10 most heartbreaking Harry Potter deaths, ranked

There are so many devastating deaths in Harry Potter. For most of the series, seemingly, no character was safe, but there are some deaths that hit so much harder than others. Those are the deaths we focused on for this ranking of the most heartbreaking Harry Potter deaths.

It’s interesting because Harry Potter begins with the death of the parents of Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), which is right before the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and the first scene of the movie. Following their death, the first few installments are relatively death-free. Then, in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, things take a brutal turn. After that, it’s death, death, death, and lots of death in The Deathly Hallows. 

For the purpose of this ranking, we focused mostly on the deaths from the Harry Potter movies, but we also shared details of how these characters were killed in the books, as well.

Let’s get the list of the most heartbreaking Harry Potter deaths started with the death of Mad-Eye Moody.

10. Mad-Eye Moody

Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody (Brendan Gleeson) is one of the most interesting characters in the Harry Potter series, but we don’t get that much of him throughout the movies or the books. We get a version of Mad-Eye, but it’s actually revealed to be the notorious, escaped death eater, Barty Crouch, Jr (David Tennant).

Mad-Eye leads the plan to move Harry from Privet Drive in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Unfortunately, it’s a set-up, which we know from the books was set in motion by Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon), but Mad-Eye is killed after Mundungus Fletcher (Andy Linden), the seventh Potter, bails after seeing Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), and Voldemort either hits Mad-Eye with a killing curse or the curse knocks him from his broom. Either way, Mad-Eye dies.

So, if you’re keeping track at home, we go from Dumbledore’s death, the funeral, and Harry, Hermione (Emma Watson), and Ron (Rupert Grint) deciding to go on an epic adventure to destroy Voldemort once and for all right into Mad-Eye dying in the first few moments of The Deathly Hallows. It’s a huge shift in the series, and it sets up everything for the final battle.

Mad-Eye’s death lacks the emotional punch of the other characters on the list because, as mentioned, we don’t really know him know him, if you know what I mean. Still, his death is a heartbreaking moment in the fight against Voldemort.

Let’s continue the list with the biggest death in The Goblet of Fire. 

9. Cedric Diggory

Cedric Diggory’s (Robert Pattinson) death is another one of the most heartbreaking deaths in Harry Potter, especially because of the circumstances, how he died, and how bright Diggory’s future was. He’s one of the most talented wizards at Hogwarts while Harry was in school, and it’s heartbreaking that his potential was never realized.

Cedric and Harry grab the Triwizard Cup during the final competition of the Triwizard Tournament. The co-Hogwarts champions decided to win the prize together, but they are transported via Portkey to the Little Hangleton graveyard, where Peter Pettigrew (Timothy Spall) and Lord Voldemort are waiting. Pettigrew performs a resurrection potion that brings Lord Voldemort back.

Before Cedric and Harry realize what’s going on and escape, Voldemort instructs Pettigrew to kill Cedric, which he does. It’s such a brutal end for the character and it marks a distinct turning point in the Harry Potter series. Yes, there were deaths in the series before, but The Goblet of Fire is the shift to a much darker, more brutal part of this story.

During Priori Incantatem, Harry sees Cedric again, and he brings Cedric’s body back to his father, who is waiting for him at the finish line.