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| “ | Listen to me, the disapproval of cowards is praise to the brave. Your name will be written in glory when wizards rule the world. | „ |
| ~ Gellert Grindelwald explaining his ideology to Gunnar Grimmson. |
| “ | For the greater good. | „ |
| ~ Grindelwald's motto. |
Gellert Grindelwald is a minor character in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and the main antagonist of the Fantastic Beasts film series.
He was an old friend and lover of Albus Dumbledore before his downward spiral into villainy, resulting in him becoming his arch-nemesis, and was considered to be one of the most powerful and dangerous Dark Wizards of all time, with Lord Voldemort considered to be the only one able to surpass him.
Believing that wizard kind was oppressed by the non-magical, Grindelwald sought to establish a new world order in which Witches and Wizards ruled over Muggles, claiming that his actions were "for the greater good." Over time, he managed to amass a following that would serve as advisors and enforcers of his cause.
Portrayals[]
- In his youth, he was portrayed by Jamie Campbell Bower, who also played Caius in Twilight, a teenaged Edward de Vere in Anonymous, Vecna in Stranger Things, and Caleb Sykes in Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1.
- In his old age, he was portrayed by Michael Byrne, who also played Colonel Vogel in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
- In his prime, he was portrayed by Johnny Depp in the first two films, who also played John Shooter in Secret Window, Sweeney Todd in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, John Dillinger in Public Enemies, The Wolf in Into the Woods and Lanfranco Cassetti in Murder on the Orient Express.
- In the third film, he was portrayed by Mads Mikkelsen, who also played Randall Boggs in the Danish dub of Monsters, Inc., Chick Hicks in the Danish dub of Cars, Le Chiffre in Casino Royale, Captain Rochefort in The Three Musketeers, Hannibal Lecter in Hannibal, Kaecilius in Doctor Strange, Cliff Unger in Death Stranding, David Prentiss in Chaos Walking and Jürgen Voller in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
- Additionally, under his disguise as Percival Graves, he was portrayed by Colin Farrell, who also played Bullseye in Daredevil, Bobby Pellitt in Horrible Bosses, Jerry Dandridge in the Fright Night remake, Carl Hauser in the Total Recall remake and Oswald Cobb in The Batman. Depp and Farrell both also played versions of Tony Shepard in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.
Biography[]
Background[]
Academic life[]
Gellert Grindelwald was educated at the Durmstrang Institute, a reputed school of wizardcraft in Northern Scandinavia infamous for its tolerance towards the Dark Arts. He was expelled when he was 16 years old, due to his unethical experiments and near fatal attacks on other students. His expulsion for dangerous behavior as a student foreshadows the destructive dark magic abilities he would acquire in the future.
Keenly interested in history, lore, and the powerful mystique of magical artifacts, Grindelwald became fascinated with the Deathly Hallows, to the point of appropriating their runic symbol as his emblem and irremovably engraving it on the walls of Durmstrang prior to his departure.
Relationship with Dumbledore[]
After expulsion, Gellert's quest for information about the Hallows led him to Godric's Hollow, England, where Ignotus Peverell, the first owner of Death's Cloak of Invisibility, had been laid to rest. Conveniently, his great-aunt, acclaimed wizarding historian Bathilda Bagshot, lived there and provided a place for him to stay, complete with a treasure trove of books and documents and minimal supervision. It was in Godric's Hollow in late 1898 or early 1899 that Grindelwald met and befriended Albus Dumbledore.
The two teenagers had a lot in common: they were class-topping intellectuals and talented young wizards who were idealistic and ambitious. Albus, who felt trapped in a boring town out of familial obligation, gained a glamorous and attractive connection to the excitement of faraway places and things in Gellert. Gellert, an ego case, gained a powerful ally, complete with stimulating conversation, who didn't threaten his sense of control. It is clear that the pair were very close and the friendship was genuine on both sides, to the point where their bond could be perceived as romantic in nature. They shaped one another's ideas, powers, and destinies from that day forth.
Grindelwald and Dumbledore also shared two preoccupations. The Deathly Hallows held their fascination for many shared reasons, but their most fundamental reasons they did not quite have in common. Gellert wanted to acquire all three Hallows and wield the power of the Master of Death (alongside Albus).
They also dreamed of overturning the Statute of Secrecy and creating a new order in which wise and powerful wizards and witches were the benevolent overlords of their world, including Muggles. Again, Dumbledore's reasons were subtly different from Grindelwald's, because, as a young man, Dumbledore had powerless to stop a group of Muggle boys tormenting his younger sister Ariana, to the point that the sweet-natured girl suffered an emotional breakdown and her repressed magic became dangerously unstable.
Dumbledore's father was sent to Azkaban for taking revenge on the Muggle boys and his mother was killed in one of Ariana's accidents. He wanted power to protect his loved ones (and by extension the whole world) against cruelty and xenophobia like that shown by the Muggles. They coined the phrase that would become Grindelwald's slogan and the justification for his moral indiscretions and atrocities: "For the Greater Good."
The pair planned to leave Godric's Hollow, acquire power, and begin their revolution. When Dumbledore's brother Aberforth became aware of their actions in the summer of 1899, he was disgusted with Albus' ambition, but was also concerned about it, knowing that he and Ariana would need to be brought along as she would otherwise not receive the care and attention she needed to keep her stable. The tense situation boiled over into a confrontation between Aberforth and Grindelwald. Enraged, Grindelwald cast the Cruciatus Curse on Aberforth.
Albus moved to defend his brother, igniting a vicious three-way duel in which Ariana was accidentally killed. Aberforth and Albus were devastated. Apparently, although he didn't give her much attention, Grindelwald still felt remorse, as he had truly considered Albus a friend and was willing to tolerate her presence and bring her with them. Unwilling to face Albus, he fled the country and received putative blame for Ariana's death, thus confirming his place on the wrong side of the law and igniting his career as a Dark revolutionary, which would last until 1945.
