The Harry Potter franchise is undoubtedly one of the best and most fantastical franchises in cinematic history. There is an undeniable magic that inhabits the franchise, and for many, it has been a formative story from their childhood. While the Fantastic Beasts series has attempted to recapture that magic, with many audience members being less than satisfied with the new films, there is no denying that the Wizarding World has captured the hearts and imaginations of many. From its mystical world and setting, strange and unique creatures, and the memorable and iconic characters with which we have all fallen in love, there is much to be appreciated within the franchise.
Updated April 28, 2023: To keep the article fresh and relevant, this article has been updated with more information and entries.
However, a crucial detail that often gets overlooked in the Harry Potter movies is the aesthetic designs of the magical wands and the lore behind them. Indeed, each and every wand chooses its master for a reason. The wands are made from different materials, branching from unicorn hair to a dragon's heartstring, all with a symbolic meaning behind them.
Let's take a closer look at the coolest wands, their strengths, and their stories in the world of Harry Potter.
13 Bellatrix Lestrange's Wand
Whether you like her or not, Bellatrix is a dynamic character thanks to Helena Bonham Carter, who did an incredible job playing the villainous witch. There is no wonder that her wand compliments her perfectly. The wand is 12¾-inches long, made out of dragon heartstring core and walnut wood with unyielding flexibility. Dragon heartstrings make wands that are very strong and capable of casting intense spells. Wizards with these types of wands are usually drawn to the power of the Dark Arts, as can clearly be seen with Bellatrix.
Her spells are designed to torture people, as she is seen casting the Unforgivable Curses many times throughout the films and books. When Hermione was forced to use the wand to impersonate Bellatrix at Gringotts Wizarding Bank in the last book, Hermione was reluctant to use the wand due to its haunting past. Bellatrix tortured Neville Longbottom's (Matthew Lewis) parents and killed Sirius Black, her own cousin, as well as her niece. Part of the intrigue with Lestrange's character is her overwhelming darkness and that is, unfortunately, a part of her wand's legacy as well.
To top it all off, she can turn her wand into a whip, a unique trick not performed by any other wizards on screen.
12 Harry Potter's Wand
It's only natural that the main character has to have a wand that stands out among all wizards. Harry's (Daniel Radcliffe) visit to Olivander's and his wand selection ceremony is the only one actually experienced and seen on the screen. Many fans remember the magical moment when Harry's wand finally picked him, and the wind, lights, and music swelled to match the significance of the scene.
The wand is 11 inches long, made of holly and a Phoenix feather core donated from Dumbledore's Phoenix. Because a part of Voldemort's soul existed in Harry, the two wands made from this feather chose the two wizards. This is the reason why they can't use their wands to kill each other, as the magical items learned to recognize each other.
Harry felt quite an attachment to his loyal wand, deciding to go through the long and difficult process of repairing it after it was broken, instead of taking the Elder Wand at the end of the series.
11 Newt Scamander’s Wand
Newt Scamander’s (Eddie Redmayne) wand is not described in any book, as the Fantastic Beasts series was not inspired by a narrative novel like the original Harry Potter films. This presented both a challenge and an opportunity for the production design team. While it has not been confirmed exactly what material his wand is made of, the design of Newt’s wand is intended to mirror his love of animals and nature. The shining shell-like material on the handle and the well-worn wood at the tip, rumored to be ash, give the wand an elegant yet sturdy feel.
Newt’s wand may be one of the most banged up in the franchise, being jostled around on many adventures with nifflers and the like. However, the unique shape and textures make it one of the most visually interesting magic wands.
10 Minerva McGonagall’s Wand
The wand belonging to Minerva McGonagall (the incomparable Maggie Smith) is simply stunning and extremely elegant. 9½ inches long, made of fir wood with a dragon heartstring core with a round handle. As a cat Animagus, the wand later proved to be extremely useful for transfiguration. Fans are aware that McGonagall is an extremely powerful witch and the films would have certainly showcased her powers more if given the time.
However, a scene that displays her magical strength is when she pulls her wand on Snape (Alan Rickman) in Deathly Hallows: Part 2, and instead of fighting her, Snape decides to flee. Snape may not have wanted to fight because of his status as a double agent, but knowing McGonagall would not hold back likely played into his choice to retreat.
9 Sirius Black’s Wand
It's disappointing that not much is known about Sirius' (Gary Oldman) wand, like its material or its length. Yet, from the quick glances provided in the films, the wand's simple structure with small ornamental engravings suits Sirius' aesthetic perfectly. There are small marks on it that look similar to the marks on Bellatrix Lestrange's wand, connecting the cousins with that small detail.
He is capable of performing strong spells with his wand, as we can see in the Order of Phoenix, without having to say the words. Unfortunately, his wand is presumed to have "died" with him when falling through the Veil.
Although it's uncertain how he got his wand back after he escaped Azkaban, he has it with him during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries.
