Gellert Grindelwald

Gellert Grindelwald was a revolutionary and exceptionally powerful Dark Wizard who rose to prominence in the early 20th century. Considered one of the most dangerous wizards of all time, surpassed only by Lord Voldemort, his ambition was to overthrow the International Statute of Secrecy and establish a global hierarchical order with wizards ruling over Muggles. His personal campaign of terror, conducted under the slogan “For the Greater Good,” ended only with his defeat in a legendary duel against his former friend, Albus Dumbledore, in 1945. His early life, his complex relationship with Dumbledore, and his obsessive quest for the Deathly Hallows were pivotal to the history of the wizarding world.

Grindelwald attended the Durmstrang Institute, a school notorious for its tolerance of the Dark Arts. Even there, his brilliance was matched only by his sadism; his twisted magical experiments and near-fatal attacks on fellow students led to his expulsion at the age of sixteen. During his time at Durmstrang, he became obsessed with the legend of the Deathly Hallows and adopted their symbol as his own personal mark, carving it into a wall at the school.

Following his expulsion, Grindelwald went to live with his great-aunt, the magical historian Bathilda Bagshot, in Godric's Hollow. There, he met the equally brilliant young Albus Dumbledore. The two quickly formed an intense and intimate friendship, bonding over their shared intellectual prowess and magical ambition. Together, they made plans to find the Hallows, lead a wizarding revolution, and reshape the world. It was Grindelwald who coined the phrase “For the Greater Good,” which they used to justify the potential subjugation and necessary sacrifices their revolution would require. Their partnership was abruptly and violently shattered at the end of the summer.

Albus's younger brother, Aberforth Dumbledore, confronted the pair, disgusted by their plans and Albus's neglect of their troubled sister, Ariana Dumbledore. The argument escalated into a ferocious three-way duel between Albus, Aberforth, and Grindelwald. In the chaos of curses, Ariana was struck by a stray spell and killed. In the immediate aftermath, Grindelwald fled Godric's Hollow and England, leaving a devastated Dumbledore behind.

Grindelwald's quest for the Hallows continued. He located the renowned European wandmaker, Gregorovitch, who had come into possession of the Elder Wand. Grindelwald stunned Gregorovitch and stole the wand, becoming its new master. Wielding its immense power, he built an army and began a reign of terror across continental Europe, seeking to destabilize the wizarding world and expose it to Muggles. He established a fortress, Nurmengard, to hold his opponents, inscribing the mantra “For the Greater Good” over its entrance. For years, Albus Dumbledore, now a professor at Hogwarts, refused to confront him, fearing both Grindelwald himself and the truth of who cast the spell that killed his sister.

As Grindelwald's power grew to its zenith, the wizarding world pleaded with Albus Dumbledore to intervene. In 1945, Dumbledore finally confronted his old friend. The resulting duel is remembered as one of the most spectacular and legendary magical battles in history. Dumbledore emerged victorious, taking mastery of the Elder Wand from a defeated Grindelwald. Grindelwald was subsequently imprisoned in the highest cell of his own fortress, Nurmengard.

Grindelwald spent over fifty years incarcerated in Nurmengard. In 1998, his solitude was broken by the arrival of Lord Voldemort, who was seeking the Elder Wand. The skeletal and aged Grindelwald showed no fear, taunting Voldemort and refusing to reveal the wand's location or current master. In a final act that Harry Potter later interpreted as remorse, he lied to protect Dumbledore's legacy and the wand's location, leading an enraged Voldemort to kill him with the Killing Curse.

In his youth, as seen in a photograph owned by Bathilda Bagshot, Gellert Grindelwald was described as being incredibly handsome, with golden blond hair and a “merry, wild” face filled with glee and triumph. He was charismatic, charming, and a masterful manipulator, capable of swaying even a mind as brilliant as Albus Dumbledore's to his cause. Beneath this charm lay a core of ruthlessness, ambition, and a profound belief in wizarding superiority. He was idealistic in his own dark way, convinced that his vision “For the Greater Good” justified any atrocity. By the end of his life, imprisoned in Nurmengard, he was a skeletal, emaciated figure with sunken eyes and few teeth. His final defiance of Lord Voldemort suggests that decades of solitary confinement may have led to some form of regret for his past actions.

Grindelwald was a wizard of prodigious talent and power, considered by many to be second only to Lord Voldemort in the ranks of Dark Wizards.

• Dueling: His dueling skills were immense, enabling him to terrorize Europe for years. His abilities were on par with those of a prime Albus Dumbledore, who was himself considered the greatest wizard of the age.
• Dark Arts: He possessed a profound and masterful knowledge of the Dark Arts, engaging in experiments so dangerous they led to his expulsion from Durmstrang.
• Seer: According to Rita Skeeter's biography of Dumbledore, Grindelwald was said to have had prophetic visions.
• Mastery of the Elder Wand: He was the master of the most powerful wand in existence for several decades, a testament to his power and ability to conquer its previous owner.

• The Elder Wand: The only of the Deathly Hallows Grindelwald is known to have possessed. He stole it from Gregorovitch and used it as the instrument of his rise to power until it was won from him by Albus Dumbledore in their 1945 duel.
• The Deathly Hallows Symbol: While not a physical object he carried, he adopted the triangular symbol representing the Hallows as his personal mark. This caused great controversy for those, like Xenophilius Lovegood, who used the symbol to identify themselves as believers in the Hallows' existence, not as supporters of Grindelwald.

• Albus Dumbledore: Grindelwald's most significant and defining relationship. They were intellectual equals who shared an intense bond as teenagers, built on mutual admiration, ambition, and affection. Their plans for revolution were destroyed by Ariana Dumbledore's death, turning them into lifelong adversaries.
• Aberforth Dumbledore: He was deeply suspicious of Grindelwald from the beginning and was the first to openly challenge his influence over Albus, instigating the duel that had fatal consequences.
• Bathilda Bagshot: His great-aunt, who introduced him to Dumbledore. She was fond of her nephew but was ultimately unaware of the full extent of his dark nature.
• Lord Voldemort: His successor as the world's most feared Dark Wizard. Voldemort sought Grindelwald for information about the Elder Wand and ultimately murdered him in his cell. Grindelwald's final act of defiance was directed against Voldemort.

• Gellert: A Hungarian form of the name Gerard, which can mean “spear-brave.” This could be an allusion to the power of the Elder Wand.
• Grindelwald: The name of a village in the Swiss Alps, an area associated with mountains and fortresses like Nurmengard. The name also bears a strong resemblance to “Grendel,” the monstrous antagonist from the Old English epic poem Beowulf, who is defeated by the heroic Beowulf, mirroring Grindelwald's defeat by Dumbledore.

• J.K. Rowling has stated in interviews that Albus Dumbledore was gay and had fallen in love with Grindelwald, which “added to his horror” when he discovered the depths of Grindelwald's evil (J.K. Rowling interview).
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1, the young Grindelwald is portrayed by Jamie Campbell Bower and the elder Grindelwald by Michael Byrne (film).
• Grindelwald's backstory and his rise to power are the central focus of the Fantastic Beasts film series. In these films, he is portrayed by Johnny Depp and Mads Mikkelsen (Fantastic Beasts film series). The films greatly expand upon his abilities, including his powerful skills as a Seer and his charismatic leadership.