Tom Marvolo Riddle was an exceptionally powerful and brilliant half-blood wizard who, after rejecting his given name, became the Dark Lord, Lord Voldemort. As the last known heir of Salazar Slytherin, Riddle was obsessed with his magical heritage, the pursuit of absolute power, and achieving immortality through the creation of multiple Horcruxes. He is the primary antagonist of the Harry Potter series, whose actions and ideology drove the events of both the First and Second Wizarding Wars.
Tom Marvolo Riddle was born on 31 December 1926. His mother, Merope Gaunt, a pure-blood witch and descendant of Salazar Slytherin, died at a Muggle orphanage in London shortly after his birth. His father, Tom Riddle Sr., was a wealthy Muggle who had been tricked into a relationship with Merope, likely through a Love Potion, and abandoned her upon its effects wearing off. Riddle grew up in Wool's Orphanage, a bleak Muggle institution. Even as a child, he demonstrated a cruel and controlling nature, along with conscious use of his magical abilities. He used his powers to terrorize other children, was a kleptomaniac, and discovered his ability to speak Parseltongue. He showed no capacity for remorse or affection, displaying classic signs of psychopathy.
In 1938, Albus Dumbledore visited the orphanage to invite Riddle to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Dumbledore was the only person Riddle could not charm or manipulate, and he remained wary of Riddle throughout his life. Upon arrival at Hogwarts, Riddle was sorted into Slytherin House. Outwardly, Riddle was a model student: a Prefect and later Head Boy, he was considered one of the most brilliant students ever to attend the school. Secretly, he was obsessed with his lineage. He discovered his connection to the Gaunt family and Salazar Slytherin, and in his fifth year, he located and opened the Chamber of Secrets. He unleashed the Basilisk within, which resulted in the death of a student, Myrtle Warren (Moaning Myrtle). He used her death to create his first Horcrux, Tom Riddle's Diary. To avoid the school's closure, he framed Rubeus Hagrid and his Acromantula, Aragog, for the attacks. During his time at Hogwarts, he charmed his Potions Master, Horace Slughorn, into telling him about the rare and dark magic of Horcruxes. He also gathered a group of loyal followers from Slytherin, who were the precursors to the Death Eaters.
After graduating from Hogwarts, Riddle briefly worked at Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley. He used this position to track down and acquire two priceless artifacts: Salazar Slytherin's Locket and Helga Hufflepuff's Cup, murdering their owner, Hepzibah Smith, to obtain them. He also traveled to Little Hangleton where he murdered his Muggle father and grandparents, framing his uncle Morfin Gaunt for the crimes. He then disappeared for a decade, traveling extensively and delving deeper into the Dark Arts than any wizard before him. When he re-emerged, he was physically transformed and had fully embraced his new identity as Lord Voldemort, a name derived from an anagram of his full name. He attempted to secure the Defence Against the Dark Arts teaching post at Hogwarts, but was refused by Dumbledore. In retaliation, he cursed the position, ensuring no professor would last longer than a year. His subsequent life and reign of terror are chronicled under his assumed name, Lord Voldemort.
As a young man, Tom Riddle was described as tall and exceptionally handsome, with pale skin, jet-black hair, and dark eyes. His charm and good looks were powerful tools he used to manipulate those around him, including figures like Professor Slughorn. Riddle's personality was defined by his immense arrogance, cruelty, and an unquenchable thirst for power. He was a megalomaniac who believed in his own superiority and his right to rule over others. Incapable of love, empathy, or friendship, he viewed people as either tools to be used or obstacles to be eliminated. He was intensely secretive and independent, never trusting anyone completely. His greatest fear was death, an obsession that drove him to split his soul to achieve immortality. Despite championing pure-blood supremacy, he was deeply ashamed of his own half-blood status and his “common” Muggle name.