| NOTE: This page is only about the film incarnation of Peter Pettigrew as his original book incarnation was not voted Pure Evil, and thus only the film version of Peter Pettigrew's info and crimes should be put here. |
| “ | Remus Lupin: You sold James and Lily to Voldemort, didn't you? Peter Pettigrew: I didn't mean to! The Dark Lord. You have no idea the weapons he possesses! Ask yourself, Sirius; what would you have done? What would you have done? Sirius Black: I would have died! I would have died rather than betray my friends! |
„ |
| ~ Peter Pettigrew's confession. |
| “ | The Dark Lord shall rise again. | „ |
| ~ Peter Pettigrew about to revive Lord Voldemort. |
Peter Pettigrew, also known by his nickname Wormtail, is one of the two secondary antagonists (alongside Bellatrix Lestrange) of Warner Bros. Pictures‘s Harry Potter film series.
He used to be one of James Potter's friends, alongside Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, but later joined the Death Eaters and betrayed James and his wife Lily to Lord Voldemort. He then murdered 12 Muggles before hiding for a little over a decade, framing Sirius for his crimes during those twelve years. He was also Ron's pet Scabbers. While the original book series gave Pettigrew some redeeming qualities such as feeling genuine regret for betraying James and Lilly, the film adaptations of the books stripped all of them away, characterizing him as a vicious monster who enjoys all the suffering he causes to everyone.
He was portrayed by Timothy Spall (who also played Beadle Bamford in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street), while his younger self was portrayed by Charles Hughes in flashbacks. While disguised as Scabbers, he was portrayed by the late animal actor Dex.
What Makes Him Pure Evil?[]
In General/Background[]
- Betrayed his close friends James and Lily Potter to Lord Voldemort. Unlike his novel incarnation, his cinematic incarnation never showed any regrets for doing so.
- Murdered twelve Muggles by blowing them up, right before framing Sirius both for murdering said Muggles, Pettigrew and betraying the Potters.
- To avoid suspicion, he cut his finger off and hid in plain sight as a rat named "Scabbers" and manipulated Ron by being his pet for twelve years, making him not consider the option that his fake pet was behind the murder of his best friend's parents.
- Joined Voldemort's side out of self-preservation rather than loyalty, which is something Voldemort explicitly acknowledges when Peter tries to show his allegiance to Voldemort.
- Lacks the redeeming qualities of his literature counterpart such as him considering to spare Harry Potter, or having any remorseful moments, being more of a sadistic monster compared to his original counterpoint.
The Prisoner of Azkaban[]
- When he is revealed to be the one responsible for selling out James and Lily, he feigns being remorseful while making up excuses for betraying the Potters. The mocking smile and goodbye he gave Harry before fleeing in the end only serves as further proof that he feels zero regrets for what he did.
The Goblet of Fire[]
- While Pettigrew does suggest that they try to resurrect Voldemort without Harry Potter, it's more so out of convenience rather than actual care for the boy, as suggested in the original novel.
- He smiled ominously at an unfortunate muggle caretaker named Frank Bryce, presumably intending to attack him along with Barty Crouch Jr., before Voldemort ordered him to step aside and killed his victim himself.
- Gladly murdered Cedric Diggory in cold blood when a powerless Voldemort ordered him to do so for being "the spare".
- He is also implied to be indirectly responsible for causing Harry to have nightmares about Cedric's death, given his cousin Dudley mocked him for shouting "Don't kill Cedric!" while sleeping.
- Pettigrew directly sought out Voldemort, and played a direct role in Voldemort's revival, making him indirectly responsible for the numerous deaths that occur later in the series.
Half Blood Prince[]
- While he was portrayed as a victim of Severus Snape's abuse as Snape started showing his dark side, treating him as a slave, Pettigrew absolutely deserves it considering he is one of the people who ruined his life.
Deathly Hallows Part 1[]
- He gleefully locked up Luna Lovegood, Garrick Ollivander, Griphook, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley in the dungeons of Malfoy Manor.
Trivia[]
- Only the film version of Peter Pettigrew can be considered Pure Evil, while his original book version can't because of his redeeming qualities such as feeling regret for betraying Harry's parents and his death being played for sympathy.
- It should be noted, however, that Pettigrew's death was cut (or changed, if he really died upon hitting the head on the floor when knocked out) of Deathly Hallows Part 1 because the producers felt it would be disturbing for young viewers. Had it been featured (kept as it was in the books), it's unknown if it would prevent him from being considered Pure Evil, since he never showed any remorse by that point.
External Links[]
- Peter Pettigrew on the Villains Wiki
- Peter Pettigrew on the Harry Potter Wiki
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 Pure Evils
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Both Continuities Book-Exclusive Film-Exclusive See Also | ||
