Yet, despite his fearsome reputation, Voldemort is not the ultimate wizard. While he projects an aura of invincibility, several witches and wizards possess the skill to outperform him, often demonstrating superior dueling capabilities. For some, their advantage lies in a rich depth of experience; for others, it’s their profound grasp of magic as a natural force. Voldemort is adept at spellcasting, but his understanding of magic’s intricate workings is sometimes lacking. This is most evident in his critical mistake concerning the Elder Wand’s rightful ownership. Additionally, his tendency to delegate tasks to others, whether fellow wizards or magical creatures, underscores his vulnerabilities. Thus, while undeniably powerful, Voldemort is not insurmountable, and several individuals could challenge him effectively.

One such contender is Hermione Granger, played by Emma Watson. Though she might initially seem an unexpected choice to rival Voldemort, a closer look reveals her superior strengths. Her quick thinking, adaptability in perilous situations, and profound theoretical insight into magic render her spells more potent and effective than those of the Dark Lord.

While some might argue that Voldemort’s spellcasting, including memory charms similar to those Hermione used, places them on par, her innate comprehension of magic elevates her strength. This deep understanding allows Hermione to refine and expand her magical repertoire continuously, whereas Voldemort often relies on the power of his wand, a tool that he never truly masters.

She is obviously someone who is well-versed in magical theory, and that translates to skill, as she’s able to competently execute complicated spellwork like memory spells just from reading about them. This also includes Hermione’s jinxing of the Dumbledore’s Army sign up list during Fifth Year, which left marks on Marietta Edgecombe’s forehead for months, and her ability to cast non-verbal spells at 17 years old. 

While the argument can be made that because Lord Voldemort cast similar spells (particularly the memory charm she used on her parents at the same age), they are similarly equal in power, Hermione’s innate understanding of magic makes her stronger. That understanding gives her the ability to further refine her magic, pushing the limits and adding more and more spells to her arsenal, whereas Voldemort instead relies on a stronger wand to improve his chances — a tool he never actually masters.

Professor Minerva McGonagall (Maggie Smith) is one of the most powerful spellcasters at Hogwarts, and likely in the entire wizarding world. She makes one of the hardest branches of magic, transfiguration, look easy. While Lord Voldemort can transfigure things, if it were a contest, McGonagall would win.

When the two duel during the Battle of Hogwarts in the final book, the only reason Voldemort gets the upper hand is because he loses control of his magic, likely due to his use of the unmastered Elder Wand. At that point, the professor has been dueling Death Eaters for hours, showing not just how strong her magic is, but her endurance as well.

The two have also used silencing charms over large groups, but only one casts it successfully. It isn’t Voldemort. Though he tries to forcefully quiet the crowd of students and fighters around him during the Battle of Hogwarts, his challengers break through the enchantment, showing that his spell ultimately isn’t as strong as it could be. McGonagall’s, on the other hand, holds true during “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” despite protest from students. It was a smaller group, but it is the first look at how, when executing similar tasks, McGonagall’s spells are reliably more effective.

Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody (Brendan Gleeson) is one of the best Aurors of all time. He’s an incredibly skilled wizard, well-versed in charms, dueling, and transfiguration. Plus, his magic eye can see through anything, even the Invisibility Cloak. Is he a bit paranoid? Yes, but that’s made him quick to draw his wand and handle dangerous situations with ease.

Lord Voldemort himself recognizes how powerful Moody is, believing him to be both the strongest of the Aurors and the one who would guard Harry Potter during his move from the Dursleys to the Weasleys, even if he is proven wrong on the latter point. Moody can do magic without a wand, something very few wizards accomplish, and might be the only person in the wizarding world more intimidating than the Dark Lord.

That said, Moody’s magical prowess, combined with his raw tenacity, makes him stronger than Lord Voldemort. He’s spent his entire career tracking down evil wizards, and at the end of the day, Voldemort isn’t the strongest evil wizard ever — he’s simply the most successful of his time. He has some theatrics, but that’s no match for Moody’s skill and experience.

Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen, shown above, is the foremost of many actors to portray the role) may have laid the foundation for what would become Lord Voldemort’s agenda, but he is stronger than his successor. The former’s expulsion from Durmstrang shows that power — he nearly killed other students with his spellwork and experiments, and he didn’t need to use a basilisk to do it for him.

Though it isn’t always on display in the “Fantastic Beasts” trilogy, Grindelwald is the only wizard who could even come close to dueling Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law, during the “Beasts” films), meaning he could win in a duel against Voldemort. Grindelwald and Dumbledore were friends as teens, and part of that is rooted in the power and intellect they shared. What they chose to do with it diverged greatly as they aged, but, as younger men, they recognized each other’s power.

Grindelwald’s special abilities also allow him to be more powerful than Voldemort. While the latter was a Parselmouth, and speaking to snakes became a part of his image, Grindelwald was a Seer, giving him natural intuition. While it’s that gift that puts him on his path toward self-destruction, it adds to his strength when compared to Voldemort.

It should come as no surprise that Albus Dumbledore (portrayed as a senior wizard by Michael Gambon, pictured, and Richard Harris) is on this list. Not only is he the only wizard Lord Voldemort seems truly terrified of, but he is widely considered the most powerful person in the wizarding world. Their duel in “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” shows that, though seemingly evenly matched, Dumbledore edges Voldemort out every time.

Dumbledore knew things Voldemort had done before Voldemort himself even did, most notably with making Harry a Horcrux when he tried to kill him on Halloween night, 1981. While it’s unlikely that Dumbledore knew right away what had happened, he worked it out, understanding that Voldemort’s soul was so fractured it had become unstable, unintentionally dividing itself. That knowledge informed how Harry and his allies would win the Second Wizarding War.

Albus Dumbledore is a strong wizard, creating spells that are impossible to breach. Some of that is linked to his own natural ability, but it’s also rooted in his intelligence. Dumbledore has an understanding of magic that’s relatively unmatched. He sees connections that others don’t, and has made a remarkable impact on the wizarding world. Notable moments include his role in the fights against Gellert Grindelwald and Lord Voldemort, and also for discoveries like the 12 uses for dragon blood. With all of that in mind, he’s easily stronger than Voldemort. In the end, that evil wizard never had a chance.