History Characters / FantasticBeastsGrindelwaldsArmy

** They also have radically different origins and relationships with Dumbledore. While Grindelwald was born into a respectable wizarding family, knew of magic and his nature from birth and was a lover of Dumbledore's during their teen years, Voldemort was raised in a muggle orphanage, was unaware of magic until well into his childhood and was a child when Dumbledore was already into middle-age, their relationship being that of a student/teacher rather than peers or romantic.

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: We see Grindelwald completely obliterate five Aurors with a ''single spell'' in the first ten seconds of the film, establishing his OneManArmy credibility.

* EvilFormerFriend: Just out of school, Grindelwald became a "friend" to Dumbledore, who actively supported Grindelwald's call for a benevolent dictatorship over {{Muggle}}kind. After the death of Ariana, though, Grindelwald abandons his friend while becoming even more extreme in his magical supremacism.

** In the third film when they meet in the restaurant, he is the one who makes their meeting more overtly romantic. He opens with a flirty smile and a pick-up line, asking if the restraunt is one of his "regular haunts" with the clear implication he's asking if he's sleeping with someone else. He straightens up and smiles and then they banter back and forth for a bit with lots of flirting to go around and the conversation only really takes a downturn when Albus mentions they could be free of the pact. There was even an alternative take where he kissed him on the neck as he left. By the end, he's almost crying as he realizes things are over for good between them and can only lash out with, "Who will love you now, Dumbledore? You're all alone!" which is the only time he's ever verbalized the love to the audience.

* NoPronunciationGuide: It wasn't quite clear how his name was supposed to be pronounced. Most British and American characters pronounced it as "Grin-dull-wold"; Viktor Krum in the ''Goblet of Fire'' book refers to him as "Grindelvald" in FunetikAksent; Voldemort in the ''Deathly Hallows'' film addresses him as "Grindel-volt", but no book source supported this. In ''The Crimes of Grindelwald'', Dumbledore, who knew him personally and used to be friends with him, also pronounces his name as "Grindel-volt" even though he uses "Gellert" when he's with people he knows better.

** Although both are described as handsome in their younger years, Voldemort is TallDarkAndHandsome while Grindelwald is blonde. Voldemort's forays into dark magic twists his appearance into something akin to a snake or a living corpse but Grindelwald keeps his normal human features and remains handsome into middle age, although pre-recast his design had bleached skin and hair, though never to the extent of making him look inhuman. The Mikkelsen version of the character has Mikkelsen's rugged good looks and suave, charismatic appearance, which makes him all the more dangerous as a way to manipulate people into believing his benevolence.

** Although both very gifted students, Riddle was better at hiding his true nature during his school days with only Dumbledore really knowing there was more to him and even he was never able to prove anything. He charmed both Dippet and Slughorn, so much that Dippet had to be talked out of giving him a job at Hogwarts. Grindelwald was less inclined to stay on the right side of authority and was expelled from Durmstrang (a school which was much more tolerant of the Dark Arts than Hogwarts) when he took an experiment too far.
** Grindelwald treats his underlings with more respect and trust than Voldemort ever did, relying on his charm, charisma and showing them kindness in contrast to Voldemort ruling only through fear. He will even trust them with important tasks to do without him such as letting Vinda run offense to recruit Queenie by herself. He only ever punishes people for their disloyalty and never for earnest screw ups like Voldemort did. This makes him a more effective villain and leader because his minions respect and trust him back whereas Voldemort's BadBoss tendencies always ended up biting him in the ass and lead to his downfall at the hands of three teenagers after not even a year in power. And while many of Voldemort's followers did so largely due to fear of being in his path, Grindelwald's supporters are genuinely loyal to him and believe in his cause.

* EvilVirtues: Despite all the wrong he's done, he's not a complete monster and possess a number of noble character traits including but not limited to dedication, loyalty, and love.