Following his acquisition of the Elder Wand, Grindelwald began amassing an army of followers. Eventually, he and his legions of "fanatics" launched several devastating attacks across Europe, committing mass-slaughter and garnering international attention from wizarding authorities. Several of the attacks also drew the attention of the Muggle world, risking Wizarding exposure and war between the different groups. In response to Grindewald's actions, an international wizardhunt ensued, and was reported on in periodicals such as the Daily Prophet and the The New York Ghost.
At some point, Grindelwald was almost captured, but was able to evade his pursuers and disappear. The President of the Magical Congress of the United States of America, Seraphina Picquery, would later lay the blame for Grindelwald's escape on Swiss delegate Heinrich Eberstadt, claiming that he had let the dark wizard "slip through his fingers."
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them[]
Unbeknownst to Picquery, Grindelwald had already infiltrated MACUSA by assuming the identity of her right-hand man. Percival Graves. Grindelwald believed the mysterious attacks occurring in New York City to be the work of a powerful Obscurial, which he felt would be a great asset to his plans for world domination. Using his disguise as Graves, Grindelwald came into regular contact with Credence Barebone, whom he believed to be connected to the Obscurial due to a vision he received. Believing Credence was an orphaned Squib, Grindelwald pretended to be his father figure and manipulated him into locating the Obscurial with the promise of protecting him from his abusive adoptive mother and teaching him magic.
During this time, Grindelwald (as Graves) arrested Newt Scamander, whose escaped beasts were believed by MACUSA to be the cause of the Obscurial's attacks. During his interrogation, Grindelwald discovered an Obscurus kept in Newt's suitcase, and in an effort to hide his tracks, had Scamander and Tina Goldstein sentenced to death. He then approached Credence after Mary Lou Barebone was killed by the Obscurial and had him track down his adoptive sister Modesty Barebone, believing her to be the source of the Obscurial. Once they found Modesty, Grindelwald cruelly rejected Credence, as he had no further use for him.
This angered Credence, who then revealed that he was the Obscurial, much to Grindelwald's surprise. Grindelwald attempted to convince Credence that he had nothing to fear any more and to join his ranks, but this further angered Credence, who began rampaging through the city. After the Obscurial's death at the hands of the Aurors, Grindelwald was apprehended by Newt, who then revealed his real identity.
| “ | Will we die, just a little? | „ |
| ~ Grindelwald's last words before he is taken. |
Amassing His Forces[]
Grindelwald eventually established a prison, Nurmengard in Austria, to serve as a headquarters for himself and his followers. In his revolution "for the greater good, Grindelwald kills a large group of Aurors with a single curse and apparently causes an explosion that appears to kill many Muggles and Wizards alike.
Grindelwald eventually establishes a following of devoted acolytes, whom he uses to carry out his various dirty work. For example, 6 months after his daring escape from MACUSA with the help of newly defected Abernathy, Grindelwald and the rest of his followers, including his loyal lieutenant Vinda Rosier, kill a wealthy Muggle family in Paris and establish a temporary headquarters in the now vacant mansion. Later, when he summons his followers and any who sympathizes with his cause to meet at the Lestrange family tomb, he shows them his vision of the future horrors of WWII, which manages to convince a large number of wizards to join him. Grindelwald casts blue Fiendfyre around the central platform as Newt and the Aurors attempt to stop him. Grindelwald lures Queenie Goldstein to his cause by promising to fix the laws prohibiting marriage between wizards and No-Majs; he similarly convinces Credence to join him. Leta Lestrange resolutely tries to defeat him, but she is killed with the blue Fiendfyre. Satisfied, Grindelwald sets the FiendFyre loose upon Paris before disapparating back to Nurmengard. There, he divulges Credence's true identity as Aurelius Dumbledore, which he supposedly confirms with the presence of a Phoenix, an animal closely associated with the Dumbledore family, and gifts the boy with a wand of his own. He then witnesses Aurelius focus his power to destroy a mountain and simply smiles as he promises Aurelius that they would "remake this world."
Supreme Mugwump Election[]
In 1932, Grindelwald briefly meets with Dumbledore in a teashop and vows to destroy the Muggle world. Shortly afterwards, Credence/Aurelius and Vinda Rosier abduct a baby Qilin (a magical animal used in wizarding elections) and kill its mother. Grindelwald then kills it to harness its powers of precognition.
Grindelwald's plan is to run for Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, for which he must have an infant Qilin bow to him. The incumbent Supreme Mugwump, Anton Vogel, is secretly one of Grindelwald's supporters and pardons him for all crimes committed in the previous two films. Grindelwald enters the electoral race and attempts to increase his chances by having his henchmen kill Brazilian candidate Vicência Santos.
To be added
Battle Against Dumbledore[]
In 1945, at the height of his power, his former friend Dumbledore confronts him due to the cries of the public and defeats him in what later became known as a legendary duel. Albus Dumbledore hesitates to confront Grindelwald, despite the belief held by many, including quite possibly both men themselves, that he was the only wizard skillful enough to stop his former friend. His reasons for hesitating may have included residual affection for his ex-flame, residual sympathy for his revolutionary goals, or shame over his role in shaping Grindelwald's revolution, but the reason Dumbledore himself gave Harry was that he was afraid Grindelwald knew who was truly responsible for killing Ariana (something Dumbledore did not want to learn about). Dumbledore, at 63 years old and Head of Transfiguration at Hogwarts, is finally importuned by people who suffered from his former friend's actions to move against him. Eyewitnesses state that it is the greatest duel ever fought between wizards. Dumbledore bests Grindelwald, becoming the master of the Elder Wand. Grindelwald is convicted and imprisoned in the topmost cell of Nurmengard, the same place he used as a headquarters for him and his followers. Grindelwald spends the rest of his life in Nurmengard, until he is murdered by Voldemort.
Death[]
In March of 1998, 53 years after his defeat, Grindelwald was visited by Lord Voldemort in his prison cell. Voldemort asked Grindelwald to tell him the location of the Elder Wand, the most powerful wand ever created. Possibly due to having reflected on his past actions during his imprisonment, Grindelwald refused to reveal the location of the wand. Grindelwald instead chose to protect Dumbledore, taunting and laughing at Voldemort at his desire to obtain the Elder Wand. Grindelwald made it clear that he was not afraid and that he welcomed death, much to Voldemort's frustration. Voldemort, out of anger, then used the Killing Curse on Grindelwald, ending his life. Voldemort later realized that Dumbledore was the owner of the Elder Wand as he had defeated Grindelwald (the former owner) in their final duel decades ago. He then went to Dumbledore's grave to get it.
