Harry Potter: 5 Reasons Voldemort Was Better As Tom Riddle (& 5 He Wasn’t)

Voldemort’s history as Tom Riddle is part of what makes him such an interesting character, but which version of the villain is better?

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In the Harry Potter series, the gap between Lord Voldemort’s progression into the terrorizing figure he became and his origins as Tom Riddle was a significant part of the timeline that still hasn’t been completely mapped out. The difference in personality from what he once was and what he became was striking, made even more evident due to JK Rowling’s retroactive changes.

For this reason, we’re looking into the things that were better about the character either way when he was Tom Riddle and Voldemort. We’re also considering these two personas based on their effectiveness on both the readers of the series and the characters in-universe.

10 Voldemort: Viciousness

The books had started out being more child-friendly, where things would always work out in the end, which made Voldemort’s appearances stand out more as these would have the viciousness that he brought. Had he continued in his original persona, then there wouldn’t have been that one thing to separate him from other dark wizards.

Gellert Grindelwald had made a similar impact before; however, he had used politics and charm to do so – this would’ve made Tom Riddle out to be a direct successor. With Voldemort, using viciousness to make his mark was what set him a class apart.

9 Tom Riddle: He Had The Sympathy Factor

The remarkable thing about the Tom Riddle persona was how he could stir up a lot of sympathy his way even if the other person knew of his malicious ways. The way he worked this in his favor was one of his defining traits, as Riddle didn’t even have to try on numerous occasions to weasel his way out.

This made the “Chamber of Secrets” controversy steer in his favor, since Riddle’s background allowed him to gain instant sympathy and he avoided all suspicion. Imagining Voldemort in this scenario hardly makes this situation seem engaging, and you can’t see him going through with such a plan since it involved too much planning.

8 Voldemort: His Powers Were Fully Honed

It’s always cool to see a villain who has it all, from skills to powers, and is sure of his abilities. On a grand scale, the villain does need to be stronger than everyone else. As Tom Riddle, Voldemort only ever went for the smaller wizards to assert his powers since he was still learning the Dark Arts and couldn’t go all out.

In his fully powered form, Voldemort made some breathtaking displays of magic, with his prowess even astounding Dumbledore. His mastery of Transfiguration, Charms, Dark Arts, and unlocking abilities like flight were things that unquestionably solidified that he was one of the greatest wizards ever, something that even his haters had to begrudgingly admit.

7 Tom Riddle: His Effortless Charm

Tom Riddle made things work in his favor by employing the use of his charm. He learned this fast by utilizing his good looks, and realizing that he always got the benefit of the doubt. This level of charm was such that the reader themselves could feel it in every scene Tom Riddle was shown.

In-universe, even Harry fell for it when he instantly assumed Tom to be a good guy when he saw him in the Chamber of Secrets. In Voldemort’s case, this aspect was severely lacking, so much so that he felt like a weaker character for losing his use of charm, as it contributed to him feeling more like a one-note villain.

6 Voldemort: The Instant Fear He Provoked

Had Voldemort’s name not been shown as taboo right from the get-go, then readers would never have taken him out to be the real deal. It was the instant fear that showed up on characters at the very mention of Voldemort that set him up to be the Big Bad.

Within the story, Voldemort conducted his plans based on the fear factor that went around him, and the events of the sixth and seventh books were at their worst solely because of the aura that surrounded Voldemort. Tom Riddle can’t boast of having this quality; he spent all his time trying to reach this level.

5 Tom Riddle: His Use Of Cunning

It’s a shame we didn’t get to see Voldemort carry out tactics and come up with any kind of real strategy, since it is confirmed that he did possess the aptitude for it. We know this based on what was known of Tom Riddle, who managed to use his cunning to gain knowledge of the Horcruxes, and lived up to being a true Slytherin.

So good was he at this that Dumbledore had to retrace Riddle’s steps to uncover his actions, meaning he managed to outsmart the best of people out there. His cunning also made him out to be a more interesting character, unlike when he became Voldemort and relied almost exclusively on the Avada Kedavra.

4 Voldemort: His Hold Over The Death Eaters

Using fear was one thing, but the manner with which the fanatical Voldemort followers acted showed how the latter could get a vice-like grip on someone. Death Eaters like Bellatrix, Dolohov, and Barty Crouch Jr weren’t in it because they were scared – they genuinely loved Voldemort.

While Tom Riddle did have his band of followers in school, they looked up to him because of his educational prowess and charm, not the world-changing ideals that Voldemort managed to indoctrinate into his Death Eaters.

3 Tom Riddle: He Could Be Taken Seriously

Unfortunately, with his influence increasing, Voldemort ended up becoming quite a bit of parody of himself, being prone to outbursts and acting like an entitled brat for the most part. As Tom Riddle, he never let his emotions be known, with his concealment of these feelings allowing him to always be taken seriously by the reader.

Voldemort’s erratic mannerisms have even led to many memes being made to mock him, which are justified too, since he did behave like a joke in his later appearances. Even in the books, where he wasn’t nearly as hammy, Voldemort lacked the seriousness that Tom Riddle had, which had made him out to be a silent menace.

2 Voldemort: His Dynamic With Harry

Since the series had been about Voldemort and Harry’s conflict, this one goes without saying. Although they had had an interesting interaction during Chamber of Secrets, Tom Riddle and Harry had been too much on equal footing.

Voldemort needed to be on a much more powerful scale for this dynamic to be interesting, as it represented Harry’s journey as a hero to become worthy of facing a threat like Voldemort. The Dark Lord’s own confusion over how Harry managed to escape him time and again made for thrilling encounters whenever they did confront one another, something that wouldn’t have been possible had he remained as Tom Riddle.

1 Tom Riddle: The Mystery Behind Him

Voldemort’s past as Tom Riddle was such a mystery that even people in the magical community weren’t aware of his history. The Voldemort persona was one of direct fear, something that could be understood. However, the mystery behind Tom Riddle somehow made him both scarier and far more interesting.

In-universe, characters couldn’t be sure what to make of Riddle, whether they wanted to be attracted to him, wary of him, or admire him. As a reader, Voldemort scenes signaled incoming conflict, but Tom Riddle’s appearances were unpredictable, which made them far more riveting.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/voldemort-tom-riddle-better-worse/