* SilverTongue: He uses rhetoric and ideals to sway to masses. He's so charismatic that the Magical Congress of the United States of America decided it would be best to simply remove his tongue altogether. [[spoiler: Too bad it wasn't Grindelwald.]]

'''Appears in:''' ''Film/FantasticBeastsAndWhereToFindThem'' | ''Film/FantasticBeastsTheCrimesOfGrindelwald'' [[note]] Guthrie was fired from the third film after being charged with sexual assault, for which he was found guilty. WB confirmed that he’d never filmed anything but since there’s not a full cast list, it’s unclear if the role was recast.[[/note]]

* ActorSwap: The role was recast from Depp to Mikkelsen between the second and third films when Depp was found civilly responsible for spousal abuse in the British court system in late 2020. [[note]] The judge in the case found it was legally permissible to call him a "wife beater" based on having found 12 instances of alleged domestic more likely than not to have happened. [[/note]]

The two of them took together immediately and even began a romantic relation, with plans to go find the Hallows and subjugate Muggles "for the greater good". However, before they left Aberforth confronted them over their plans to take Ariana with them. A fight ensued between the three of them when he attacked Aberforth and Ariana was killed in the chaos, though no one knows who was the one who did it. He went back home to not get in trouble and started looking for the Hallows himself, eventually gaining the Elder Wand from Gregorovitch.

In the 1920s, he began wage his campaign to overthrow the statue in earnest. A seer, he eventually finds his way to New York City in search of an Obscurial to kill Dumbledore which is the plot of the first film. In the second, he escapes prison in New York to go to Paris to attempt to manipulate both Credence Barebone and Queenie Goldstein into coming to his rally and join his side. After a time skip into the third, he attempts to get elected the head of the International Confederation of Wizards by zombifying a magical creature known as Qilin, which can recognize a pure hearted leader.

** He's one of the oldest examples in the books as well as the one that takes the longest to pay off. He's first mentioned on Dumbledore's Chocolate Frog Card in the first book, then never directly mentioned or referenced again [[note]]There are several vague statements that could be interpreted as being about him such as the boy Dumbledore mentions that made all the wrong choices[[/note]] until the final book, where he plays a major role in the {{backstory}}.

* ConsummateLiar: He lied to Credence left and right in the first film and spoke in half truth and hypocrisy in the second. Which made his revelation to Credence at the end of that film all the more questionable. Although it ended up not being an outright lie, rather just an exaggeration or half truth.

** Although both very gifted students, Riddle was better at hiding his true nature during his school days with only Dumbledore really knowing there was more to him and even he wasn't able to ever prove anything. He charmed both Dippet and Slughorn, so much that Dippet had to be talked out of giving him a job at Hogwarts. Grindelwald was less inclined to stay on the right side of authority and was expelled from Durmstrang (a school which was much more tolerant of the Dark Arts than Hogwarts) when he took an experiment too far.
** Grindelwald treats his underlings with more respect and trust than Voldemort ever did, relying on his charm, charisma and showing them kindness in contrast to Voldemort ruling only through fear. He will even trust them with important tasks to do without him such as letting Vinda run offense to recruit Queenie by herself. He only ever punishes people for their disloyalty and never for earnest screw ups like Voldemort did. This makes him a more effective villain and leader because his minions respect and trust him back whereas Voldemort's BadBoss tendencies always ended up biting him in the ass and lead to his downfall at the hands of three teenagers after not even a year in power and left him in a period of half-death for sixteen years as none of his inner circle wanted to bring him back. And while many of Voldemort's followers did so largely due to fear of being in his path, Grindelwald's supporters are genuinely loyal to him and believe in his cause.

** They also have radically different origins and relationships with Dumbledore. While Grindelwald was born into a respectable wizarding family, knew of magic and his nature from birth and was a lover of Dumbledore during their teen years, Voldemort was raised in a muggle orphanage, was unaware of magic until well into his childhood and was a child when Dumbledore was already into middle-age, their relationship being that of a student/teacher rather than peers or romantic.