Later in Limbo, following Harry Potter's sacrifice during the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry told Dumbledore of Grindelwald's last moments. Dumbledore was delighted to hear that his former lover might've had a change of heart in the end, indicating that he believed Grindelwald was capable of changing out of some possible remaining affection for him.
Personality[]
Grindelwald was charming, brilliant, and enthusiastic as a young wizard. His attraction to the Dark Arts was predictable given his personality and background at Durmstrang. His affinity for dark magic was partially malevolent in its initial stages, although it was initially more focused in self-interest.
Gellert was highly intelligent, magically talented, idealistic, ambitious to the point of ruthlessness, and possessed a vicious temper. For example, when Aberforth Dumbledore challenged his and Albus's plans and tried to convince his brother to abandon them, Grindelwald "lost control" and used the Cruciatus Curse on Aberforth. This showed that Grindelwald was not only fully willing to cause pain to those who opposed him, but he also was capable of taking enjoyment in it. This cruelty remained as he grew to adulthood, although it was tempered with remarkable self-control: he showed outright anger at Tina for interrupting his attempts to persuade Credence to join him, but restrained himself enough to not waste time trying to kill her, instead pursuing Credence to continue his goal. He also did not allow his rage to cloud his dueling prowess when fighting Newt, swiftly besting him and not allowing him a chance to retaliate as he furiously bombarded him with lightning curses to kill him, unrelenting until Credence attacked him.
His exemplary control over his own emotions was further exemplified when, despite his utter rage of the injustice MACUSA treated Credence with, Grindelwald once again remained focused on defeating the Aurors, showing his capability to compartmentalize his emotions when necessary. He even seemed willing to avoid confrontation with Newt until the shield was reinstated and he had no other choice. However, Grindelwald was still subject to anger. When Leta deceived him and destroyed his Skull-Hookah, he was so outraged that he killed her and then unleashed the Fiendfyre on Paris.
While arrogant and self-centered, Grindelwald was capable of recognizing talent in others and forming close attachments to others. He had very little patience for those he considered to be below him. While he considered and treated Albus Dumbledore as an equal, he was dismissive of the less talented Abelforth and the permanently damaged Ariana. This attitude is further evidenced in Grindelwald's initial callous dismissal of Credence as a Squib, implying that Grindelwald had a tendency to jump to conclusions when he thought the answer to be clear. Grindelwald later went back on his word and praised the tremendous power Credence possessed as an Obscurial. He also appeared to value power and skill over other qualities, as he questioned why Newt was favored by Albus. He saw Newt as a mediocre wizard, and therefore viewed him as unworthy of having the favor of someone as powerful and great as Dumbledore.
There is evidence that Grindelwald regained some perspective after his downfall. When Grindelwald faced certain death at the hands of the only Dark Wizard to ever be considered more powerful and dangerous than himself, he was openly defiant and even mocking, goading Voldemort into killing him. Indeed, he seemed to exhibit a grotesque remnant of the "merry, wild" temperament of his youth. His last words consisted of the dressing-down of Voldemort and a rather demonstrative outlook on "the next great adventure" was a clear connection to his old friend, Albus Dumbledore.
Perhaps due to his great skill and beliefs in his own superiority, Grindelwald was almost fearless. This is best shown during his aforementioned encounter with Lord Voldemort, where he neither feared the Dark Lord's power nor the likelihood of death. Furthermore, Grindelwald was unfazed when captured by MACUSA, despite their tendency to torture and execute captured criminals. Even in conditions when he felt fear, Grindelwald could still display a remarkable amount of levelheadedness as he confidently and calmly tried to recruit Credence in his phenomenally dangerous Obscurial form.
The only one Grindelwald did seem to have fear for was Albus Dumbledore, as he quickly fled the scene after Albus intervened in the duel that caused Ariana's death. Later in life, Gellert refrained from attacking England despite his possession of the Elder Wand out of fear of his former friend. Dumbledore himself later told Harry that he believed that Grindelwald feared the possibility of dueling him.
Although arrogant, Grindelwald, being such an intelligent and, albeit perversely, wise man, fully recognized that although he was most likely the most powerful wizard of the time, the only possible contender being Dumbledore, he would not be able to win against the world on his own. Henceforth, he relied just as much on his strategical and charismatic leadership skills - raising an entire army in his revolution and creating carefully-woven plans for success in his goals often - as well as being able to see and use the emotions of others to get them to join him. His cleverness and persuasive tongue, as well as emotional perception, made him perhaps the most skilled orator and tactician the series has ever seen, possibly surpassing his successor Lord Voldemort in terms of sheer cunning, as he was not blinded by feelings of superiority and was fully willing to rely on allies when it benefited him. Treated as a celebrity by the audience of his rally as he affectionately called his supporters "brothers and sisters," Grindelwald successfully used the discontent of the members of the Wizarding World that harbored anti-Muggle sentiments very strongly as a case for his cause, while making the Aurors, the actual noble defenders, look like the tyrannical ones. He also used the knowledge of the impending World War II to almost entirely convince all of his audience to join him, showing how far his mastery of public speaking extended. He was able to mystify and terrify nearly any individual, even those who ultimately chose to not join him, and inspired fanatical worldwide loyalty with each word he uttered.
Grindelwald was also fully capable of applying his charisma to individual persons, as he could easily tell the most prominent emotions and desires of individuals and use them to his advantage. He effortlessly exploited Credence Barebone by appealing to the boy in a way nobody else tried to - offering to accept the boy into his ranks and later on successfully turning him to his side by promising him knowledge and purpose, even overpowering the boy's friendship with Nagini. Grindelwald also effortlessly persuaded the peaceful, kind, and compassionate Queenie Goldstein to join his cause by promising to abolish laws such as Rappaport's Law, thus promising to bring Queenie and others a newfound freedom to love whomever they please, taking advantage of the latter's desperation to be with Jacob to the point that even Jacob himself was unable to persuade Queenie not to join him.
