Harry Potter: 12 Best Supporting Characters
4. Dolores Umbridge
The self-styled Hogwarts High Inquisitor ranks high on this list for her sheer memorability as an antagonist; a racist bureaucrat whose thought-police politics set the stage for the birth of Dumbledore's Army and push Harry into a leadership role that has repercussions for the rest of the saga.
Though not overtly aligned with Lord Voldemort - at first glance - Dolores Umbridge is a deplorable individual masquerading under an air of self-superiority - and her ultimate comeuppance is among the most satisfying payoffs in the franchise.
Very little of her role is lost from page-to-screen, unlike many other characters; both her importance in Order of the Phoenix and her first-act cameo in Deathly Hallows - Part 1 are kept intact, to scarily simpering effect. Veteran stage actress Imelda Staunton gets her claws stuck into the odious role with relish; she ranks among the most recognisable fantasy villains of all time.