In the Harry Potter universe, Severus Snape is one of the most despised, beloved and easy to rip on characters. He is literally the most bullied adult in the series, having been the subject of the Marauders' mean mirth for years, yet he becomes one of the biggest bullies as an adult. His inability to move on after that, not to mention after decades of being obsessed with Lily Potter, makes him easy to ridicule, especially when we consider all of the talents he wasted on years of bitterness.
The Internet has turned some of Snape's darkest tendencies into hilarious memes. While it's not kind to ridicule someone who has endured so much pain, he is also someone who has caused much of it, which makes us feel a bit less guilty for laughing at these.
He Hates His Job
Snape is an example of the old adage, "Those who can, do; those who can't, teach." While most teachers don't figure into this terrible generalization and enter the profession to help young people learn and grow, there are unfortunately some who remain like Snape, bitter about their jobs and taking out those feelings on their pupils every day, especially in literature.
It makes no sense that Snape would become a double agent and spend his days teaching at Hogwarts for decades in order to maintain the facade just in case Voldemort returns. At some point, he should have moved on with his life and done something he actually enjoyed.
Snapes On A Plane
Not only is the Snapes on a Plane meme one of the most popular of all the hilarious Snape memes, but it employs two of the Internet's best jokes: ripping on Snakes on a Plane and employing the ever-popular meaning of the word Slytherin (without venturing into some of the more risque territory the joke tends to take sometimes).
While it's not a real movie, and we lament that because it, too, would be downright hysterical, it does make us spit out our pumpkin juice as we picture the lines that might be said, particularly Neville Longbottom screaming, "Merlin's beard, why are there so many wizard-cursing Snapes on this wizard-cursing plane?"
Your Mother's Eyes
Every fan cringes when they think of how Snape's loyalty to Lily was constantly reflected in the shining green pools of Harry's eyes in the books, only for movie-Lily to have. Brown. Eyes. Fans who've read the books know how important Lily's eyes are, from every moment they are mentioned, including Snape's last, to J.K. Rowling's own insistence that they were a big clue in the books.
The fact that Lily's eyes weren't even used in the films in this manner is a big bone of contention with fans, and this meme that depicts Severus freaking out over his whole life being a lie because of it is hilarious.
Just Whose Side Is Snape On?
Every true Harry Potter fan knows the agony of wondering whether or not Severus Snape is on the side of good or evil. As cringey as this joke might be, it's also laugh-out-loud funny because it reminds us of the pain of not knowing while we read the whole Harry Potter series. Every time Snape did anything decent, he would counteract it with three terrible deeds, leaving us scratching our heads and wondering if Dumbledore really should have trusted him or not.
Even at the end of the road, when Snape gave his life still secretly carrying out the Headmaster's wishes, fans still debate about whether he was good or evil, particularly when it came to his guilt and motives surrounding Lily Potter.
Snape Is A Magical Incel
Following the events of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, many found Snape's tragic tale of woe to be heartbreaking, or even romantic. Others were creeped out by the fact that his entire life was built around his best friend's refusal to be his girlfriend, making Severus Snape the ultimate "friend-zoned" wizard.
As most people know, there's no such thing as a friend zone: you either want to be friends or to date someone. You don't pretend to be friends and then call them a mudblood, sell them out to the Dark Lord and spend the rest of your life whining about how they friend-zoned you while you also feel guilty about their demise at the hands of your boss. Grow up, Snivellus.
Potion-Making Is A Delicate Dance
While everyone knows that Snape is after the Defense Against the Dark Arts position, he reverently discusses potion-making as if it were something that only gods could do--as if, in fact, he were Sean Bean ogling the One Ring, which is why this meme is too perfect. Snape looks as if he's smitten with potions, and any super fan knows that this is true.
Whether he wants the DADA gig or not, he thinks that brewing fame and bottling glory is pretty sweet, and when he speaks of his job as Potions Master, it is with a distinctive veneration, as if he's speaking of his church.
The Fairest Of Them All
Snape is known to be a highly unfair teacher, often revoking points from Gryffindor for no good reason at all. He has even deducted points from Gryffindor for Hermione being an "insufferable little know-it-all" even when he is exasperated with other students' inability to answer his questions.
This meme is so funny because it not only blames the Gryffindors for something someone else did, which Snape has done before, but it also takes a whopping 50 points away for an infraction as minor as making noise in the hallway. It's also funny on a deeper level when you think about how Gryffindors are the likeliest wizards to make noise in the first place.
It Had To Be Snapes
One of the Internet's most beloved Snape memes crosses the character with another fan-favorite - Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones. As much as Indy hates snakes, the students of Hogwarts despise Snape, some of them to the point of anxiety and perhaps even depression. Snape sneering at Indy and judging him while he freaks out in the chamber of snakes is the perfect comparison for just how panic-inducing his presence can be for young Hogwarts students who fear being bullied by their own teacher.
Indy is also a pretty brave character, with Snape assuming he's in Gryffindor in the meme, and it takes something truly terrifying to phase him. Hence, Snapes!
The Greasy-Haired Git
The Marauders' Map wasn't lying when it mentioned the fact that Snape needed to wash his hair, "the slime-ball." Descriptions of Snape almost always mention how his hair is so greasy, and while this makes perfect sense for an adolescent struggling to deal with puberty, die-hard fans still want to know why it's so greasy now. Between being an adult and a potions master, there should be a way for Snape to keep clean.
Perhaps it's a nod to his lack of self-care in his guilt following the loss of Lily, or maybe it's a magical condition, much like the way Harry's hair can't stay straight. Then again, it could be because of this hilarious meme, which seems legit.
A Man Of Few Faces
Snape is often made fun of for having few facial expressions. Much like Keanu Reeves, who is also ripped on for having few expressions, Severus Snape is dark, mysterious and a secret do-gooder behind closed doors. We're betting that Keanu is much more wholesome and less creepy than Snape is in real life.
The funniest part of this meme is in the last panel where Snape has "Potter right where he wants him," which is where he gives the tiniest of grins as Harry reports for detention with the Potions Master. This must be Snape's expression of pure joy.