In addition, he was able to operate very independently if needed, as he single-handedly infiltrated the MACUSA and was able to mimic the personality of Percival Graves for an extended period of time without arousing suspicion. Even at times when he made an error, Grindelwald could mostly deal with them with his composure and swift ability to make judgements, as he soundly recognized Newt had come to suspect his identity, and sentenced him and Tina to death to cover his tracks before quickly continuing to try to calmly persuade Credence to join him after learning he was the Obscurial despite his phenomenal power and anger.
Despite all his maliciousness, Grindelwald was ultimately a lesser villain in comparison to Lord Voldemort. Unlike Voldemort's self-serving actions motivated by his extreme egomania and pure bigotry, Grindelwald did what he genuinely believed was best for the Wizarding World.
Unlike Voldemort's utter hatred for and complete devotion to the eradication of all non-magical individuals, Grindelwald was more benign, in that he only ever desired to conquer them, considering them foolish, arrogant and destructive beings who required guidance, and, despite his ruthlessness towards Muggles, he did believe that they would benefit under magical rule. He also admitted that, while he believed Muggles to be beasts of burden, he stated that their coexistence was necessary - even reminding Vinda Rosier that they would not massacre all of them as they were not merciless and only wanted the freedom to be themselves. He also claimed to the witches and wizards who attended his rally that Muggles in his eyes had worth and value, and were not lesser, only different. Unlike his followers, who were shown to be sadistically enjoying killing a Muggle couple in Paris, despite ordering it to commandeer their house as a base, Grindelwald showed no pleasure at all, retaining a somber demeanor, indicating that his willingness to kill Muggles did not extend to the psychotic amusement felt by his followers. while he was more than When the group heard the Muggle baby in the other room, Grindelwald allowed one of his followers to kill the child, but he lingered for a while, seeming to indicate some remorse in killing the innocent baby.
In stark comparison to Voldemort's treatment of his Death Eaters, where he faked compassion that could quickly turn into ruthless torture, Grindelwald seemed to genuinely value his followers. He was willing to reward them and also showed actual consideration of their feelings and trust of them. For example, he went out of his way to rescue Abernathy, even though he could have just apparated away after they took him, and afterwards restored his tongue and praised him for his loyalty. When interacting with his acolytes, Grindelwald treated them with genuine respect and like equal partners, instead of mere soldiers, and had no reservations handing out important assignments to his followers with complete faith in their ability. That said, it's unclear whether he truly respected and valued them or if he only pretended to secure their loyalty.
By his last days, Grindelwald seemed to have contemplated on his actions and began feeling remorse for them, enough so that when Voldemort came, Grindelwald denied ever having the Elder Wand in an attempt to redeem himself and he seemed to show his care for Dumbledore by not telling Voldemort that the Elder Wand was in his grave, proving he retained some respect and affection for Dumbledore despite his old friend turned enemy being the reason for his defeat.
Relationships[]
Family[]
- Bathilda Bagshot † (great-aunt)
Allies[]
- Albus Dumbledore † (formerly)
- The Alliance
- Vinda Rosier (second-in-command)
- Anton Vogel
- Gunnar Grimmson
- Cassius Bell
- Krall
- Abernathy
- Helmut
- Carrow
- Krrafft
- Nagel
- MacDuff
- Zabini
- Karl
- Queenie Goldstein (formerly)
- Credence Barebone/Aurelius Dumbledore (formerly)
Enemies[]
- Albus Dumbledore †
- Newt Scamander
- Tina Goldstein
- Queenie Goldstein
- Aberforth Dumbledore
- Theseus Scamander
- Leta Lestrange †
- Credence Barebone/Aurelius Dumbledore
- Ariana Dumbledore †
- Yusuf Kama
- Eulalie "Lally" Hicks
- Lord Voldemort †
Powers and Abilities[]
- Immense Magical Power and Mastery: Grindelwald was an outstandingly talented wizard, even in his youth. As a student at Durmstrang, he excelled in various fields of magic. According to Rita Skeeter, he showed himself to be as precociously brilliant as Albus Dumbledore, inducing the two young men to quickly befriend one another. As an adult, Grindelwald was a terrifyingly powerful and accomplished sorcerer of near unrivaled skill, and was feared by much of the Wizarding World during his reign of terror in the Global Wizarding War. He was considered to be the most powerful and dangerous dark wizard of all time, and his already extraordinary powers were only further enhanced by his mastery of the Elder Wand, which allowed him to perform spells that were much more powerful than normal. Grindelwald successfully terrorized much of the Wizarding World, defeating so many in his reign of terror that Dumbledore eventually was deemed by the British Ministry of Magic to be the only wizard who could possibly stand any chance of defeating Grindelwald, with even those who despised Dumbledore (such as Torquil Travers) admitting such. Indeed, Grindelwald claimed that Credence was the only entity alive who could kill Dumbledore. In the end, Grindelwald's power proved to be great enough that Dumbledore, despite his strong desire to avoid Grindelwald, was eventually forced to take action. Indeed, although he was ultimately defeated, during their magical combat, Grindelwald was notably capable of reaching a stalemate in their first fierce battle over Bhutan, and their final legendary duel had both wizards display such overwhelming power and skill that none had ever seen before. Their duel went down as the greatest duel ever fought between two wizards, being such a significant battle that it was said to rival events as grand as the establishment of the ISS and the defeat of Lord Voldemort, with Dumbledore himself acknowledging that Grindelwald's power rivaling his, at least with the Elder Wand. Dumbledore was only a shade more skillful in comparison to being capable of easily dominating Lord Voldemort in the Ministry Atrium while he was Elderly, indicating that Grindelwald must have done what Voldemort could only fantasize about by pushing Dumbledore to his absolute limits - and in his prime no less - even if he was ultimately defeated. Overall, he can be considered the second most powerful wizard ever shown in the series and easily one of the most powerful wizards in history, even surpassing Voldemort despite the latter's crimes being fresher in the memories of wizardkind.