8 Queenie Goldstein
Although Queenie (Alison Sudol) is not a very popular character, her wand is among the most beautiful and ornate in the wizarding world. The shaft is made of dark rosewood that contrasts with the light and delicate hilt. The end of the wand is capped with a swirl of mother-of-pearl, both mimicking the style of the 1920s and Queenie’s vibrant energy.
7 Luna Lovegood’s Wands
Being the unique character that she is, Luna (Evanna Lynch) has had two wands — both of them extremely eye-catching. Although of unknown length and material, just like with Sirius, Luna's first wand had a light yellow color with black linings decorating the length of it. Unfortunately, her wand got taken away from her when she was abducted by the Death Eaters. Thanks to her good connection with Olivander, the wandmaker offered to fashion her a new second wand, which is just as distinctive.
While this wand lacks the vibrant color of her previous one, the soft curves of the tulip-like handle make it very distinct from other wands.
6 Ginny Weasley’s Wand
Even though Ginny's (Bonnie Wright) wand is not described in the novels, it's made of yew wood, colored black with a spiral that serves as the handle. Compared to the books, Ginny is much less charismatic and integral to the plot. Ginny is arguably one of the strongest wizards in the wizard world. She was among the first to learn how to cast the Patronus spell, learning from Harry himself. She is also capable of casting a Bat-Bogey Hex, something not every witch or wizard can do.
She did not get much screen time in any of the films, but the magic she is able to conjure with her wand makes her a powerful witch in the books.
5 Draco Malfoy’s Wand
It's interesting that wizards whose wands consist of unicorn hair are the least likely to turn to dark magic, and yet, Draco (Tom Felton) never got a completed redemption arc after being forced to join Voldemort. The 10-inch-long, hawthorn wood wand is one of the few that remains consistent throughout the eight movies, either due to characters losing their wands or a change in prop design.
From the details that are known about it, Draco's wand was purchased by his mother, Narcissa (Helen McCrory), meaning that it never truly chose him. Perhaps this explains why Malfoy's wand is made of unicorn hair, as in the films, his mother seems to want Draco to say away from the Dark Lord. Alternatively, the symbolic meaning of his wand's core may indicate that Draco was never truly a part of the Dark Arts.
Funnily, Draco's wand was eventually carried and used by his archenemy Harry during the Battle of Hogwarts.
4 Lucius Malfoy's Wand
A member of Voldemort's deadly army of Death Eaters, Lucius carries a wand that is not extremely powerful but is one of the most iconic and recognizable wands all the same. The handle of the wand is a silver model of a snake, with a dark elm wood shaft that sharply contrasts the illuminating silver ornament. The wand has a dragon heartstring core, again paired with a character that practices the Dark Arts. As part of Voldemort's army, Lucius believes in the supremacy of pure-blood wizards. This is reflected in the symbolism of the elm wood, as pure-blood supremacists find it to be the most desirable type.
Like his son, Lucius may not have chosen his wand. The snake wand, which slides perfectly into a matching cane, is a Malfoy family heirloom.
3 Voldemort's Wand
As one of the most infamous wands in the Wizarding World, Voldemort's (Ralph Fiennes) wand has been used to cause much suffering. Although mostly known for killing Harry Potter's parents, as well as later killing Cedric Diggory (Robert Pattinson), his wand carries the souls of some very unfortunate wizards, muggles, and half-bloods.
Being 13 and a half inches in length, Voldemort's wand stands as one of the longest in the universe. The wand has a haunting design made to mimic a white bone. What makes this wand so important is that the core of this wand is the same Phoenix feather as the one in Harry's wand.
2 Elder Wand
The most powerful wand in the entire Harry Potter universe is the Elder wand — one of the three Deathly Hallows. Made out of the tail hair of a Thestral, the wand can only be handled by the strongest of wizards. Made by Death itself, the wand can be used with the other Deathly Hallows to make one the master of Death. It is passed from one great wizard to another as each master of the wand is disarmed or killed. Dumbledore attained it from Grindelwald, another powerful dark wizard. Voldemort eventually stole the wand from Dumbledore's grave, but this did not make him the master of the wand.
Draco disarmed Dumbledore before Snape killed him, making Malfoy the true owner of the Elder wand. The last owner of the wand was none other than Harry Potter, as he disarmed Draco. In the books, Harry returns the Elder wand back to Dumbledore's grave, but in the movie, he breaks it in half and tosses the pieces as far as he can.
1 Hermione Granger’s Wand
The smartest, strongest witch for her age has to have a mighty wand accompanying her at all times. That is exactly what Hermine's (Emma Watson) 10¾ inches long, vinewood wand possessing a dragon heartstring core wand is.
Hermoine's wand helped her character be among the best in the franchise and deserving of her own spin-off. Beginning with the third movie, Hermione's wand is a light brown color with a vine design, which correlates to her birthday in the Celtic tree calendar. It's unknown whether Hermione retrieved her wand back from the Snatchers after the war, but it served her perfectly for the entirety of the ownership.