Dreaded by children and adults alike as the most threatening dark wizard in fictional history, Lord Voldemort has become an international household name. But how did he get such an unfortunate nose?
Voldemort’s appearance changed over the course of his magical dealings and he has two snake-like slits instead of a nose. There are various theories for his morphed appearance but the most widely accepted is that as he dove deeper into dark magic, his features transformed to reflect his wilted soul.
Read on to learn about Voldemort’s changing looks and the theories about his nose, or lack of one.
Average Appearance
Though fans of J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World have become accustomed to Voldemort’s serpentine features, flashbacks in the film, along with the words of creator J.K. Rowling herself, tells us that Voldemort used to have a markedly different appearance.
Known originally by his birth name, Tom Riddle, the young Voldemort whom Dumbledore meets at the orphanage and invites to Hogwarts has a pleasant if unremarkable, appearance and definitely still has a nose.
When Harry and Dumbledore observe Tom Riddle whilst a student at Hogwarts, through the Pensieve, he still is in possession of a nose and is charming his way through the school with his good looks and talent for manipulation.
But Voldemort’s propensity for evil is clear even as a child, and he goes on to become infamous for his dark magic and sadistic ways.
The Toll of Dark Magic
There are various theories for Voldemort’s unusual and menacing appearance, which have been heavily debated by Potter fans.
In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Rowling describes Voldemort’s appearance as “whiter than a skull, with wide, livid scarlet eyes and a nose that was as flat as a snake’s with slits for nostrils”.
One theory for this drastic change relates to the potion Wormtail gives him to bring back his human form. Along with some pretty disgusting ingredients, including Wormtail’s severed hand, is snake venom, which has led some to wonder if that could be the cause of his snakey look.
Whilst compelling, this theory fails to address why Voledmort’s appearance had begun to change prior to this event. Harry, seeing a much younger Voldemort in a flashback, notes that his features look “waxy and oddly distorted”, which leads to the most dominant theory.
Voldemort’s changing appearance seems to have been gradual, supporting the idea that Voldemort’s increasing experiments and immersion in dark magic were having an effect on his outward appearance.
Voldemort’s aesthetic image became a mutilated reflection of his damaged soul and he gradually took on the appearance of a monster, as inhuman as his crimes. Some have even suggested that the waxiness of his features may simply have meant his nose fell right off.
It’s also important to remember that Voldemort was experimenting with horcruxes, splitting his soul through performing dark magic and murder, which inevitably takes a toll.
One of Voldemort’s horcruxes became his snake and loyal servant Nagini, and fans have wondered if the splitting and storing of his soul within a snake could have caused a bond strong enough to alter his features.
Learn more about Lord Voldemort’s story in the YouTube video below.
Visual Effects
Theories aside, the simple answer for Voldemort’s appearance is the magical power of special effects. Though much of his appearance could be achieved in the makeup chair with paint, fake tattoos, and fake teeth, his nose was a different matter.
Editing Voldemort’s nose using visual effects was an incredibly time-consuming process which required artistic skill and importantly, patience.
The films’ visual effects supervisor, Paul Franklin, told the Radio Times that it “had to be painstakingly edited out, frame by frame, over the whole film. And then the snake slits had to be added and tracked very carefully using dots put on his face for reference”.
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