- Dark Arts: Grindelwald was exceptionally talented in the Dark Arts and possessed a passion for it from a young age. Even when he was a mere student of Durmstrang, Grindelwald's experiments in the Dark Arts were very dangerous, even nearly fatal to the fellow Durmstrang students he attacked; eventually his "twisted experiments" became too dangerous for even Dumstrang's tolerant outlook on the Dark Arts, resulting in his expulsion. At age seventeen, Grindelwald was already adept at casting the extremely powerful Cruciatus Curse, which was one of the three Unforgivable Curses and required a considerable level of magic, notably using it against Aberforth Dumbledore. By the time he became an adult, Grindelwald was widely considered to be among the most powerful practitioners of the Dark Arts. While impersonating Percival Graves, Grindelwald displayed the ability to cast a curse that emitted a bolt of lightning, which inflicted immense pain on those hit by it, which Grindelwald used to torture Newt Scamander. Grindelwald was also capable of casting an extraordinarily powerful dark magic fire spell that he was able to control an extraordinary degree, effortlessly killing Aurors in mid-apparition. The spell was far more powerful than ordinary Fiendfyre and would have destroyed all of Paris if it had not been contained. Even in his youth, Grindelwald already had a degree of knowledge on Necromancy, as he was aware of Inferis and believed he could have created them with the Resurrection Stone. While it's unclear if he ever managed to summon and control Inferis, by the time he was an adult, Grindelwald was capable of reanimating the corpse of a Qilin and bending it to his will.
- Charms: Grindelwald was extremely skilled in Charms. Albus Dumbledore claimed that, when he was still seventeen, Grindelwald could already cast a Disillusionment Charm strong enough to effectively render himself invisible without needing to use an Invisibility Cloak, implying Grindelwald's mastery of Charms was comparable to Albus himself - who was so masterful in Charms he was considered the Grand Sorcerer. As such, the Cloak of Invisibility would be the Hallow that Grindelwald was least interested in, and he continued his search for it only because the Cloak completed the trio of legendary artifacts. His mastery of Charms was such that even the usage of simple and basic charms could be achieved at profound levels with no effort from Grindelwald's part, as displayed when he: effortlessly used the Disarming, Levitation, and Summoning Charms to great effect wandlessly and nonverbally, casually disarming Newt and Tina and summoning their wands, as well as Newt's case to him; levitating them alongside Jacob and slamming them down, summoning the magical orb containing the Obscurus from Newt's case; levitating Credence away and even levitating and throwing a car; instantly reversing the wands of the Aurors in his Incarceration Carriage to hover dangerously near their owners throats. Grindelwald was also capable of placing powerful enchantments on objects. He branded the symbol of the Deathly Hallows on the walls of Durmstrang, engraving it so powerfully that no one could erase it, even after his death. Grindelwald also created an enchanted necklace that Credence could use to summon him, and conjured projections of Credence and his Obscurus as well as his visions using his Skull-Hookah. Grindelwald also displayed phenomenal mastery over the Shield Charm, and proved himself capable of instantly manifesting a huge shield capable of repelling a barrage of spells fired at him by around thirty trained Aurors simultaneously with relative ease, and even being able to parry spells from Dumbledore himself using the normal Shield Charm without issue. While using the Elder Wand, he was capable of casting an incredibly complex modified version of the Shield Charm, which conjured an incredibly powerful protective ring of fearsome blue fire around the caster, making it so that anyone loyal to Grindelwald could enter the flame circle unharmed, while those who were disloyal or inadequately loyal (such as Krall) disintegrated instantly when touched by the flames. He later manifested a powerful spheric barrier around himself that withstood numerous spells from powerful wizards after he failed to become Supreme Mugwump.
- Healing magic: Grindelwald had a high understanding of healing charms, being able to heal the cuts on Credence Barebone's hands by simply touching them. He was even capable of restoring his own cut-off tongue.
- Transfiguration: Grindelwald was exceptionally proficient in Transfiguration, even at the highest levels, such as Human Transfiguration. His skills in Human Transfiguration were sufficient enough to transform him into Percival Graves and maintain his identity for an extended period of time without raising suspicions. Grindelwald was also highly proficient at Conjuration, capable of effortlessly and instantly conjuring snakes with heads - which he did to force the Aurors off the carriage - and a tongue for Abernathy.
- Apparition: Grindelwald was extremely skilled in Apparation, comparable to Dumbledore, as he could apparate silently. He was capable of Apparating with pin-point precision and speed, as shown by how he had little trouble avoiding the violent attacks of Credence's huge Obscurus by rapidly apparating, and he easily apparated to the bottom of his speedily flying Incarceration Carriage while disguised as Abernathy.
- Divination: Grindelwald was a Seer of extraordinary power and, unlike most Seers, he was also considerably knowledgeable and well-versed in the magical art of Divination. This allowed him to successfully retain consciousness while receiving his visions and accurately interpret them, as well as even craft an artifact in the form of a Skull-Hookah, capable of enhancing his visions and showing them to others. He had a vision of a powerful Obsurus and could identify the meanings of the vision enough to foresee that Credence Barebone was related to said Obscurus. Grindelwald was so powerful that he was even able to foresee the Second World War in detail ten years before it began and could use his skull-hookah to project fearsome images of the future Blitzkrieg and Holocaust for attendees of his rally to see. By using a Qilin, Grindelwald was also able to enhance his powers of Divination, allowing him to have spontaneous visions of the future, such as Dumbledore holding their blood pact at Hog's Head Inn, Theseus and Newt going to the Hog's Head Inn to see Dumbledore, Yusuf Kama going to Nurmengard, Dumbledore going to Bhutan, and Jacob Kowalski pulling out his coreless wand to threaten him, with Vinda next to him.
- Occlumency: Grindelwald was an incredibly accomplished Occlumens, being able to fully conceal his thoughts from the exceptionally talented Legilimens Queenie Goldstein while under the guise of Percival Graves. He also was capable of using a convincing form of Occlumency that would make a Legilimens attempting to read his mind see faux thoughts. When turning Queenie to his side, he concealed his ulterior motives from her regarding the subjugation of the non-magical population, with promises of granting her the freedom to marry and be with the No-Maj Jacob Kowalski. Even in his older days, and having been imprisoned for fifty-three years in Nurmengard, Grindelwald remained very proficient in the art, as even Lord Voldemort himself (who Snape claimed was the most accomplished Legilimens the world had ever seen) was unable to penetrate Grindelwald's mind to gain information in his search of the Elder Wand.
