Few franchises have such a colossal following and have had such an impact on pop culture like the Harry Potter series. Between the books and movies, the property has become nothing short of a phenomenon, one of consistently high quality over the past couple of decades.
That consistent quality applies to the films within the Wizarding world, most of which are very well-liked by all fans, whether they be book readers or casual viewers. One of the most important aspects of these movies is the climaxes, the last big hoorah of the movie, that final few moments that fans remember after-the-fact.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald (2018)
Often put at the bottom of people's Potter movie rankings, the most recent entry to the franchise left a lot of fans disappointed and/or scratching their heads.
The climactic battle and subsequent plot intricacies did more to confuse fans, failing to live up to the previous effort, admittedly leaving intrigue for the next entry, but also a sense of dread.
The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
The first part of the main series' epic conclusion is one that is gorgeous and somber but also let down by how it feels like it is just a stepping stone to the next part.
That is also true about the climax. The whole sequence at Draco manor is great, from the imprisonment of the heroes to Dobby's emotional death, but it just lacks oomph as fans eagerly await the true climax to the series.
The Chamber Of Secrets (2002)
The issue with The Chamber Of Secrets is that there are so many plot conveniences that impact and cheapen the ending to the film and the book.
It is the longest Potter film, so it was a fun yet sometimes dragged out journey to the climax of Harry facing off against Tom Riddle and the Basilisk. Then with the various deus ex machina's, it is on the lower end of endings.
Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them (2014)
The first entry of the Fantastic Beasts series fared far better than the second and was actually an excellent way to introduce fans to the franchise that was set in the Potter world, but not with Potter himself.
The climax with Graves and Newt doing battle while Credence gets more and more unbalanced is a great watch and couple that with the surprising and interesting Grindelwald reveal and you have a good ending.
The Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
There is not much to separate that films end to the one from the very first of the Potter franchise in terms of quality but by way of what came after, the chess scene, and how in line with the book it was, Sorcerer's Stone edges it.
The effects and overall meeting with Voldemort do not hold up brilliantly, but everything before it is great, particularly the chess match. It is an up and down climax, not the worst but far from the best.
The Half-Blood Prince (2009)
The climax of this movie is very up and down when compared to the books, and so admittedly hurt its quality quite a bit despite the gorgeous cinematography and the perfectly captured atmosphere.
The climactic moment of Dumbledore's death is just as impactful in the movie, shooting this climax up the rankings. However, the cave scene and Snape's escape are severely lacking compared to the book.
The Goblet Of Fire (2005)
Another movie which has a climax a lot of book fans take issue with is The Goblet Of Fire, but much less so. Nevertheless, it is a fantastic climax.
Taking place across two parts in two different areas, the film's climax comes in the maze, which is massively simplified and mundane compared to the book, and the graveyard meeting with Voldemort that plays like a suspenseful horror, kudos to Ralph Fiennes and the filmmakers in that regard.
The Order Of The Phoenix (2007)
To many, Order Of The Phoenix falls low on the pecking order of Harry Potter movies, which is generally understandable. However, there is simply no denying the climax of the film.
The battle between the Order of the Phoenix/Dumbledore's Army and the Death Eaters is a joy to watch and takes us on an emotional journey with Sirius calling Harry James and dying minutes later. Of course, the battle that then ensues between Voldemort and Dumbledore takes the cake as absolutely awe-inspiring. Overall, an exhilarating and brilliant climax to a divisive film.
The Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004)
On the opposite side of the Potter coin, Prisoner Of Azkaban often gets heralded as one of the best parts of the franchise, and a turning point in tone and quality for the films thanks to Oscar-winning filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón.
While the use of the time turner is iffy, to say the least, that final stretch with Harry and Hermione racing against time itself before one of the franchise's highlights in Harry casting that Patronus is all excellent, arguably the very best climax in the franchise.
The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
Beating it out though, is the final movie in the franchise. It is hard to pinpoint an exact climactic scene or moment in this film really, as the entire thing flies at a hundred miles an hour with no slowing down.
The entire Battle of Hogwarts is invigorating, Snape's memories are heartbreaking, as is the Forbidden Forrest scene, and while many have issues with the final Voldemort battle, overall the climax of the climactic movie does a tremendous job.