If you're a fan of Harry Potter , and then y'all know full well that when information technology comes to the Defence Against the Dark Arts teaching position, something fishy's e'er going on. Throughout the franchise, generally the teacher heading up this kind-of-important class is bad news, and it has caused a litany of headaches for Harry, Hermione, and Ron along the way. Which is a shame because, well, learning how to defend oneself from nighttime witches and wizards becomes a tad important as the Harry Potter franchise wears on, given the rising of you-know-who.

And withal, in the cease, Harry and Co. fare quite well, peculiarly during the Battle of Hogwarts. So given the evergreen popularity of the franchise, at present felt a fine time to take a closer look back at the teachers who held the Defence Confronting the Dark Arts position and rank them according to competency. Obviously some were a consummate and total disaster, just others—while perhaps nefarious—were effective still. So, permit's get started.

vi.) Professor Quirrell

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Prototype via Warner Bros.

Professor Quirrell from Harry Potter and the Magician'southward Stone is by far the most inconsequential Defense force Against the Dark Arts instructor, but he's also wildly lacking for competence. Of course, how would you feel if you had the Dark Lord burrowing atop your head and feeding off your lifeline.

5.) Gilderoy Lockhart

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Image via Warner Bros.

On paper, Gilderoy Lockhart is 1 of the most prestigious wizards to always grace the halls of Hogwarts. Of course, we quickly observe out that much of his "greatness" is hogwash, and during his brief tenure at the school he managed to unleash a pack of wild pixies on his students, turn Harry'southward arm into mush, and fifty-fifty attempted to mind-wipe iii young students. But fifty-fifty putting all of those misdeeds aside, Lockhart'south incompetency was glaring from the word "get," every bit his lessons mostly revolved around boasting well-nigh his immense greatness and blinding handsomeness. Gimme a break.

4.) Dolores Umbridge

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Image via Warner Bros.

Dolores Umbridge'south tenure as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was really quite cursory given that she quickly gave Dumbledore the boot and took over his position every bit head of Hogwarts. But even in that short while she managed to royally foul things upward. As a stalwart appointee from the Ministry building of Magic—which was in full-on Voledmort Denial mode at this indicate—Umbridge argued that students had no demand for practical knowledge of Dark Arts defense and that a theoretical understanding would be sufficient. Harry and Co. all merely gave Umbridge the finger and gear up about learning defensive spells on their own, hiding out in the Room of Requirement. Her incompetency gave way to cruel and unusual penalisation, making Umbridge not only a dolt, but also highly dangerous. And notwithstanding, she ranks a bit higher on this here list because one gets the feeling she certainly had the cognition and ability to teach something useful had she desired to do and so. She just, you know, didn't.

three.) Mad-Heart Moody/Barty Crouch Jr.

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Image via Warner Bros.

So for the purposes of this list, Mad-Centre Moody's tenure as Defence Against the Dark Arts instructor is too considered that of Barty Crouch Jr., who had causeless the function of Moody via polyjuice potion in an endeavour to steer Harry towards the Dark Lord. The events of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire notice Moody/Crouch Jr. quite agile, and while he's certainly working towards sinister ends, his role in the lives of Harry and Co. is crucial: he's the i who teaches and demonstrates the three unforgivable curses. It's a harrowing and disturbing scene, but it'southward this brandish of cruelty that gives the students an understanding non but that these curses are unforgivable, but why they're unforgivable. As a result, Moody/Hunker Jr. really turns out to be quite an constructive Defense Confronting the Night Arts teacher—just not in the way he was expecting.

2.) Severus Snape

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Image via Warner Bros.

After years of envying the position, Severus Snape was finally appointed Defence Against the Dark Arts instructor in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince . We don't actually go to hear much well-nigh Snape'due south success or failings in this position once he gets, merely we exercise know he was 1 of the bravest and well-nigh competent wizards who ever lived. However, due to the fact that he was still playing double agent at this point, his attain was limited.

ane.) Remus Lupin

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Image via Warner Bros.

Okay so maybe hiring a werewolf every bit a teacher isn't the all-time of ideas, simply Remus Lupin is, by all accounts, the all-time and most constructive Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher that Harry and Co. had during their tenure at Hogwarts. Lupin taught the importance of standing up to i'due south fears, all with a mix of fun, sincerity, and a dabble of mischief mixed in. He'due south the one responsible for teaching Harry the intense focus necessary to perform a Patronus amuse, which Harry and then passed on to the other students after Lupin was forced to pace downward from his educational activity position. And as we all know, that Patronus charm came in mighty handy throughout the series.

Maybe more importantly, Lupin was ane of the near effective male parent figures for immature Harry equally he provided a much-needed link to his ancestry. Lupin was kind and warm-hearted, just likewise had a very stiff sense of understanding as a result of his own internal struggles (namely turning into a monster once a calendar month). Lupin is, undoubtedly, the best Defense Against the Night Arts teacher that these students had during their years at Hogwarts, making it all the more crushing that he and Tonks met their ends during the Boxing of Hogwarts. Pour 1 out for ol' Lupin.

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