- Wandless and Nonverbal Magic: Grindelwald was exceptionally skilled in both wandless and nonverbal magic, either of which is highly advanced and often difficult to perform even individually, making Grindelwald's prowess all the more impressive, as he could easily perform both simultaneously. Grindelwald also displayed an exceptional amount of proficiency in telekinesis above Voldemort's own. In 1926, Grindelwald summoned Newt Scamander's wand and suitcase over to him, both with a silent wave of his hand. Grindelwald also wandlessly lifted Newt Scamander from the ground from across the room. He later saved the life of Credence Barebone from an oncoming train in the New York City Subway by hurling him sideways off the tracks with a wave of his wand. He was even able to send an automobile flying across a street at Tina Goldstein with a silent wave of his hand. By using only silent hand gestures, he generated forceful shockwaves to move and otherwise exert force on people and objects. He was able to break apart the ground by sending a shockwave rippling through it, notably performing this on the train tracks Newt Scamander was standing on to knock him down. Grindelwald even easily overpowered around twenty Aurors simultaneously without speaking a single incantation. While escaping his Incarceration Carriage, Grindelwald effortlessly disarmed all of the accompanying Aurors inside the carriage of their wands, and made all of those wands hover in air, while pointing at the Aurors. He very quickly defeated all of the remaining Aurors (along with Head of Incarceration Rudolph Spielman) by non-verbally using the Elder Wand, and sent Spielman's wand flying closer to the latter with a clasp of his fingers, while both Spielman and the latter's wand were quickly falling from the prison carriage. Grindelwald later used his Skull-Hookah to non-verbally project detailed images of Credence Barebone and the latter's Obscurus, and, during his rally, Grindelwald non-verbally used the Skull-Hookah again to project images of the Muggles' future Second World War. He later non-verbally generated tremendously powerful blue fire from the Elder Wand.
- Dueling: Gellert Grindelwald was a duelist of terrifying, almost unrivaled skill. Having received thorough training in dueling and all manner of martial magic during his schooling at Durmstrang, Grindelwald was able to hone his skills to match his extraordinary high potential. He became a fully confident, focused, disciplined, and versatile master of combative sorcery. Though quite capable of performing magic of tremendous and destructive power, as seen in how he made short work of the five European Aurors who were searching for him with a huge white fiery blast, he generally seemed to prefer to engage his adversaries in a more traditional and formal manner, and thereby defeating his foes in a more "fair fight." Grindelwald thus showed a surprisingly defensive dueling style compared to the aggressive dueling style of Lord Voldemort, deflecting his opponents' efforts to subdue him and slowly advancing upon his foes, before delivering the crushing blow, in order to take in the awe with which they observe the tremendousness of his magical power. Even as a teenager, Grindelwald was already highly proficient in martial magic, having effortlessly overpowered and stunned Gregorovitch, efficiently enough to master the Elder Wand in an instant, and later even held his own against Albus and Aberforth Dumbledores simultaneously during their three-way duel when they were all in their late teens. As an adult, armed with the Elder Wand, Grindelwald's dueling skills made him look almost unbeatable in a duel, as he defeated and killed many powerful witches and wizards during his reign of terror in the Wizarding World. He also presumably easily overpowered the extremely accomplished Percival Graves, so he could disguise himself as him and infiltrate MACUSA. While impersonating Graves, Grindelwald still displayed tremendous dueling skill, winning every single one-on-one duel (swiftly besting and torturing Newt Scamander and easily fending off former Auror Tina Goldstein), and upon being unmasked, Grindelwald not only fended off more than twenty highly-trained MACUSA Aurors simultaneously with relative ease, he also quickly started to overwhelm his opponents with little difficulty (he would have eventually defeated them all, had Newt not restrained him from behind). Grindelwald later single-handedly escaped from captivity, effortlessly defeating many broomstick-mounted Aurors while simultaneously directing the Thestrals pulling his Incarceration Carriage. Grindelwald also overwhelmed the combined might of Leta Lestrange, Head Auror Theseus, and Newt Scamander with little effort, even deflecting a spell from Leta while he had his back to her and then swiftly killing her, previously having killed several Aurors just as they were about to apparate with ease. In Bhutan, he fought Dumbledore for a second time in a brief but extremely ferocious duel, which ended in a stalemate. During his reign of terror, Albus Dumbledore was considered Grindelwald's only possible equal and superior and this made much of the Wizarding World demand Dumbledore fight Grindelwald. Indeed, Dumbledore was eventually forced to take on Grindelwald despite his strong hesitation. Although he was ultimately defeated in their confrontation, Grindelwald had notably managed to put up a considerable fight, enough so that the duel was considered by all who witnessed it to be the greatest duel in history. Dumbledore acknowledged Grindelwald as a powerful duelist. Grindelwald had even been able to duel Dumbledore to a stalemate during their first battle in Bhutan, skillfully parrying and returning spells in a dizzying display of power and skill.
- Elemental Magic Mastery: Grindelwald was extremely accomplished with the manipulation of the elements, particularly fire, lightning, and water, and his mastery was comparable with even Albus Dumbledore's own. While fighting off 5 European Aurors sent after him, Grindelwald incinerated them with a single huge white fiery blast. In his brief duel with Newt Scamander, Grindelwald repeatedly used lightning-based spells to quickly overwhelm his foe, first casting a shock-wave of blue electricity capable of collapsing the ground, and then rendering Newt helpless with several consecutive bolts of blue lightning. While escaping his flying Incarceration Carriage, Grindelwald easily generated and fired massive lightning bolts with pin-point accuracy to shoot down all of the broomstick-mounted Aurors and quickly filled the inside of the carriage with vast amounts of water, nearly drowning all those inside. Later, when fending off Theseus Scamander and his Aurors, Grindelwald conjured a large ring of tremendously powerful blue fire. He precisely casted several columns of blue fire to easily kill many Aurors, even slaying them mid-Apparition. He later on conjured a small but sufficiently potent blaze to accelerate the growth of a phoenix from his bare hands. Grindelwald even manipulated water to blast at Credence and unleashed whips of blue electricity while dueling Dumbledore.
