Exploring Villains: Lord Voldemort
Lord Voldemort a.k.a. Tom Marvolo Riddle, is the main antagonist in the blockbuster series of Harry Potter novels by J. K. Rowling. The first appearance of Lord Voldemort is in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone which was published in 1997.
Voldemort would return in many different forms in each book thereafter except for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban where only his name is mentioned. The film adaptations of the Potter books follow this same structure with actor Ralph Fiennes giving Lord Voldemort his main form that looks something like a human-snake hybrid.
Lord Voldemort is considered "the most evil wizard in hundreds and hundreds of years." He is a villain who carries no compassion nor remorse for the evil things he has done. His purpose in single-minded and falls in line with many other iconic villains of literature. Voldemort seeks absolute power. He considers all others inferior to him and wants them all to fear his name...even those he may be using to help attain his purpose.
For his one note of a purpose, author J.K. Rowling developed Lord Voldemort/Tom Riddle with a detailed backstory. In interviews conducted with Rowling, she has said that Voldemort has a great fear of death. He sees it as a shameful, human weakness and thus seeks to become all powerful in order to thwart death by achieving immortality. Fear can be a great driver for the antagonist as well as the protagonist.
Lord Voldemort is what I consider a "tormentor villain." Where other villains may used a battering ram type of tactic where they go directly after the hero with physicality, a tormentor plays mind games. Voldemort goes after what Harry Potter loves and tries to get inside his mind to sway Potter away from his destiny.
Harry Potter has become a well-known name all around the world. But when you mention Potter you must mention Lord Voldemort as well. Behind every good hero stands a villain with a knife.
"Original Cyn" Cynthia Vespia writes fantasy novels for deviant minds including urban fantasy vigilantes and heroic adventure fantasy.