* EvilFormerFriend: Just out of school, Grindelwald became a "friend" to Dumbledore, who actively supported Grindelwald's call for a benevolent dictatorship over {{Muggle}}kind. After the death of Dumbledore's sister, though, Grindelwald abandons his friend while becoming even more extreme in his magical supremacism.

* FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon: He's always mentioned as being handsome in ''Deathly Hallows'' with Harry noting that he had blonde curls and a merry disposition, going so far as to compare him to Fred and George. Although the Depp version of the character had a more overtly villainous design, Depp is still Depp. When Mikkelsen took over, the design went back to being more of a conventionally handsome middle-aged man with his sharp and rugged features. However, under that handsome face lurks a manipulative extremist with an explosive temper who's capable of incredible cruelty and violence when pushed.

* ActorSwap: The role was recast from Depp to Mikkelsen between the second and third films when Depp was found responsible for domestic violence in a civil court case in the UK in late 2020.

* FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon: Every description of Grindelwald as a young man credits him as very handsome, and in the first two films, he's portrayed by Johnny Depp, whose handsome features are not greatly marred by Grindelwald's colourless appearance. Once Mikkelsen took over the role, he became more conventionally attractive. If nothing else, Grindelwald's good looks were a big part of what won him the heart of a young Albus Dumbledore. Beneath all that beauty, however, lurks a manipulative extremist who, while [[KnightTemplar believing himself righteous]], is capable of exceptional violence and cruelty. This stands in sharp contrast to Voldemort who was [[IWasQuiteALooker strikingly handsome as a young man]] but was morphed into a [[EvilMakesYouUgly hairless, inhuman being closer to a snake than a man by his dark magic]].

* LackOfEmpathy: He puts on a good show of compassion when the situation calls for it, and he does showcase some moments of genuine empathy, but when it comes to oppositions, Grindelwald's concern for innocent life is decidedly lacking. Even as a teenager, he had no problem torturing Aberforth and [[AmbiguousSituation may have]] killed Ariana. [[spoiler:At the climax of ''The Crimes of Grindelwald'', he abandons Paris to what he believes will be its destruction with a sneer]]. His care only extends to one person.

* QueerFlowers: Outside of the Graves impersonation in the first movie, he's usually wearing some sort of floral. He can be seen wearing a white carnation (a symbol of being gay since Oscar Wilde's day) on his lapel in several scenes in the second movie and is wearing a lavender patterned vest in the flashback scene where they're making the blood pact. In the third movie, his main costume's tie is made of the same pattern.

* StraightGay: Doesn't show any stereotypical gay traits (other than perhaps being a bit dramatic) or mannerisms.

* FalseFriend: He acts very differently to different people depending on what they need emotionally, only to stab them in the back when he no longer needs them. Credence wants a family so he acts paternal. He heals his bruises from his mother, hugs him, and tries to guide him with the promise of knowing his identity[[note]] although it’s unclear if Credence knows Grindelwald and Graves are the same person[[/note]], etc. He acts kindly to Tina in the first movie over the loss of her job, presumably to get either her or Queenie on his side, but sentences her to death the moment he slips up and says too much. He convinces Queenie in the second movie that he's on her side and wants her to be free to be with Jacob but as soon as any need for pretense is ended, he tells the crowd in Bhutan what he truly thinks of their relationship and then tortures Jacob.

* LackOfEmpathy: He puts on a good show of compassion when the situation calls for it, and he does showcase some moments of genuine empathy, but when it comes to oppositions, Grindelwald's concern for innocent life is decidedly lacking. Even as a teenager, he had no problem torturing Aberforth and [[AmbiguousSituation may have]] killed Ariana. [[spoiler:At the climax of ''The Crimes of Grindelwald'', he abandons Paris to what he believes will be its destruction with a sneer.]]

