Back to the great villain of the “Harry Potter” saga played by Ralph Fiennes on screen, and to some fan theories that could explain his lack of a nose.
“Livider than a skull, scarlet eyes wide open, flat nose, with two slits for nostrils, like snakes.”
Thus JK Rowling described the tenebrous Voldemort, great villain of his literary saga, when he resumed human form at the end of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. A frightening portrait, which had therefore prompted the film team to digitally remove the appendix of Ralph Fiennes, interpreter of the black magician on the screen.
But why does Voldemort have no nose?
Although no official explanation has ever been provided on this subject, several interpretations are possible. And as is often the case in this kind of situation, multiple fan theories began to flourish on the web to explain this phenomenon.
First, it’s worth remembering that Voldemort didn’t always sport this monstrous appearance. Indeed, before trying to assassinate Harry Potter, and especially when he was studying at Hogwarts under the name of Tom Riddle, his face was completely normal, and his nose was intact, as can be seen in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, or in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince flashbacks.
So what has happened since?
- According to some, the regeneration potion prepared by Wormtail and allowing Voldemort to find his body at the end of The Goblet of Fire may contain snake venom, or other ingredient from the animal in question. So many elements that would be likely to have altered the appearance of the sorcerer, and in particular his nostrils, now similar to those of reptiles.
Warner Bros.
- For others, the physical mutation of the black magician began long before, and would be intrinsically linked to his crimes or his evil acts. As the site recalls Screeningin the original works of JK Rowlingand more particularly in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Princethe author specifies that during an interview with Dumbledore, when he was trying to become a professor of Defense against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts, Tom Riddle was already beginning to look like a snake.
- Finally – and this is probably the most likely hypothesis – the bond that Voldemort developed throughout his life with the snakes ended up reflecting on him. A Slytherin to the core, he went so far as to hide part of his soul in his serpent Nagini by creating the Horcruxes. It is indeed difficult to imagine that such an approach did not have an impact on his appearance.
What is your own explanation for Voldemort’s lack of a nose?
(Re)discover another fan theory on the saga…