Summary

• Snape's troubled childhood and abusive upbringing shaped his cruel and cold demeanor as an adult. His negative experiences with his muggle father and neglectful witch mother contributed to his decision to join the Death Eaters.
• Snape's strained relationship with Lily, who chose James and allowed him and his clique to bully Snape, further pushed him towards the Death Eaters. Despite his love for Lily, the pain from his adolescence couldn't erase the trauma.
• Snape's redemption came when Lily was murdered by Voldemort. His resentment towards James and others disappeared as he realized the cruelty of the Dark Lord. Dumbledore trusted Snape and allowed him to avenge Lily's death, even though he didn't fully forgive him.

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Of all the characters in the Harry Potter series, none made as big an impact as Severus Snape. Although he spent years being portrayed as a villain, he was ultimately redeemed in the final movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

Snape was revealed to have been in love with Harry Potter's mother, Lily, since childhood. That feeling lasted beyond her death, and into his own final moments. That's why it's so surprising that Snape became a Death Eater. After all, they were supposed to be completely devoted to Lord Voldemort, so it's difficult to understand why Snape would willingly join when He Who Shall Not Be Named stood for everything Lily opposed. However, the backstory that appears only in J.K. Rowling's novels provides more context for Snape's decision.

Updated February 5, 2024, but Joshua M. Patton: The character of Severus Snape can be problematic at moments, particularly because of how he treats Harry, the son of the person he cared about most. Yet, through the saga of Harry's time at Hogwarts, the complexity of Snape's character is made clearer as the boy learns more about the man. In the films, Alan Rickman's powerful and pitch-perfect performance helped to further make Snape a character audiences didn't quite know how to feel about. This article has been updated to add more details about Snape's journey and to match CBR's current formatting standards.

Why Snape Became a Death Eater

As explained in the novels, Severus Snape's childhood wasn't great. Although it wouldn't be right to entirely blame Snape's behavior as an adult on his parents, they certainly had a negative influence. His father was a muggle who often abused Snape, so he became more drawn to his mother and her family. His mother was a witch who frequently neglected Snape. As a result, he gave himself an iconic nickname that helped to connect him to her: the "Half-blood Prince." But, on the whole, Snape didn't grow up in a loving household, which helped to shape his cruel and cold demeanor.

His abusive father also shaped how Snape viewed muggles. That was an area in which Snape actually empathized with Voldemort, who also had negative experiences with muggles. Thus, he was able to rally Snape to his cause. Although Snape found solace in Lily's friendship while growing up, he was always rude to her sister, Petunia, a muggle. Snape was a product of his parents' biases.

Snape Wasn't Good or Bad - He Was a Product of Bullying

Once Snape and Lily arrived at Hogwarts, Snape was sorted into Slytherin, and Lily into Gryffindor. As such, their relationship grew distant. However, it became even further strained once Lily met James Potter. Snape then made new friends among his fellow Slytherins -- most of whom later became Death Eaters. The only positive influence in his life, Lily, had essentially chosen James and allowed him and his friends to bully Snape. Although he always loved Lily, Snape's feelings for her couldn't erase the pain and trauma from unrelenting adolescence.

Snape joining the Death Eaters makes sense, as sad as it is. Although he redeems himself, Snape easily fits into a crowd of misfits pushed to the fringes of magical society. He may have even felt something like a kinship with them. Although Snape ultimately betrays the Death Eaters, he nevertheless made the conscious effort to join them all those years earlier.

Lily Potter Saved Snape, but She Had to Die to Do It

James Potter saw Severus Snape as a rival during their time at Hogwarts, despite Lily's clear affection for him. It can be difficult for audiences to remember that ahead of this first war with Voldemort, James, Lily, Snape and the rest of the Marauders were all children. Lily likely didn't know how to balance her compassion for Snape with her love for James, especially as Snape fell further in sync with the bigoted Slytherin kids who would make up the first Death Eaters. Snape, despite his feelings, likely harbored anger towards Lily exacerbated by his "friends."

Once Lily was murdered by the Dark Lord, Snape's priorities came into clear focus. Any resentment he harbored for James Potter, Sirius or the others evaporated when he was faced with the cruel reality of what Voldemort had done. Dumbledore understood Snape even more when he saw that Snape's Patronus was a doe, which he shared with Lily. Instead of turning on the Death Eaters immediately, Dumbledore allowed Snape to help avenge her death in a meaningful way.

Dumbledore Trusted Snape, but He Didn't Exactly Forgive Him

Dumbledore was aware of Severus Snape's failings, and while he didn't fully forgive the regretful wizard for his transgressions, he still trusted him. Snape put himself at risk in both wars against the Dark Lord, and he was a crucial element in Dumbledore's plans, especially after the headmaster knew his fate was sealed. Dumbledore asked Snape to kill him to spare Draco Malfoy from tearing his soul. He also knew Severus would do what he could to protect the children of Hogwarts.

Snape knew he likely wasn't going to survive serving Voldemort, but the trust Dumbledore gave him went both ways. Dumbledore trusted that Harry Potter could defeat the Dark Lord, and thus Snape did what he could to help him. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to save Snape's life.

Snape Didn't Hate Harry Potter, Seeing Lily's Son Caused Him Pain (Except at the End)

One of the most powerful scenes in the Harry Potter books and films is Snape's death. After the Dark Lord strikes him down, Harry rushes to his side. Snape shares his memories with them, but his last act is to look Harry in the eyes. This was because Harry had his mother's eyes.

Snape's love for Lily persisted even after she chose James, and it continued after her death. While Snape tried to help Harry when he needed to, seeing the boy reminded him of Lily's loss. In his final moments, he reconciled this and found comfort in that piece of her that lived on and would later defeat Voldemort.