For fans of the Harry Potter series, Severus Snape is one of the most complex and controversial characters. There are some fans who really love him and his reception arc while others insist that he was an overall villain who didn’t deserve to be redeemed.

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These arguments also often revolve around James Potter and the fact that both of these men loved Lily Evans. But beyond that, who was really was more worthy of hate?

Snape: He took out his pain on those weaker than him

Split image of Snape and Neville in Harry Potter Cropped.v1

While Snape definitely did help Dumbledore and Harry bring down Voldemort, this doesn’t make him automatically a good person. He was a big help, and this can’t be ignored.

However, we also have to look at the way he treated others. Snape clearly dealt with abuse and a rough childhood, and he was picked on as the weird kid. However, instead of growing up to have compassion for others like him, he bullied his students, like Neville, relentlessly.

James: He was way too arrogant and stuck up

James Potter

James Potter might have grown out of some of these more negative traits, but mostly what we see and hear about him was of when he was at Hogwarts. He was attractive, smart, and talented, and so he was popular.

He was very stuck-up and thought he was above the rules. While these aren’t cardinal sins, he would have been annoying to be around.

Snape: Because he wasn’t just a victim

Young Snape

While some fans like to paint Snape as a total victim who couldn’t help becoming interested in the Dark Arts, this doesn’t make any sense. For one thing, the series has many other characters with rough childhoods, like Sirius and Harry, who grow up to be good people.

He also enjoyed bothering the Marauders and being up in their business.

James: He didn’t really respect what Lily wanted either

Geraldine Somerville as Lily Potter and Adrian Rawlins as James Potter in Harry Potter's memory.

Many fans rightfully criticize Snape for the way he treated Lily, and he definitely did worse things to her than James did. However, this doesn’t mean that James was perfect to her all the time either.

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While we don’t know a ton about their relationship as they got older, at least at first, Lily didn’t want anything to do with him. She made this very clear, but James was still pushy about trying to get her to date him.

Snape: He was an even bigger bully than James

Professor Snape

While James definitely participated in bullying behavior along with Sirius, we can’t forget that Snape was also a bully.

He definitely treated his students cruelly, and this is really messed up because he was in a position of power over them. But, even worse, he called Lily, his best friend at the time, what is the equivalent of a slur.

James: He came from a very privileged, loving home

James Potter as a teenager in Harry Potter

James really had a pretty easy life. He was born to loving parents who clearly had money and provided him with a good home. This isn’t a bad thing, and it’s not like this makes James a bad person.

He just was lucky to be born into good circumstances that not everyone has. But, because he did have things so easy, the fact that he could be so arrogant and bully others makes it harder to sympathize with him.

Snape: He becomes a Death Eater

Snape speaking to Voldemort at Malfoy Manor

James had his flaws. All people and characters have their flaws and their weaknesses, but James was always on the side of fighting against Voldemort and for equality.

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Snape, however, became a Death Eater. Even if he had a hard life in many ways, he went so far off the deep end to support someone like Voldemort. Let’s not forget that Voldemort wanted to get rid of Muggle-borns and Muggles, and Snape was totally okay with this. He became a Death Eater, and even one of Voldemort's most trusted.

Snape: His love for Lily was deeply disturbing

Snape cradles Lily's body in Harry Potter.

Snape’s love for Lily is often cited as one of his most redeeming qualities as it is what finally caused him to leave Voldemort’s side. However, this love wasn’t pure at all.

He did have Lily’s friendship all along, but he ruined that by choosing to align himself with an ideology that wanted people like her dead. He was then okay with Voldemort murdering her son and husband. This isn’t very redeeming.

James: He knew better than to take his actions with Snape too far

Snape's memories of James and friends tormenting him in Harry Potter.

While Snape is overall the worse person when you look at the things he did in his life, James did definitely no better than to do some of the things he did. Snape was raised in an abusive household and in poverty, and he wasn’t liked at school either.

So, while it makes sense for James to not like the fact he was into the Dark Arts, he took things too far by doing things like exposing his underwear. That was harassment and not okay.

Snape: Snape was into dark arts and hateful ideology as a teen

Young Snape reading a book

James can come off as an arrogant jerk, and he definitely wasn’t perfect. But, the fact is that Snape got into the dark arts and the same ideology that Voldemort supported early on.

He was openly in with a group of eventual Death Eaters, and this is really weird given his friendship with Lily. It’s not surprising that other students wouldn’t have approved of this.

NEXT: Harry Potter: The Marauders’ Worst Mistakes That Changed Everything