and is therefore an all-powerful being with demonic tendencies. His entire goal is to rid the world of light and everything “good,” creating an age of ice and darkness and a potential future line of demonic beings.
Although the Lord of Darkness has one of the biggest weaknesses of the candidates on this list (he cannot be exposed to light or the good in the world), he also has some of the most power in addition to physical might. He can warp reality, shapeshift, bend dreams, and control fire and darkness. But it’s not just that he’s powerful, it’s more like he IS power itself, just the dark side of the scale.
Puss in Boots’ The Wolf Is Death Personified
This would be the most fascinating battle of the bunch due to the psychological impact on Voldemort, rather than his fear of the opponent visually. Death, or the Wolf, from Puss in Boots: The Last Wish may have initially appeared to be a bounty hunter in pursuit of Puss, but it soon became very clear that the terrifying Wolf was Death incarnate. Voldemort is a character who has been running from Death his whole life, so when confronted with his biggest fear, how would that play out?
The Wolf himself cuts a striking figure, draped in black and carrying two large scythes. He’s fast and agile with his blades and seems as if he purposefully lets his prey escape to taunt them and have more fun. He can teleport, is an expert in psychological torture, and (at least in the movie) is immune to magic. In the end, he isn’t even defeated by Puss; he chooses to let him go due to Puss’s perspective change, but it remains clear that Puss will eventually be in his grasp.
Narnia’s Jadis Is One of the Strongest Women in Fantasy
Some fantasy fans might be confused about the placement of The White Witch, especially casual fans who have only seen her in 2005 in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. But those who have read The Chronicles of Narnia know just how powerful she really is, and how lucky the Pevensies and Aslan got in defeating her when they did. Jadis is a woman descended from giants, jinn, and demons, and therefore has the appearance and magical ability to match such a lineage.
She is also the last of the royal family of Charn, a different world that was actually destroyed by Jadis herself using one world, the “Deplorable World,” capable of destroying everything within a world except for Jadis herself. In addition to the devastation that the power of that word can cause, she is also immortal, is supernaturally strong, can turn anything and anyone to stone, can control ice and snow, can cast all manner of spells, shapeshifts, and can read minds. In other words, Voldemort wouldn’t stand a chance.
Sauron Is The Lord of the Rings’ Greatest Manipulator
Top billing for the most powerful fantasy being wouldn’t even involve Voldemort as a contender. In terms of fantasy movies so far, the race would solely be between Jadis from The Chronicles of Narnia and Sauron from The Lord of the Rings. However, Sauron’s ability to think ahead and outmaneuver people, in addition to his already considerable magical power and physical and mental strength, would put him ahead of The White Witch.
Sauron is a Maiar, meaning he is of a divine race in Middle-earth. As such, his powers feel seemingly endless, as sometimes other Maiar like Gandalf or Saruman do. But Sauron is much more powerful than all of them, even before the introduction of the One Ring. He is a necromancer, can control certain elements, shapeshifts, can control minds and break them, can cast illusions, and is above all else a creator, able to craft devices of immense power as well as alter the DNA of creatures.
With the One Ring, Sauron is immortal and nearly unstoppable, able to control the fates of all those who live in Middle-earth. This, plus the existing magical skills he possesses, clearly puts him as one of the most powerful beings in fantasy. However, his most powerful and impressive aspect actually has to do with something else – his mind. Sauron, above all else, is a master manipulator and an extremely intelligent leader/dictator, possessing great patience and foresight to enact his schemes.
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