If you're a fan of Harry Potter , then yous know full well that when it comes to the Defence force Against the Dark Arts teaching position, something fishy's ever going on. Throughout the franchise, mostly the teacher heading upward this kind-of-important form 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 equally the Harry Potter franchise wears on, given the rise of you-know-who.

And nevertheless, in the end, Harry and Co. fare quite well, especially during the Battle of Hogwarts. So given the evergreen popularity of the franchise, now felt a fine fourth dimension to take a closer look back at the teachers who held the Defense Against the Dark Arts position and rank them according to competency. Plainly some were a complete and total disaster, merely others—while perhaps nefarious—were constructive nonetheless. Then, let's get started.

6.) Professor Quirrell

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Prototype via Warner Bros.

Professor Quirrell from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer'southward Rock is past far the most inconsequential Defense Against the Nighttime Arts instructor, but he'due south besides wildly lacking for competence. Of form, how would you experience if you had the Dark Lord burrowing atop your caput and feeding off your lifeline.

5.) Gilderoy Lockhart

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Image via Warner Bros.

On paper, Gilderoy Lockhart is one of the well-nigh prestigious wizards to always grace the halls of Hogwarts. Of form, nosotros quickly detect 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's arm into mush, and even attempted to heed-wipe three young students. Simply even putting all of those misdeeds aside, Lockhart'south incompetency was glaring from the give-and-take "go," as his lessons mostly revolved effectually boasting virtually his immense greatness and blinding handsomeness. Gimme a break.

4.) Dolores Umbridge

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Paradigm via Warner Bros.

Dolores Umbridge'due south tenure as the Defense force Against the Nighttime Arts teacher was really quite cursory given that she quickly gave Dumbledore the boot and took over his position as caput of Hogwarts. But even in that curt while she managed to royally foul things upwardly. As a stalwart appointee from the Ministry of Magic—which was in total-on Voledmort Denial mode at this point—Umbridge argued that students had no need for practical cognition of Night Arts defence and that a theoretical understanding would be sufficient. Harry and Co. all but gave Umbridge the finger and set nigh learning defensive spells on their ain, hiding out in the Room of Requirement. Her incompetency gave way to cruel and unusual penalisation, making Umbridge not only a dolt, only also highly dangerous. And yet, she ranks a flake college on this here list because one gets the feeling she certainly had the knowledge and power to teach something useful had she desired to exercise so. She just, you know, didn't.

3.) Mad-Eye Moody/Barty Crouch Jr.

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Image via Warner Bros.

So for the purposes of this list, Mad-Heart Moody's tenure every bit Defense Against the Night Arts teacher is also considered that of Barty Hunker Jr., who had assumed the role of Moody via polyjuice potion in an effort to steer Harry towards the Nighttime Lord. The events of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Burn find Moody/Crouch Jr. quite active, and while he's certainly working towards sinister ends, his role in the lives of Harry and Co. is crucial: he'south the ane who teaches and demonstrates the three unforgivable curses. Information technology's a harrowing and agonizing scene, but it's this display of cruelty that gives the students an understanding non just that these curses are unforgivable, but why they're unforgivable. As a upshot, Moody/Crouch Jr. actually turns out to be quite an effective Defense force Confronting the Dark 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 force Against the Dark Arts instructor in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince . We don't actually become to hear much most Snape's success or failings in this position one time he gets, but nosotros do know he was one of the bravest and nearly competent wizards who always lived. However, due to the fact that he was yet playing double agent at this point, his accomplish was limited.

one.) Remus Lupin

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Image via Warner Bros.

Okay so peradventure hiring a werewolf every bit a instructor isn't the all-time of ideas, but Remus Lupin is, by all accounts, the all-time and most constructive Defense Against the Night Arts instructor that Harry and Co. had during their tenure at Hogwarts. Lupin taught the importance of standing upward to 1'south fears, all with a mix of fun, sincerity, and a dabble of mischief mixed in. He's the 1 responsible for instruction Harry the intense focus necessary to perform a Patronus amuse, which Harry so passed on to the other students after Lupin was forced to footstep down from his teaching position. And as we all know, that Patronus amuse came in mighty handy throughout the serial.

Perchance more than importantly, Lupin was one of the most effective father figures for immature Harry every bit he provided a much-needed link to his beginnings. Lupin was kind and warm-hearted, but besides had a very potent sense of understanding as a outcome of his own internal struggles (namely turning into a monster once a month). Lupin is, undoubtedly, the best Defense Against the Dark 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 i out for ol' Lupin.

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