The two factions that make up the good and bad sides in the Harry Potter series are the Order of the Phoenix and the Death Eaters. Set up by Albus Dumbledore and Voldemort, respectively, the two groups faced off against one another during the two Wizarding Wars.
Harry was never a member of the Order of the Phoenix, meaning his contributions to the war against Voldemort are independent of the Order’s achievements. The story brought a lot of plot armor where relevant, so a look at either group’s ability to challenge the other is certainly fascinating and the best way to do so is to assess where their strengths lie.
Power & Influence: Death Eaters
The Death Eaters were able to penetrate just about every department in the Ministry of Magic, to the point where they disposed of the Minister as well. Before that, Death Eaters like Lucius Malfoy and Augustus Rookwood, among others used their connections to manipulate the Ministry to further Voldemort’s gains.
The Order of the Phoenix never had any power outside of Hogwarts, and even there Lucius had been able to get Dumbledore sacked. The Death Eaters were always shown to be in positions of power, whereas the Order would have to contend with operating from the shadows.
Loyalty & Synergy: The Order
Considering most Death Eaters like the Malfoys were inherently cowards, this one is an easy point in favor of the Order. Most of them were fully loyal to Dumbledore while also managing to work with outsiders like Mundungus Fletcher and Madam Maxime through this level of trust.
In the Battle of Hogwarts, the Order of the Phoenix never broke their ranks even when they were clearly losing. Meanwhile, a number of Death Eaters effectively abandoned Voldemort after Harry was revealed to be alive, establishing that the Order would stand together when it mattered most.
Ruthlessness: Death Eaters
This proved to be the game-changer in the match-ups between the Death Eaters and the Order of the Phoenix, as the former were always ready to kill while the latter held back. It led to Bellatrix Lestrange and Antonin Dolohov murdering Remus Lupin and Tonks, respectively, while the Death Eaters fighting the Order at Ministry ended up winning as well.
The Death Eaters also made use of characters like Fenrir Greyback, who was more than willing to savage his prey. The Order members were far too soft in this department, to the point where they would even let go of the Death Eaters they defeated, who would inevitably return to fight them.
X-Factor Characters: The Order
These are the characters Dumbledore was right to place his trust in, as they managed to bamboozle the Death Eaters. The best one has to be Severus Snape, who was successful in making Voldemort believe he was on his side and planted the seeds to his downfall.
The Death Eaters didn’t have anyone who could turn the tide in a major way after the war began, with their greatest combatants like Bellatrix Lestrange and Barty Crouch being too unhinged. The Order also had the likes of Mad-Eye Moody, who proved instrumental in rounding up Death Eaters during the first war.
Variety Of Magical Powers & Abilities: Death Eaters
There wasn’t much range of skill present in Order of the Phoenix members, with pretty much all of them making use of hexes or advanced jinxes. Meanwhile, Death Eaters showed off incredible skills, such as Barty Crouch brewing Polyjuice Potion, Bellatrix’s mastery of Occulumency, along with Death Eaters knowing many forms of torture to dispense with opponents.
In addition, the Death Eaters displayed a kind of mastery with Unforgivable Curses that the Order would be hopeless against. They had tapped deep into the Dark Arts to unlock spells that the Order members wouldn’t even know about.
Willpower: The Order
The Death Eaters don’t have the ability to conjure Patronuses since they operate mainly out of fear. On the other hand, the Order members displayed a mastery at this, so much so that they could send messages through their Patronuses.
Their willpower allowed them to persevere through the Wizarding Wars, seeing as they were outnumbered both times but still rallied together to put up a stand. The Order didn’t break under torture, questioning, or when they were under threat while only staunch Death Eaters like Bellatrix and Barty Crouch displayed these traits.
Tactics: Death Eaters
There was little to no strategy involved where the Order was concerned, with their main motive simply to convince people to join their side. The Death Eaters were far smarter, knowing that the Ministry hardly got anything right and made full use of any gaps in the system.
Voldemort extended partnerships toward giants, werewolves, and Dementors, all as a way to tactically get these strong creatures on his side. A minor like Malfoy was used strategically to infiltrate Hogwarts to take down Dumbledore. The Death Eaters had moles and Snatchers everywhere from the Ministry to Gringotts, and even settlements like Godric’s Hollow, all of which gave them a distinct advantage.
Strongest Member: The Order
The leaders of the Order of the Phoenix and the Death Eaters only squared off once when Albus Dumbledore and Voldemort duked it out in the Ministry of Magic. However, it was clear that Dumbledore was stronger, with Voldemort remaining in the shadows throughout much of Dumbledore’s lifetime.
Dumbledore was also able to round off almost all the Death Eaters on his own, proving that he could very well carry the Order on his own. While this was hardly sustainable — Dumbledore’s death was detrimental to the Order — he was easily the strongest player on the board across both sides.
Established Feats: Death Eaters
When it comes to accomplishments, the Death Eaters easily win. After all, they can boast about killing strong Order members like James, Lily, Remus, Sirius, the Prewett brothers, Mad-Eye, and permanently harming the Longbottoms. Barty Crouch was able to fool Dumbledore himself and hand Harry straight to Voldemort.
Even a weak member like Wormtail masterminded the kidnapping of Bertha Jorkins and the spell to bring Voldemort’s body back, while Bellatrix defeated the Order members almost single-handedly at the Ministry. Snape had been able to alert Voldemort of the prophecy, who would have followed through with it had the former not switched sides.
Winner: Death Eaters
It may be a tough reality for Harry Potter fans to swallow, but the Death Eaters definitely triumph over the Order of the Phoenix. In addition to greater numbers, they also have wider skillsets, killer instinct, and the backing of the greatest dark wizard of all time.
The Order is generally a one-man show of Dumbledore, without whom the faction is largely listless. Their willpower can’t be understated, but the Order doesn’t have the feats the Death Eaters accomplished. In the end, it was Harry who defeated Voldemort and the Death Eaters when the Order had already been beaten by their foes.