Grindelwald Versus Voldemort

Both in love with the Dark Arts, both ready to do anything to get what they wanted, both in need of power, both super evil geniuses. Voldemort and Grindelwald have to be two of the most classiest villains of all times. There's no doubt that I love both - or love to hate both - but how do they compare? How is Grindelwald different from Voldemort? Who is more evil? Who was comparatively worse? Who is more scary? If they stand against each other, who would win?

My bet is on Gellert Grindelwald (and no this is not my Johnny Depp bias talking! Hahaha!). But to explain myself there are some things I must point out. So here's my take on Grindelwald Versus Voldemort!

Gellert Grindelwald was always attracted to the Dark Arts, just like Voldemort. So that is where they both are similar. Voldemort though wanted to be perfect. He was a perfect student, who aimed to get on the best side of all his professors. His professors loved him, recognized him to have great talent,  and knew him as the best student in their respective classes. Grindelwald, on the other hand, ended up getting thrown out of his school because he didn't care about having a perfect record. That's where they differ and this is a crucial point in understanding their personalities.

See, I feel that Voldemort wanted to be the best at being the bad guy - basically he was bad and his perfectionist self wanted to achieve all possible levels of bad. Grindelwald, however, had a different motive in that he wanted to fight for the Wizarding World to achieve a set up where Wizards dominated Muggles. So while Voldemort just wants to personally excel, Grindelwald has a greater purpose. Which leads me into thinking that Voldemort had more selfish reasons and selfish desires behind the evil acts he committed while Grindelwald believed he committed evil because he was working for the greater good of the entire Wizarding community. It somewhat seems to me that Grindelwald had more purpose than Voldemort but he had all the wrong kinds of philosophies behind it.

I also noticed how Voldemort wanted to gain followers while Grindelwald was all about gathering support for his cause. Voldemort never treated the Death Eaters nicely. We saw him being exceptionally harsh to all of them, even his most loyal ones. Grindelwald was different in this regard, as he tried to reason with people to bring them to support his campaign. Again, this makes me think how selfish Voldemort is compared to Grindelwald. This also leads Voldemort into working from hiding. It is always his Death Eaters that are out on the front before he finally shows up because sacrificing his followers is okay for him as long as he stays safe. Grindelwald is out and about on his own, working in person. Even disguised as Mr. Graves he is working personally to manipulate the world.

Manipulation - that is another super important difference I noted in both the villains. I found Grindewald manipulating people, making sure they believed in his version of the truth. So naturally, his supporters were people who actually did believe in his vision and supported him willingly. And what did Voldemort do? He tortured people into becoming his followers, he blackmailed them, tormented them, even had them under the Imperius Curse to come to his side. He had maybe only a few Death Eaters (Bellatrix, I'm looking at you!) who were following him out of love for him and the Dark Arts. Mostly, his followers feared him, like Pettigrew. To be honest, other than folks like crazy Bellatrix I think most of the Death Eaters must have failed to understand Voldemort's obsession with Harry Potter. Like, why not just kill the Muggles and rule and then get to the boy, right? I bet they whispered behind his back and asked each other why he feared the boy and Dumbledore so much. I don't think his followers must have respected him but I can imagine Grindelwald's supporters respecting his vision.

Now, I know I said I think Grindelwald would win if the two were ever to face each other, but I do admit Voldemort was wayyyyyyyy more evil. Voldemort liked torturing people just for the sake of it. He killed for pleasure or just because. He killed to make Horcruxes and turned it into a game of 'who would find the most impressive Horcrux murder targets?!' That makes me shake with fear. I genuinely feel the evil when I read about or watch Voldemort. Grindelwald does not have the same impact on me. I notice that he kills with a purpose. His murders are those that are committed to make sure his mission stays on track. In fact, he even has Nurmengard, the prison where he jails his opponents instead of killing them. Also, Grindelwald did not want the Muggles dead - just dominated by the Wizards. Voldemort, though, wanted to wipe off the Muggle population even though they'd done nothing wrong.

Oh and I do think Grindelwald ended up feeling some kind of remorse for his actions. At the very end of his life, when he faced Voldemort in Nurmengard and was asked about the Elder Wand, he refused to give out information. He even taunted Voldemort about telling him who the owner of the Elder Wand was. So he did have some kind of remorse as far as at least Dumbledore was concerned. He even mentions so in the books. Voldemort, however, has no remorse at all. Not even once does he feel he has done anything wrong. To me, somehow, Grindelwald is a corrupt human being but Voldemort is not even human at all. He has this inhuman feel about him. His facial features have turned snakelike, he has those crazy inhuman powers, he has no heart at all ... he's just not human.

Ultimately, I think Voldemort is more a terrorist and Grindelwald, more of a political manipulator. They're both evil and hold a love for the Dark Arts but their reasons and motives are very different from each other's. Clearly, I fear Voldemort. I fear him way more than I will ever fear Grindelwald. Yet, I think Grindelwald may have a chance of winning against him, even with those powers Voldemort has. See, Grindelwald is way more precise and extremely calculative. He is also very calm and composed in his approach so he actually thinks over his plans various times and goes over the faults that are present in it. He is a planner. Voldemort is more emotional in this regard; his anger and his stubborn need to be the best get the best (or worst) of him and he ends up erring because of his angry emotional outbursts. A manipulative person like Grindelwald could easily use Voldemort's weaknesses to bring him down.

You know, if you come to think of it, at the end of everything I mention here Grindelwald makes Voldemort look childish. Like he's that stubborn child who did not get enough credit and attention earlier on in life so he's determined to do anything to prove himself. It's like a child gone criminal. Grindelwald has none of that stubborn childishness to him. Despite being way less scary than Voldemort, I totally can see Grindelwald beating Voldemort at his own game through meticulous planning and grand manipulation.

Sorry Voldy, you lost again.
Oh and also, Grindelwald has more of a nose than you do!!! Oops.

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