Summary

• Slytherin House is often associated with evil, but there are good Slytherin wizards who embody traits like ambition and resourcefulness.
• Some good Slytherin wizards, like Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy, have proven themselves as heroes and made positive contributions to the Wizarding World.
• Despite Salazar Slytherin's prejudiced views, he created a house that allowed ambitious and cunning wizards to excel, and some of the greatest wizards, like Merlin, were Slytherins.

Out of the four Hogwarts houses in Harry Potter, Slytherin has a reputation for being the "evil" house, but there are some good Slytherin wizards. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was founded in the 10th century by the greatest wizards of the age: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. Each house boasts different admirable traits for its students, such as Gryffindor favoring the brave, but what Salazar Slytherin chose for his house was ambition, resourcefulness, determination, and cleverness. With the upcoming Harry Potter television series, there are new opportunities to explore some of the good Slytherin wizards and their stories.

Unfortunately, Salazar Slytherin was a prejudiced figure. It's worth noting that when Hogwarts was founded, muggles and wizards didn't have the best relations, often resulting in violence. Therefore, Slytherin only wanted to accept students of pure magical blood. This is eventually what drove Hogwarts founder Salazar Slytherin away from the rest of the founders, but his prejudice tainted the house for the future, and in turn, the house produced some of the most dastardly wizards throughout the ages. That being said, traits like ambition, resourcefulness, determination, and cleverness are not bad in and of themselves, and a handful of good Slytherin wizards prove the house isn't all evil.

16 Albus Potter

Harry Potter's Son

As Harry Potter's son and the only of Harry's children to be sorted into Slytherin, it doesn't come as much of a surprise that Albus became a positive force in the Wizarding World. One of the protagonists of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, Albus made several mistakes, but he ultimately saved the day with the help of his friends and family. In doing so, Albus prevented Delphi from saving Voldemort in the past, a plot that would have restored the Dark Lord to his full power. Albus Potter being so opposed to arguably the most evil wizard of all time is a prime example of how there aren't just good Slytherins — some are even heroes.

15 Scorpius Malfoy

Draco Malfoy's Son

The son of Draco Malfoy and Astoria Greengrass, Scorpius had a central role in The Cursed Child, where he is Albus' best friend. It makes sense that he became a vital component in the scheme to save the world and prevent Voldemort from coming back. Not only that, but Scorpius also saved Albus after he inadvertently got wiped out of the timeline by misusing the Time-Turner. If it weren't for Scorpius there is a good chance that Albus wouldn't even exist anymore. Like his father and grandmother before him, Scorpius managed to prove that not all Malfoys are inherently bad.

14 Lucius Malfoy

Malfoy's Father Left The Death Eaters When It Counted

Even though Lucius Malfoy did terrible things in the Harry Potter series, he made one great choice when he defected from the Death Eaters alongside his son and wife, in a moment of courage that shows how Gryffindors and Slytherins are similar. As well as abstaining from fighting in the final Battle of Hogwarts in favor of finding Draco, Lucius also gave valuable information and intel to the Ministry of Magic which led to the arrests of several Death Eaters after Voldemort was gone, ensuring that many of the Dark Lord's most avid followers were imprisoned.

13 Vincent Crabbe

Malfoy's Stooge Destroyed A Horcrux

Vincent Crabbe was one of Draco Malfoy's infamous cronies alongside Gregory Goyle. His good deed occurred in the final Harry Potter book in the Room of Requirement, although his status as one of the good Slytherin wizards was purely accidental. Crabbe set a dangerous Fiendfyre spell and lost total control over it, which resulted in his death. However, in the process, Crabbe's spell also destroys one of Voldemort's Horcruxes; the Ravenclaw Diadem. While Harry likely would have found another way to destroy it eventually, this move aided Harry in his arduous and time-sensitive quest.