- Intellectual Genius: In addition to his extraordinary power and skill in magic, Gellert Grindelwald was quite intelligent. He had frequent intellectually stimulating discussions with Albus, and was immediately alerted by Albus using owl messages unexpectedly whenever new ideas struck him. Grindelwald was also able to resist Dumbledore's efforts to simply provide intellectual assistance and force him to engage with Grindelwald directly for a final duel.
- Strategic Cunning: Grindelwald was a skilled and cunning strategist and tactician, best displayed by his ability to start what was considered to be among the most fearsome of conflicts ever experienced by the Wizarding World. He single-handedly started a massive revolution and managed to steadily rise to power and dominate the tide of the war before Albus finally intervened personally. He repeatedly displayed the ability to create complex and carefully-woven plans with backups and able to swiftly adapt to unexpected situations whenever necessary. He managed to think his way out of his blood pact with Dumbledore by formulating a master plan to investigate the Obscurial attack on New York unhindered, with the intent of using the Obscurial in question as a lethal weapon again his former friend. To accomplish this, he subtly removed President Picquery's right-hand man, Percival Graves, from the playing field before infiltrating the MACUSA by assuming his identity and managing to stay hidden for quite some time, while simultaneously planning to retrieve the Obscurus and also having to provide insight for Picquery. He also had contingency plans in case he was ever captured, by turning Abernathy into his side and managing to guide him into fulfilling an escape plan that would successfully catch Rudolph Spielman, a man with the position of Head of Incarceration. His strategical prowess was such that even the policies used by Lord Voldemort and Death Eaters that proved effective were easily anticipated and used by Grindelwald against the authorities of the world, framing the narrative of his rise to power in such a way that said tactics only served to further stoke a hatred against Aurors and sow further division between his followers and the opposition. This both garnered sympathy for his cause and turned the steadily growing Alliance against the established order of things. In addition, Grindelwald was also extremely successful in his long-term plan to convince Credence he was the only one who could provide him answers, as his rally results in Credence defecting to his side.
- Leadership Skills: During his younger days, Grindelwald was already an outstanding leader. He was fully confident that, together, he and Dumbledore could start his revolution to conquer the Wizarding World and Muggle World. As an adult, Grindelwald proved his leadership expertise by single-handedly finding and leading a vast army of allies and acolytes during a horrific revolution. Hus efforts were so successful that he managed to spark the Global Wizarding War across much of the Wizarding World, and very nearly conquered the magical community. While disguised as Percival Graves, Grindelwald demonstrated his leadership expertise again by taking over the latter's high-ranking positions in the MACUSA as an Auror, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and the Director of Magical Security, doing so for an extended period of time without suspicion from anyone.
- Charisma: Even as a young man, Grindelwald was highly talented in manipulating others, such that he was able to manipulate the extremely intelligent and perceptive Albus Dumbledore into agreeing to his ideas of revolution - to the point that only Aberforth's interference prevented them from their plans. As an adult, Grindelwald's skills in manipulating others grew even further, with Theseus Scamander describing him as a "charismatic blighter" and Grindelwald successfully convincing numerous wizards and witches to join his cause during rallies. He received a standing ovation at his Paris rally and was worshipped as a hero by his fanatical followers. He was also able to effortlessly manipulate Credence Barebone into trusting him by looking as a kind mentor to him in the "Percival Graves" disguise, to the point that Credence was completely unaware that Grindelwald was merely using him. Indeed, despite previously angering Credence (and despite Nagini's attempts to stop Credence), Grindelwald was able to ultimately manipulate the young man to his side by promising to reveal Credence's true heritage to him as Aurelius Dumbledore, and finally gifting Credence with a proper wand, thus succeeding in persuading Credence to attempt to kill Albus Dumbledore for him. Grindelwald was even able to persuade the kind-hearted and compassionate Queenie Goldstein of house Pukwudgie, promising to provide Queenie with the freedom to love and marry Jacob Kowalski, as well as to provide that freedom to others - which was such a persuasive offer that even her beloved Jacob was unable to dissuade her. During his Paris rally, Grindelwald succeeded in convincing almost all of the many attendees to join his cause, and they immediately went to spread his propaganda across the Wizarding World at his behest. During his time in prison, the MACUSA was forced to cut out Grindelwald's tongue, as he kept convincing his jailers to join his side, notably swaying the formerly loyal MACUSA employee, Abernathy.
- Superb Physical Conditioning and Hand-to-Hand Combat skills: Despite being middle-aged during his revolution, Grindelwald still had considerable physical strength and was quite accomplished in hand-to-hand combat. He was able to effortlessly overpower the also physically fit Spielman, quickly overtaking him in close quarters combat and managing to easily drag and lift Spielman with a single hand. His agility and speed were enough to grant him capable of swiftly climbing atop his flying prison carriage after Apparating right under it, and easily maintaining balance on top of the carriage, despite its very swift flight through heavy rain and rough wind. Despite physically degrading while imprisoned in Nurmengard, Grindelwald still survived there for 53 years, until Lord Voldemort finally arrived and killed him.
Quotes[]
| “ | Kill me, then! You will not win, you cannot win! That wand will never, ever be yours! | „ |
| ~ Grindelwald taunting Voldemort, shortly before his death. |
| “ | A law that has us scuttling like rats in the gutter! A law that demands that we conceal our true nature! A law that directs those under its dominion to cower in fear lest we risk discovery! I ask you, Madam President — I ask all of you — who does this law protect? Us? Or them? I refuse to bow down any longer. | „ |
| ~ Grindelwald, disguised as Percival Graves, explaining his motives. |
| “ | Will we die, just a little? | „ |
| ~ Gellert Grindelwald. |
| “ | Mr. Scamander, do you think Dumbledore will mourn for you? | „ |
| ~ Grindelwald taunting Newt Scamander. |
Trivia[]
- In the first part of the film adaptation of the final book, for sake of sparing time, Grindelwald does not redeem himself as he does in the book, as he tells Voldemort where to find the Elder Wand. Though his death is not made obvious, there is a flash of light as Voldemort Disapparates that could have been the Killing Curse.
