The Dark Lord, You-Know-Who, the Heir of Slytherin, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, all are equally mysterious monikers for the most feared figure in the J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World, Tom Marvolo Riddle, or as he prefers, Lord Voldemort. Easily one of the most fearsome villains of literature and film, Voldemort has been murking magic-makers since he was first put to the pages back in 1997, and he's got quite an impressive career. From committing acts of horror to creating the seven Horcruxes, The Dark Lord has done some great and terrible things in his time. Unlike most dark wizards in fiction like Saruman, Profion, or Skeletor, Voldemort has a brand of malice all his own. He's a sociopathic sorcerer bent on dominion over the Wizarding World, and he'll stop at nothing to get what he wants.

But how far is this wicked wizard willing to go? With an origin story fit for a Richard Donner horror film, it seems he was destined for evil right from the get-go. He's left more than a mile or two of carnage in his wake on his quest for immortality, but it seems some fans of the series have forgotten some of his frightening feats and features. We're here today to open the chamber of secrets behind the most feared name in the world of magic users and take a look at some of the best (or worst) facts and acts of Lord Voldemort. A word of caution to the readers though, this list contains major spoilers for the Harry Potter series as well as the play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, readers beware.

15 HE-WHO-SHALL-BE-FREQUENTLY-NAMED

When Harry is first informed of the dark wizard who took the lives of his parents, his new friend Hagrid, along with the rest of the magical community is hesitant to even write it. The film adaptations, while considered one of the best book-to-film translations, do make one alteration that, while important, might have slipped under the collective nose of the audience.

Despite his name sending chills down the stoutest of wizards, the film series uses his full name more than the books ever did. Some might find this notion pedantic, but if you really think about it, if Voldemort has power from his name, and people are less afraid to utter it, doesn't that power lessen? Perhaps, but we'll let you be the judge.

14 SOMEWHAT SCALY

Oscar-winning makeup artist, Mark Coulier, is the creator of Voldemort's look for the film. He's responsible for turning the otherwise charming Ralph Fiennes into He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. There's something about this chilling transformation that's very sinister and serpentine. The slitted nose, the eyes, the smile, all appropriate right down to the scales. Or so the fanbase thought.

Voldemort's flesh is meant to have the appearance of white alabaster, not scales. What is often mistaken for scales in the fanbase is actually veins pressed beneath his flesh. This is understandable due to the characters reptilian design, but the idea is more wraith-like than a snake. It's a nitpick perhaps, but one worth noticing.

13 TONGUE TRICKS

Speaking of snakelike features, here's one that actually did make it into the film adaptation. Despite not having the previously mentioned scales, Voldemort did possess a forked tongue. This is revealed in his first full-bodied appearance in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and makes for a very chilling addition.

As fun as it was to see in the fourth installment, for some reason it disappeared from the rest of the series. Maybe the filmmakers thought it was too much, maybe the designers thought it looked too fake, or maybe Voldemort got some magic cosmetic surgery, we might never know. We think it gave him a more animalistic edge, but we still enjoyed the final product.

12 SEEING RED

This is one of the film changes that kind of got on the nerves of the Harry Potter purists. In the text, Voldemort's eyes are described as blood-red and slit like a cat's. As scary as that image might be, the film version of the Dark Lord is missing that chilling detail, but there's a good reason for that.

The filmmakers decided against red eyes for Voldemort in favor of an icy blue. This was because that while red eyes are very intimidating, the more natural approach allowed Ralph Fiennes to emote and express a great deal better. The result: a compelling and chilling performance by the actor and a better villain for us. Though it loses some edge, Voldy does look better with blue.

11 BETTER FOR BOGGARTS

In the world of magical creatures, there are few as fearsome as the boggart. Similar to a certain sewer-dwelling clown, a boggart will turn into whatever its victim fears most. We've seen the creature shift from Professor Snape, to a spider, to a Dementor. So it's no surprise that it can take the form of what many witches and wizards fear the most: Lord Voldemort.

According to the Harry Potter canon, Voldemort seems to be the most common form a boggart takes after his return in The Goblet of Fire. This, of course, is perfectly understandable after he takes control of the Ministry of Magic. Anyone would be mortified by that, truth be told. Looks like these guys are fans of that freaky face.

10 HALF-BLOOD V. PUREBLOOD

Here's something that might get past some of the most persnickety of Potterheads. Voldemort has an almost Third Reich approach to his dominion over the magical population, which was probably the intention. But consider this, for someone who's so pro-pureblood, Voldemort seems to forget his own halfbreed heritage.

Granted, Voldemort renounces his Muggle heritage early in his career for conquest, but it's still a factor that has some fans pointing fingers. Some forget that he was the product of the bewitched union of his witch mother and Muggle father, who later abandoned his mother upon learning of her magical abilities. He shuns his father's name and lineage, then sets out on his mission of mayhem. The rest, as they say, is history.

9 BASILISK IN THE BATHROOM

As the Heir of Slytherin, a young Tom Riddle was able to open the Chamber of Secrets and wreak havoc in the halls of Hogwarts by unleashing the Basilisk. For a sixteen-year-old wizard, that's a pretty impressive feat. The question is, like so many things, how did he do it?