12 Abraxas Malfoy

Draco Malfoy's Grandfather Was A Respected Good Slytherin

Very little is known about Abraxas Malfoy, father of Lucius, but he was a respected wizard in his time at Hogwarts, held in high esteem by the sometimes questionable Horace Slughorn. Even Draco was aware of his grandfather's popularity, as he tried to impress Slughorn enough to get an invitation to his club by mentioning him. Given that Slughorn didn't want anything to do with Death Eaters or criminals, it is unlikely that Abraxas was evil, making him one of the good Slytherins, at least not in any way that Slughorn could perceive. However, this didn't mean that Abraxas' son wouldn't be led down a dark path himself.

11 Draco Malfoy

Harry's Rival Chose Not To Cross A Line To Kill Dumbledore

It took a lot for Draco Malfoy to outgrow his arrogant, prejudiced, and cruel behaviors, but he deserves credit for actually getting there eventually, making him — shockingly — one of the good Slytherins by the end of Harry Potter. Malfoy experienced a lot of trauma when he was coerced into becoming an evil Death Eater, assigned to kill Albus Dumbledore, and afterward, he made a drastic turnaround when it came to Muggles and Muggle-born witches and wizards. This caused tension between Draco and his parents, but he made sure to raise his son to not look down on the people he had been raised to hate, proving that he wasn't a true Death Eater.

10 Phineas Black

He Stood Up For Muggle Rights

Not much is known about the younger Phineas Black, except for the fact that he distinguished himself from his purity-obsessed family when he stood up in support of Muggle rights, which led to his father disowning him. The father in question, Hogwarts headmaster Phineas Nigellus Black, had the dubious distinction of being the least popular headmaster in Hogwarts history. Phineas Nigellus hoped that all of his children would follow in his footsteps, but his eldest son and namesake rejected his views. In doing so, though, Phineas no doubt made the Wizarding World a bit of a better place.

9 Horace Slughorn

One Of Harry's Most Helpful Allies Was A Good Slytherin

Though Horace Slughorn was a social climber easily manipulated by Tom Riddle into revealing the secrets of Horcruxes, he eventually came clean about this to Harry Potter in a moment of Slytherin heroism which ultimately helped Harry to defeat Voldemort. Even though Slughorn was at fault in the first place, Tom Riddle's powers of persuasion cannot be underestimated, and for a man as vain as Slughorn, it was a big deal that he shared his most shameful moment with Harry to assist in the greater fight.

8 Narcissa Malfoy

Malfoy's Mother Hid The Truth About Harry Potter From Voldemort

Although Narcissa Malfoy had a reputation for caring little for anything or anyone outside of her own family, this Slytherin proved everyone wrong when she played a surprisingly crucial role in the defeat of Voldemort. When Narcissa could have declared Harry Potter alive, allowing Voldemort to defeat him for good, she prioritizes the safety of her son Draco above all else, and she disobeys Voldemort by lying to him, a moment of humanity which ultimately resulted in Harry's victory and Voldemort's destruction.

7 Leta Lestrange

Bellatrix's Ancestor Herself To Save Others

Leta Lestrange was a somewhat lonely girl at Hogwarts but eventually proved to be one of the good Slytherins. When the only people that Leta seemed to truly care for in her life, Theseus and Newt Scamander, were in mortal danger because of Gellert Grindelwald, Leta chose to provide enough of a distraction for the two of them to escape, and she sacrificed her own life in the process. She certainly knew that her attempt to hoodwink Grindelwald would get her killed, but saving her friends was worth it for the least evil character on the Lestrange family tree.

6 Andromeda Tonks

A Good Slytherin Was A Member Of The Order Of The Phoenix

The Black family is one of the oldest and purest wizard bloodlines in the Wizarding World, and they take pride in that. However, the Black Family has produced several good Slytherins. When a member of the Black family decides to defect in any way, then, the repercussions are fierce, and they are disowned, literally burned away from their family tree. This happened to Andromeda Black when she decided to marry a Muggle-born wizard named Ted Tonks. Nymphadora Tonks' mother, Andromeda, and her husband, Ted, were also allied with the Order of the Phoenix, showing just how much distance Andromeda Tonks got from her birth family.

