Voldemort and Grindelwald were both the darkest wizards of their time, but who was the more potent in their prime? The two most powerful dark wizards of all time only met briefly in Harry Potter. Gellert Grindelwald was elderly at the time and couldn’t compete with Lord Voldemort. But what if they had fought an actual fight when they were both in their primes? The debate over who is more powerful has supporters on both sides. It comes down to love and hatred, as with many things. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is feared, but Grindelwald’s supporters adore him, and love is more potent in Harry Potter’s world.
Grindelwald does not have any fear of Death:
One of Voldemort’s distinguishing characteristics was his fear of death. That’s why he went to such lengths to avoid it, namely the invention of his Horcruxes. On the other hand, Grindelwald had no fear of death, which gave him an advantage in many respects. He was not constrained by anything. He also did not fear Dumbledore as much as Voldemort did. Given his extensive study of the dark arts, there’s a reasonable probability Grindelwald knew how to produce Horcruxes, but he never felt the need to make them, keeping his soul intact. Voldemort was reckless and guided by his compulsive dread of leaving the mortal realm, but Grindelwald was capable of playing the long game.
Voldemort finds a Unique Way with Hoxcruxes:
While Grindelwald’s goal comprised locating objects that would allow him to become a master of death, Voldemort appeared to have discovered a means to become immortal in the form of Horcruxes. Voldemort was practically unstoppable after severing his soul into seven pieces. Each Horcrux had a defense mechanism. The Horcruxes repeatedly endangered Harry and his allies (one even managed to cause the inevitable death of Albus Dumbledore). Even if they destroyed all the Horcruxes, they would still have to face Voldemort, a formidable wizard. The Horcruxes rendered killing Voldemort difficult. Only the most dedicated wizards dared to attempt it.
Ruler Grindelwald:
It appears that Grindelwald’s techniques were more successful than Voldemort’s. In just six years, he conquered nearly all of Europe, sparking a Global Wizarding War in which wizards from all over the world were forced to participate and battle. Voldemort conquered most of Europe, but it took him 14 years to reach anywhere near Grindelwald’s domain. Furthermore, Voldemort did not have the entire globe on his tail, simply a section of it. Dumbledore was the only one who could stop Grindelwald and conclude the conflict. Voldemort was defeated by none other than Harry Potter, a 17-year-old kid.
Torture and Killing are Pleasures for Voldemort:
All across the Harry Potter books, it becomes evident that Voldemort enjoys tormenting and killing people, people who don’t necessarily constitute a threat to him. Consider one of the closing sequences in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. When Potter and fellow Triwizard Tournament champion Cedric Diggory discover the maze’s center and retrieve the cup as part of the challenge, they are transported to a graveyard where Voldemort awaits. Voldemort instructs his minion Peter Pettigrew to murder “spare” Diggory as soon as the lads make themselves known, even though they could have easily contained him. That conduct displays his disregard for life.
Voldemort vs Grindelwald: Who Won?
Gellert Grindelwald had considerable authority in the Wizarding World until his death. He had a more significant number of followers who were fiercely loyal to him. He conquered more of the world and mastered more complex types of magic. He could still rule most of the globe if it weren’t for his most significant flaw: his affections for Dumbledore. Grindelwald is not only more powerful than Voldemort, but he is also a more interesting antagonist, which is why fans will see more of him in Fantastic Beasts 3. Watching such a powerful wizard succumb to the most common feelings is a fantastic narrative that underlines the idea of both the novels and the films: love triumphs over evil.
Voldemort’s hubris is one of his most egregious weaknesses, costing him everything. While both evil wizards are guilty of this, Voldemort’s hubris takes precedence. It causes him to divide his soul multiple times, causing the magic to become unstable, and he picks well-known artifacts such as the Horcruxes. Harry would have had to work considerably more complicated to discover and destroy them if they had been common goods. Speaking of dueling, Grindelwald not only vanquished practically everyone he faced but also gained complete possession of the Elder Wand. One of Voldemort’s numerous flaws is his inability to control the Elder Wand fully.
