The Harry Potter series has brought joy to people all over the world. It tells the story of a young boy who finds out he is a wizard and must learn the ways of magic to defeat the evil wizard who killed his parents. That evil wizard, Lord Voldemort, disappeared for a while, but he returned to wreak havoc on the magical world.

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When Voldemort returns, he comes back with anger, vengeance, and some memorable quips and quotes. Voldemort delivers lines throughout the series that are terrifying for Harry Potter, the Dark Lord's opponents, and his Death Eaters, while others can be downright hysterical.

Updated on May 30, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: When people think of the most iconic villains of all time, it's only a matter of time before Voldemort's name is uttered. This dark wizard has been a thorn in Harry Potter's side (and vice versa) from the moment he was born, and their clashes are spectacular cinematic battles that fans can't get enough of. Throughout the series, Voldemort has uttered a series of memorable lines that have defined his character time and time again. Most fans who love Harry Potter and everything in the series have memorized a lot of his quotes by heart because of how iconic they are.

20 "Now... Why Don't You Give Me That Stone In Your Pocket?"

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone

• The moment when Harry realizes that the Sorcerer's Stone was in his pocket all along

The Sorcerer's Stone is a strong debut for the series, capturing the magic in Hogwarts while also introducing some of its darker moments that keep tensions high near the conclusion. When Harry is the only person who reaches the Mirror of Erised and faces off against Professor Quirrell, he is shocked to see that the man decided to host Voldemort's soul in his body.

This dark wizard mentions that Harry has the Sorcerer's Stone in his pocket, surprising both the viewer and Harry moments before a face-off against the Voldemort-Quirrell hybrid. It's not until Dumbledore's explanation that viewers realize how this came to be, making for a magical conclusion to Harry's first year in Hogwarts.

19 "I'd Much Rather Stay At Hogwarts Than Go Back To That — To That —"

Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets

• His disgust for being around Muggles rears its ugly head during his time at Hogwarts

There's no denying that Tom Riddle's hatred of muggles festered from an early age, with the man being more than happy to attend Hogwarts. However, the fact that this school allowed half-bloods and so-called Mudbloods to join the school sickened him, especially given how much he detested these muggles in the orphanage he grew up in.

This led to Tom vehemently avoiding going back to the orphanage, choosing to stay in Hogwarts during the holidays. This sentiment is easily seen in an errant statement he makes when asked whether he wants to go back home during the flashbacks Harry can see in Chamber of Secrets. The sheer disgust he has towards muggles is chilling and offers a brief glimpse into why Riddle eventually became the dark wizard he is more commonly known as today.

18 "As Inspiring As I Find Your Bloodlust, Bellatrix, I Must Be The One To Kill Harry Potter."

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows

• After Bellatrix boldly proclaims that she wants to be the one to kill Harry in the Malfoy Manor

In the hope of impressing the Dark Lord, Bellatrix is the first person who volunteers to kill The Boy Who Lived. This amuses Voldemort, who has always held Bellatrix in high regard. Still, his hate for Harry Potter triumphs over everything else, and he isn't going to let anyone else enjoy the satisfaction of killing his nemesis.

The chilling manner in which he declares that he'll be the only person to make Harry breathe his last is a monument to his hatred. Thankfully, Harry is later able to escape the clutches of the Death Eaters, and neither Voldemort nor Bellatrix manages to end his life.

17 "You Stand, Harry Potter, Upon The Remains Of My Late Father."

Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire

• Before the iconic fight in the graveyard after Voldemort is revived

The hate that Voldemort had for his own family was intense, with the man going so far as to kill his father as revenge for abandoning him. The fact that Tom Riddle Sr. was a Muggle also didn't help when it came to Voldemort's outlook on non-wizards.

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After his revival near the end of The Goblet of Fire, Voldemort mentions that Harry is standing on the grave of his dead father before engaging in combat with the student. This leads to the iconic Priori Incantatem moment that compelled Voldemort to seek out the Elder Wand and best his rival.

16 "Dinner, Nagini."

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows

• After the execution of Charity Burbage

Voldemort is a cold-hearted wizard who doesn't waste any time in showing everyone who's boss. In one scene, he established his dominance over the Death Eaters while also proclaiming his disdain for anyone who sympathized with Muggles.

Charity Burbage, a woman who taught Muggle Studies at Hogwarts, was captured and murdered by Voldemort with the Killing Curse. To make things worse, the Dark Lord fed her body to Nagini in a chilling scene that most fans recall when thinking about this dark wizard's many atrocities.

15 "Do Nothing! He's Mine To Finish! He's Mine!"

Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire

• Before the iconic fight in the graveyard after Voldemort is revived

Throughout the entire Harry Potter saga, Voldemort was intent on killing Harry Potter himself. His obsession with killing Harry almost matches his lust for power. In his mind, he is the greatest wizard and must kill "the chosen one."

When he regains his body and fights Harry in the graveyard, the wands connect, leading to a very disturbing situation for everyone involved. Still, Voldemort won't let his followers help him on his mission to kill Harry Potter, refusing the help of his followers.

14 "Was My Father A Wizard?"

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince

• A chilling question from the boy who would grow up to become the Dark Lord

Very few of the Harry Potter books look at the backstory of Lord Voldemort, but the sixth book takes fans way back in the past. When Dumbledore goes to the orphanage where a young Tom Riddle lives, he tells the future Voldemort about the magical world. Tom Riddle never doubts Dumbledore's words but is curious if it runs in his family.

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This is important for a variety of reasons. Voldemort says that his mother couldn't have been magical because she died. He also wonders about the father that he never knew. This becomes very important when he turns evil and eventually kills his father.

13 "Voldemort Is My Past, Present, And Future."

Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets

• Tom Marvolo Riddle reveals himself to be Lord Voldemort

Harry Potter learns a valuable lesson from his worst enemy in the second book. Harry has been communicating with the memory of Tom Riddle through a diary, but when he makes it down to the Chamber of Secrets, he finds that memory walking around as his friend's sister lies there dying.

While questioning Tom Riddle, Harry learns the 16-year-old boy in front of him will grow up to be the most evil wizard of all time. With this one quote, Tom Riddle lets Harry know not to trust just anyone.

12 "I Could Not Touch Him, It Was Old Magic, Something I Should Have Forseen. But, No Matter, No Matter. Things Have Changed. I Can Touch You Now!"

Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire

• Showing off his new power that let him circumvent the protection Harry's mother left behind before her demise

After Voldemort lost his body when trying to kill Harry the first time, he needed a way to be able to fight The Boy Who Lived. He learned while possessing Quirrell that he couldn't touch Harry due to old magic, but after taking Harry's blood, Voldemort was back in a true body and could touch him.

Granted, the reader learns this was part of Dumbledore's plan, as he knew that Voldemort wasn't fully gone. Dumbledore knew Voldemort would return and wanted the Dark Lord to take Harry's blood for a new magical bond. Still, Ralph Fiennes delivers this line incredibly menacingly in the film.

11 "They Never Learn. Such A Pity."

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows

• Deriding the defenders of Hogwarts before unleashing a brutal assault

While he may be verbally expressing pity during the Battle of Hogwarts, this is an expression of Lord Voldemort's arrogance. He has given those gathered to fight him the opportunity to stand down and let him take over. He knows they won't do it, and that's when he delivers this line.

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He isn't demonstrating humanity but rather showcasing how out of touch he is with the people standing to fight him. He is selfish and ready to kill anyone who stands in his way. This quote has a much sicker and deeper meaning than its face value.

10 "I Fashioned Myself A New Name, A Name I Knew Wizards Everywhere Would One Day Fear To Speak When I Had Become The Greatest Sorcerer In The World."

Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets

• Riddle discarding his previous name to adopt one unsullied by Muggles

This line was delivered by the memory of a young Tom Riddle to Harry Potter. Riddle was explaining how he hated his birth name because of its connection to his Muggle parentage. He was determined to shed all things Muggle and be recognized for his magic.

It's an excellent summary of his childhood in one quote. He is ambitious and driven. Both of these qualities can be wonderful, but his hatred drove him to evil deeds and not wanting to be known by anything that wasn't connected to wizardry.

9 "And You Will Lose. Everything."

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix

• A chilling threat to Harry when he encounters the Dark Lord in the Department of Mysteries

Voldemort delivers this line to Harry Potter during their battle in the Department of Mysteries in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Voldemort has invaded Harry's mind and is trying to sway him to the dark side, but Harry refuses. This causes Voldemort to tell him that he will lose not just the battle but his friends, as well.

This is a nice bit of foreshadowing because Voldemort doesn't understand why Harry wouldn't join him in chasing power. Voldemort's dismissal of love and friends wound up being his undoing.

8 "Come Out, Harry, Come Out And Play. Then It Will Be Quick. It Might Even Be Painless, I Would Not Know, I Have Never Died."

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix

• A cocky Voldemort taunting Harry in the Department of Mysteries

In another quote from Voldemort's battle with Harry in the Department of Mysteries, Voldemort is trying to goad Harry into a fight that Harry simply isn't ready for. Voldemort is trying to sell Harry on the concept of death while trying to murder him. It's quite eerie.