- While Grindelwald is described as being blue eyed in the Fantastic Beasts screenplay, the film and merchandise shows him to have Heterochromia iridium, his right eye being light blue or grey, and his left eye being dark, possibly black.
- Both Johnny Depp and Jamie Campbell Bower starred in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) as Benjamin Barker and Antony Hope along with Alan Rickman (who played Severus Snape) as Judge Turpin and Timothy Spall (who played Peter Pettigrew) as Beadle Bamford.
- Albus Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald in 1945, the same year the Axis-powers were defeated in WW2.
- Although Grindelwald possesses some of Adolf Hitler's personalities, his own personality is modeled after Benito Mussolini, with Lord Voldemort taking on a Hitler approach.
- Differences should be noted:
- Hitler and Voldemort want Germans and pure-bloods to be the ruling society, viewing Jews and Muggles respectively, as inferiors, only to take a genocidal approach, going as far as extermination of both races as well as political dissidents and opponents. Mussolini and Grindelwald, on the other hand, only wanted a pure race ruling society and did not adopt much of genocidal policies as what the former two did.
- The only connection of Grindelwald to Hitler are the following:
- Strict demeanor
- Grindelwald's physical appearances:
- Undercut hairstyle: Grindelwald sports this haircut, a standard for the Hitler Youth during the Nazi regime, in the first two films.
- Aryan characteristics: Blond hair and blue eyes, two of the main traits of Hitler's proclaimed master race ideology.
- Differences should be noted:
- According to Rowling, Grindelwald is a sociopath who we see kill lightly and cold-bloodedly.[1]
- Grindelwald inspires an almost cult-like devotion in his followers. It's very easy, as an outsider, to say 'bad'. We have a tendency to simplify; if we look at what he's saying and analyze it, it does fall apart. However, if you're not paying a lot of attention to the substance, and the inherent contradictions in what he's saying, it sounds very seductive, very plausible, and can persuade people that you or I might consider good people.[2]
- In early November 2020, Johnny Depp announced that Warner Bros. requested him to resign from playing Gellert Grindelwald in the next Fantastic Beasts sequels. Depp agreed, and it was subsequently announced that Mads Mikkelsen would take over the role.[3]
- It was revealed by J. K. Rowling during a tour in 2007 that Albus Dumbledore was homosexual and harboured romantic feelings for Grindelwald.[4] Although she did not initially comment on Grindelwald's sexuality, Rowling later stated in a interview with Melissa Anelli in the enhanced edition of Harry a History that she felt, because Grindelwald was a user and a narcissist, he most likely manipulated Dumbledore's feeling to achieve his own goals. She said that she “[did not] think“ that someone like Grindelwald would reciprocate Dumbledore’s feelings. This left fans wondering about the true nature of their relationship for years. Finally, in 2018, on the Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald digital bonus features, J.K.Rowling clarified Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald's relationship: "Their relationship was incredibly intense. It was passionate and it was a love relationship. But as happens in any relationship....... one never knows really what the other person is feeling. You can't know. You can believe you know. So I'm less interested in the sexual side though I believe there is a sexual dimension to this relationship than I am in the sense of the emotions they felt for each other which ultimately is the most fascinating thing about all human relationships."
- Compared to Voldemort, who terrorized the British, Grindelwald terrorized all of Europe and molested New York and Paris in the mix. It is never made clear if he was considered the second most dangerous dark wizard only in Britain or not, or who is more powerful between him or Voldemort, a question that many fans have debated, as Rita Skeeter even stated that her description of him being ranked just below Voldemort was attributed to the fact that not much knowledge existed about Grindelwald's crimes in Britain's records. While Dumbledore did state Voldemort was the most dangerous dark wizard in history, it should be noted in Dumbledore's opinion, power was far from being the only thing that made one dangerous and it would not be unlikely for Dumbledore to consider Voldemort more dangerous due to his far greater evil. He was also not in the position to make any mention of Grindelwald whenever he acknowledged Voldemort's power and danger level, as he was intent on leaving Grindelwald in his past.
- It was stated by Dumbledore himself that he and Grindelwald were evenly matched in terms of power, when Grindelwald held the Elder Wand at least, and Grindelwald's skill was very nearly equal to that of his own, only a "shade less", whereas Voldemort was repeatedly stated to be below Dumbledore both in power and skill and proven unable to match him in the end, and the producers of the Secrets of Dumbledore did state that Grindelwald and Dumbledore would be the two most powerful wizards in the series, so it's quite likely that Grindelwald may have been more powerful indeed. His ability to once reach a stalemate with Dumbledore is a feat that Voldemort was unable to replicate, even with Dumbledore in his older days, whereas he fought Dumbledore when he was at his prime, and their legendary duel was stated to be comparable to Harry's defeat of Voldemort by the International Confederation of Wizards.
- When questioned on Grindelwald compared to Voldemort, the Fantastic Beasts cast believed Voldemort was far more evil than Grindelwald, as Zoe Kravitz noted she thought Grindelwald was more complicated than Voldemort while Alison Sudol stated she thought Grindelwald was more evil and Dan Fogler being unsure. When asked who will win in a duel, while Zoe Kravitz said Voldemort, Callum looked unsure and stated "but Harry took him down." and while most of the cast believed Grindelwald would easily win in a fist fight as his body was far more well-built and fit than Voldemort, and Katherine Waterston said she thinks Voldemort would fight dirty and win.[5]
- On the other hand, leaving aside their power levels, Voldemort's measures against non-wizards were more virulent than Grindelwald's, perhaps causing more cumulative damage, at least around Europe, and Grindelwald does seem to be more hesistant about venturing into extremely black magic whereas Voldemort was more indiscriminately open-minded and professed to have experimented and pushed the boundaries of magic further than they have ever been pushed, so much that it began altering his appearance as early as his late twenties and eventually to an unrecognizable degree.
Sources[]
- This article uses material from the Gellert Grindelwald on the Harry Potter wiki at Wikia and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License.