Well, being the Heir of Slytherin not only comes with a pretty important ancestor and bloodline but also comes with a few magical perks as well. Like Salazar Slytherin, Voldemort was a Parseltongue and could communicate with snakes, this could obviously make it incredibly easy for him to charm and beguile a giant serpent-like the Basilisk. But even his relationship with the snake couldn't save the diary from its venom.

8 TOP OF THE CLASS

Despite Voldemort's desires to become the most powerful dark wizard on earth, his academic records and pursuits were actually admirable. Tom Riddle was made prefect, Head Boy, was a gifted and honored student and even won an award for Special Services to the School. Not including that last bit, he did frame Hagrid for his crimes, he seemed to be on the path of a pretty normal wizard. What changed?

Those familiar with the character will know that this was all an act to deceive the higher-ups of Hogwarts. While most saw a typical gifted student on the outside, inside he was a true fiend. From researching forbidden spells to gathering a small gang of teenaged Death-Eaters, Tom's true goals were far from pure.

7 MINISTRY MISTAKES

As the young Voldemort continued to excel in his studies, many professors encouraged him to pursue a job in the Ministry of Magic, and some even went as far as to set up interviews for certain positions. Let's take a moment to reflect on how incredible, ridiculous, and dangerous that concept really is.

Granted, we know Tom Riddle would be evil because we're the readers, but still the idea that he would be considered for a position of power right after Hogwarts. He took a job at Borgin and Burkes to learn about magical artifacts and in turn find Horocrux material, but what if he had gone the other way? Something tells us his rise to power would have slowed, but still be deadly.

6 THERE WAS A BETTER WAY

Let's review the Dark Lord's biggest objective; to become immortal and otherwise prevent his own death. He was drastically affected by the death of his mother and that's what supposedly triggered his desire for eternal life. But if we look at the age of some wizards (namely Dumbledore) who reached well into their triple digits, maybe there was a way Voldemort could have achieved longevity.

It's almost common knowledge that wizards can grow to be obscenely old, hence the long white beards. Instead of splitting his soul into fragments, hypothetically, Voldemort could have achieved immortality through more practical means. Had he something like the Elixir of life, combined with proper diet and exercise and Voldemort might have had a long and prosperous life.

5  THE DARK LORD'S DAUGHTER

Whether you consider the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child canon or not, it does introduce a rather interesting character to the mythos. For now, we're calling it canon so we can talk about this strange and complex player. Due to an alternate timeline along with some other plot points of the play, we have the daughter of Tom Riddle and Bellatrix Lestrange, Delphini.

The plot and play aside, the thing we find most intriguing about Delphini is the fact she even exists at all. The fact that Voldemort was able to have a relationship with anyone, affectionately or otherwise, is highly suspect. To see what we're talking about, just keep reading.

4 HEARTLESS

At times, it really does seem like Voldemort was destined to be the bad guy, even from the method of his conception. Merope Gaunt seduced a muggle, Tom Riddle Sr., through means of a love potion. Since Voldemort was conceived out of a love potion, he does not possess the ability or capacity to feel or experience love. Now that's a dark origin.

Let that sink in, Voldemort can't feel or experience love. Not only is that incredibly grim, but it's also incredibly sad. It's almost no wonder Voldemort is like he is. Even in a place as warm and accepting as Hogwarts, he can still feel no love or even friendship. He's still evil, but this notion makes him a little more sympathetic.

3 PUTTING THE T IN SILENT

Let's be honest, a name like Voldemort probably wasn't the easiest to spell when we first heard it. Even on hearing it we had to have it repeated before committing it to our memory banks. Though due to the popularity of the films, we may have been saying it wrong for years.

According to Rowling, as well as the name's French origin, the intended pronunciation is Vol-deh-more. Who would've thought, right? This fact makes our list because it's something many fans of the series, us included, either didn't catch or continue to forget. Whether you prefer the more elegant pronunciation or you just can't break the habit of hitting that hard T, it just wouldn't be the same without that powerful name.

2 THE POWER OF A NAME

When you hear names like Darth Vader, Sauron, or Vlad the Impaler, they all command a sort of presence, don't they. They all have some sort of insidious inflection, something that just creates an evil air.  Of course, Voldemort is no exception to the construct, but he has a little extra oomph when it comes to names.

According to the lore, the name Voldemort comes from the French term "vol de mort" which means flight from death. This is appropriate seeing how it's his end goal to avoid dying and become immortal. Fans also speculate that his name comes from the Poe character, M. Valdemar, another character who becomes transfixed between life and death. Both are appropriately macabre origins for such a grim individual.

1 THAT'S THE POWER OF LOVE

We're all familiar with Harry's reputation as the Boy Who Lived, he is the only person to survive the Killing Curse. Like almost every other fantasy film/book series, love really does conquer all. But how exactly was Voldemort affected, he didn't exactly poof out of existence, did he? Well, it's a bit more complicated than that.

Because Lily Potter sacrificed herself for her son, the curse rebounded back and defeated Voldemort. He was defeated, but not destroyed. Lily's love literally knocked Voldemort out of his corporeal form and into a sort of wraith-ish existence. Though not as effective as axing him off, it's still a pretty remarkable and creative way to go out.