Harry Potter has made an appearance on UK currency to commemorate its quadranscentennial anniversary. The series remains as iconic 25 years later as it was when the world first got to see it, and Severus Snape receives a lot of love from this fandom.
The late Alan Rickman played the Potions master to perfection, and he really nailed some of his mannerisms from the books. The book and movie adaptations of Snape had small differences, but their similarities were greater. Rickman encapsulated the best and worst qualities of the dichotomous professor in a way that few actors could.
His Favor For Slytherin
Like his book counterpart, Snape in the movies took being head of Slytherin very seriously, but he had a very pointed leaning towards it. This meant that while Snape thought that Slytherin was the best House, he did so at the expense of students from other Houses by insulting or degrading them.
Rickman brought out this mannerism perfectly in the classroom and duel scenes where he openly mocked Gryffindors but spoke highly of Slytherins, even when Malfoy was messing around and being a disappointment, more often than not.
His Childhood Pain & Disdain For The Marauders
The scars that James, Sirius, Remus and Peter left on Snape were indelible, and fans could see the anger and anguish that Snape felt from their humiliation. They had abused him verbally and physically, and that led him to be incredibly furious with the world and with the quartet too.
Moviegoers could see the hatred that Severus had for his tormenters, and how that carried into his adult life. It formed the core of Snape's personality in both the books and movies.
His Love For Potions
Snape was truly great at his job, and his passion for Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts was performed par excellence by Alan Rickman. He was a wizard who loved the art of potion-making, but he was not the greatest teacher to his students, which was amply visible in the movies.
He spoke of brewing glory and bottling death with an obvious affinity for the craft. He had vied for the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts for a long time and was quite satisfied to have got it, as shown perfectly by Rickman.
His Deep Love For Lily
Nobody would have pegged Severus Snape to be a romantic, but Alan Rickman managed to depict his hidden love for Lily in the most emotional scene in the film, with finesse. The otherwise stoic and hateful man was a crumbling mess as he held a lifeless Lily in his arms, which was something only the great actor could achieve.
This undying affection for Lily was what drove Snape and influenced all of his life, so nailing the emotion and depth of the scene was absolutely imperative, which Rickman did beautifully.
His Complicated Relationship With Harry
Complicated just about summed up Snape and Harry's relationship, since he was James' son, but also Lily's. The Potions master was in a uniquely complex position, as he had to navigate feelings of love and hatred at the same time when it came to Harry Potter.
Most times, he hated Harry's guts, but then there were also times when he protected him. This paradox was brought to life by Alan Rickman, who could perform the tenderness and the hate that Snape had towards the boy. It was a constant struggle for him, which was evident in the movies.
His Meanness
The first trait that defined Severus Snape was his nastiness toward students and everyone, in general. He was a deeply dissatisfied, loathsome and disillusioned man, whose default setting was always cruelty, especially to Houses other than his and the Golden Trio.
Snape's verbal abuse was well captured by Alan Rickman, who emanated the meanness and unpleasantness that Snape's character was associated with at first glance. He treated people like dirt, scared children, and solidly made himself the most disliked character, at least in the first six movies.
His Regret Over His Dark Past
Alan Rickman's most poignant parts in Harry Potter were when he sat with Dumbledore and realized that his dark leanings had brought about Lily Potter's possible death, despite all of his efforts to prevent it. For the first time ever, he shed tears and showed vulnerability, begging Dumbledore to help.
Snape's biggest regret was joining the Death Eaters because that was what cost him the love of his life. Lily wanted nothing to do with him when he joined, and then the prophecy pointed toward her little family. Snape beat himself up for his choices, which Rickman portrayed fully.
His Dual Identity
The biggest secret of Potter was Snape's secret alliance with Dumbledore, which nobody knew except for Rowling and Rickman until the release of the book. The actor was clued into this, which is why he could so seamlessly act out the nuances of his double agent game in the movies.
There were some quotes, like the one where he told Harry that it was his job to know the Dark Lord's whereabouts, which were spoken with an obvious tone, which fans would put together after Deathly Hallows Part II. This was arguably one of the most important traits of the heroic Slytherin that Alan Rickman got right.
His Commitment To Dumbledore & Hogwarts
Being the grouchy and frightful man that Snape was regularly, his loyalty to Dumbledore was unwavering. He was committed to his mission to spy for him, at the cost of his own life, and Rickman's dedication to the cause as Snape was evident. Even in the early years, Snape always tried to protect the kids, despite his intimidating reputation.
He was always a part of faculty meetings and defended Harry, even when he was blamed for petrifying kids. He knew when to be rude and when to show his dedication to the school.
His Intelligence & Confidence
For all of his negative qualities, Snape was a smart man. He had above-average intelligence and was one of the greatest wizards of his time, which was evidenced by the fact that he taught at Hogwarts. When in a duel, Alan Rickman made sure to bring out his wizarding abilities and confidence.
Rickman's Snape was sharp and intelligent, and he knew it. He was the problem-solver for the school and could understand coded language and gestures easily, as seen in Order Of The Phoenix, in front of Umbridge.