5 Regulus Black

Sirius's Brother Tried To Destroy A Horcrux

Another good Slytherin wizard from the Black family is Regulus. While Sirius Black's younger brother Regulus Black seemed like he was more than willing to follow in the traditional Black family footsteps, as a wizard enamored with the Dark Arts and a true believer in Voldemort, he ultimately had a change of heart. Though Regulus was a loyal Death Eater in the First Wizarding War, he had doubts when he learned of Voldemort's Horcrux plan, and with the help of the house elf Kreacher, he stole one of the Horcruxes, and attempted to destroy it.

4 Severus Snape

The Most Famous Good Slytherin

With a complex morality that's still debated, Severus Snape both a divisive and tragic character, but it's undeniable that his secret loyalty to Dumbledore and eventual self-sacrifice earn him a spot among the heroes of this story. Snape put himself at risk for years by pretending to be loyal to Voldemort, all the while undermining He Who Must Not Be Named and waiting for the right moment to strike. There is so much about Snape the movies never had time to explore, especially his relationship with Lily Potter. The upcoming Harry Potter Max series could potentially do justice to Snape's character and the missing book material.

3 Salazar Slytherin

He Created His House To Develop Great Wizards

Salazar Slytherin certainly had some troublesome qualities, but that doesn't erase the fact that he was one of the founders of the greatest magical school in the world. Salazar had unjust notions of how the Wizarding World should look, and he was unfairly prejudiced against Muggles and Muggle-born witches and wizards, but still, he shaped Hogwarts into what it would become. Slytherin House's negative reputation may be in part because of its founder, but at the same time, Salazar Slytherin created a house that allowed those who prized ambition and cunning to maximize their abilities.

2 Merlin

One Of The World's Greatest Wizards Was Also A Good Slytherin

It is interesting that Slytherin has such a negative reputation among students because the wizard that arguably did the most for Muggle-wizard relations was a Slytherin himself. Famous in both the wizarding and Muggle communities, Merlin was a wizard who was open about his abilities and who did good for the world. A huge reason for that is that he intentionally revealed himself to Muggles in the hopes that the Wizarding and Muggle worlds could eventually become one. His grand ideas and impact on wizards led to the figure becoming immortalized on a Chocolate Frog Card.

1 Jacob Kowalski

While Not A Wizard, He Helped Save The World

While Jacob Kowalski of the Fantastic Beasts franchise may be a muggle, he still boasts an incredible Slytherin connection — his snakewood wand in The Secrets of Dumbledore. The only other person to own a snakewood wand was Salazar Slytherin himself, though his wand boasted a basilisk horn core, whereas Jacob's was hollow and, therefore, could not perform magic. Slytherin's snakewood wand boasted some healing properties, thanks to the tree that sprouted from his wand at Ilvermorny. Jacob's wand had a similar purpose, in that it assisted him in saving the Wizarding World. Jacob Kowalski's Slytherin connections to the Harry Potter house are undeniable.

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  Harry Potter

  Created by:

  J.K. Rowling

  First Film:

  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

  First TV Show:

  Harry Potter

  Cast:

  Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Tom Felton, Alan Rickman, Matthew Lewis, Bonnie Wright, Evanna Lynch, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Richard Harris, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Alfred Enoch, Harry Melling, Gary Oldman, Robert Pattinson, Warwick Davis, Oliver Phelps, James Phelps, David Bradley, David Thewlis, Katie Leung, Jason Isaacs, Imelda Staunton, David Tennant, Jamie Campbell Bower, Timothy Spall, Robbie Coltrane, Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Katherine Waterston, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Johnny Depp, Mads Mikkelsen

  TV Show(s):

  Harry Potter

  Movie(s):

  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Fantastic Beasts and the Crimes of Grindelwald, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

  Character(s):

  Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Rubeus Hagrid, Dobby the House Elf, Draco Malfoy, Sirius Black, Ginny Weasley, Voldemort