It also points to Voldemort's greatest fear. Voldemort fears death because it's something that Muggles would do. This line foreshadows the introduction of horcruxes in the next book and the ultimate climax of the story.

7 "I Confess Myself... Disappointed. Not One Of You Tried To Find Me."

Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire

• Showing disdain towards the Death Eaters who did not aid him after his supposed demise

Voldemort would attack his followers with his words almost as much as his enemies, if not more. When he came back and several Death Eaters returned to his side, he was quick to point out how he wasn't excited to see them but disappointed.

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He calls out their cowardice for refusing to look for him, instead deciding to lie about their intentions and keep their comfy, cozy, and cushy lifestyles. He delivers it in a delightfully creepy manner where the reader, or viewer, feels the Death Eaters' fear as they realize they are once again pawns in his quest.

6 "Out Of Fear, Not Loyalty."

Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire

• Dismissing the intentions of the one man who made a conscious effort to bring him back to life

Another instance of Voldemort attacking his followers comes when he delivers this line to Peter Pettigrew when Pettigrew mentions he returned to Voldemort's side before any of the other Death Eaters.

While Voldemort was happy to use Pettigrew's assistance, he knew that Pettigrew wouldn't have returned if he could've stayed in his cozy position as a rat with the Weasleys. Pettigrew wasn't demonstrating loyalty to Voldemort. His hiding spot had been compromised, and he had nowhere else to go.

5 "I Want You To Look At Me When I Kill You."

Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire

• One of Voldemort's many taunts to Harry

This line captures just how evil Voldemort can be. He has restored his body and is ready to kill the Boy Who Lived, but he has to be a showman while he does it. He wants Harry to look at him as he prepares to kill him.

He tries to coerce Harry to fight him in a typical dueling manner rather than opting to kill the boy while he is running for his life and hiding to protect himself. This sets up the Priori Incantatem moment that inspires Voldemort's actions in later films.

4 "Master The Wand, And I Master Potter At Last."

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows

• His pursuit to master the Elder Wand, which ultimately led to his undoing

In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Voldemort realizes that the shared cores between his and Harry's wands are preventing him from killing the boy. He has now decided to pursue the Elder Wand, the most powerful wand in wizard lore, believing that if he can master its power, he can finally beat Harry.

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This line proves to be the ultimate irony because it's Voldemort's use of the Elder Wand that becomes his undoing. Ollivander has pointed out that "the wand chooses the wizard," and the Elder Wand had been loyal to Dumbledore until he was disarmed by Draco Malfoy. Malfoy would be disarmed by Potter, meaning that Potter had been the master of the Elder Wand while Voldemort owned it.

3 "Greatness Inspires Envy, Envy Engenders Spite, Spite Spawns Lies."

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince

• A statement that convinced Dumbledore that Voldemort wasn't fit to become the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor

This one line from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince perfectly demonstrates Voldemort's charisma and how delusional he is. He says this line to Dumbledore when interviewing for the Defense Against the Dark Arts job. He is trying to demonstrate that many of the negative comments about his actions are from people jealous of him.

Of course, Dumbledore doesn't see Voldemort's actions as "great" but evil. Dumbledore isn't envious of Voldemort but sad for him. This perfectly demonstrates Voldemort's delusion because he is convinced his pushing of magical boundaries is "greatness."

2 "Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, Come To Die. Avada Kedavra!"

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows

• A fateful line said moments before Harry's supposed demise

Voldemort may be legitimately frightening, but this line elicits more than just fear from readers and viewers; it elicits sadness. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry has arrived ready to die to save everyone else. He may have lived 17 years prior, but this time, he was ready to sacrifice himself.

Voldemort is feeling victorious. He thinks he has finally vanquished his greatest foe, but it ends up being the worst decision he can make. Still, his acknowledgment of Harry before sending a killing curse his way can bring a tear to any Potter fan's eye.

1 "There Is No Good And Evil. There Is Only Power And Those Too Weak To Seek It."

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone

• The first time fans get to see just how evil Lord Voldemort is

This is the perfect quote to sum up all of Lord Voldemort's motivations, and it comes from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. He is ambitious and cutthroat because he wants power. He doesn't view things through a moral lens, and that's why he has no issue attacking and killing anyone who stands in his way.

As mentioned previously, it is his lust for power that becomes his undoing. He doesn't want someone with the power to stop him from living, so he tries to kill the Potters, only for Harry to survive. He wants the most powerful wand, so he steals it from Dumbledore's grave, only for it to be loyal to Potter. He never learns his lesson about the power of love and never learns that he is showing true weakness.

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