* TheyLookJustLikeEveryoneElse: He is man who is described in the books as having been very handsome pre-imprisonment and never turned twisted his appearance the way Voldemort did. Even in the present of the books, he’s described as looking like you’d expect an old man who’s spent half a century in prison to look like. While Depp portrayed the character as having bleached skin and hair and a weird eye, post recast the design swung the pendulum back. He looks like a banker or lawyer and this makes him all the scarier, especially with a run for office. It’s a means to convince others of his benevolence and hide behind the real extent of his agenda.

* WellIntentionedExtremist: He fashions himself as this, revealing his true goal is to stop Muggles from killing themselves and wizards in pointless wars for power by enslaving them. How much he truly believe that is open for interpretation, however.

** They also have radically different origins and relationships with Dumbledore. While Grindelwald was born into a respectable wizarding family, knew of magic and his nature from birth and was a lover's of Dumbledore during their teen years, Voldemort was raised in a muggle orphanage, was unaware of magic until well into his childhood and was a child when Dumbledore was already into middle-age, their relationship being that of a student/teacher rather than peers or romantic.

'''Voiced by:''' Creator/HiroakiHirata (Japanese, in the ''Fantastic Beasts'' films), Bruno Choël (French, in the ''Fantastic Beasts'' films), Luis Posada (European Spanish, ''Fantastic Beasts''), Enrique Cazorla (European Spanish, ''Deathly Hallows''), Creator/RicardoTejedo (Latin American Spanish, ''Fantastic Beasts'' and ''Crimes of Grindelwald''), Creator/GerardoReyero (Latin American Spanish, ''The Secrets of Dumbledore'') , Ernesto Casillas (Latin American Spanish, ''Deathly Hallows''), Marco Antônio Costa (Brazilian Portuguese, ''Fantastic Beasts''), Jorge Lucas (Brazilian Portuguese, ''Crimes of Grindelwald''), Creator/MarioMonjardim (Brazilian Portuguese, ''Deathly Hallows Part 1'') \\

* TheMole: [[spoiler:Grindelwald's inside man in the German Ministry of Magic.]].

* CoolPet: He had a baby Chupacabra named Antonio. Chupacabras have many spines and teeth, and are affiliated with dark arts. Plus, Antonio helped Gellert escape prison. Also, Chupacabras are said to prey on goats, and Gellert hates Aberforth who loves goats.

* PoisonousFriend: To Dumbledore. He unleashes all of young Dumbledore's worst impulses and caused him to neglect his younger siblings in favour of their plan to subjugate the Muggles. Per WordOfGod[[invoked]], this was deliberate -- he knew Dumbledore was in love with him, and manipulated that love to chain Dumbledore by his side.

[[center: [- [[Characters/FantasticBeasts Main Character Index]] | [[Characters/FantasticBeastsNewtScamanderAndFriends Newt Scamander and friends]] | '''Grindelwald's Army''' | [[Characters/FantasticBeastsNewYorkCity New York City]] | [[Characters/FantasticBeastsOthers Others]] | [[Characters/FantasticBeastsMagicalCreatures 8Magical Creatures]]]]-]

[[center: [- [[Characters/FantasticBeasts Main Character Index]] | [[Characters/FantasticBeastsNewtScamanderAndFriends Newt Scamander and friends]] | '''Grindelwald's Army''' | [[Characters/FantasticBeastsNewYorkCity New York City]] | [[Characters/FantasticBeastsOthers Others]] | [[Characters/FantasticBeastsMagicalCreatures Magical Creatures]]]]-]

** Grindelwald also has a very different dynamic with Newt compared to Voldemort and Harry. While Voldemort and Harry were moral enemies who absolutely hated one another and have a dark past, Newt and Grindelwald have no real relationship with one another and only met by pure chance because Newt happened to be in New York on an unrelated matter when Grindelwald escaped. And other than some fairly petty and misplaced jealousy about his relationship with Dumbledore, Grindelwald has no personal animosity towards Newt in sharp contrast to Voldemort [[TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou insisting that he be the one to kill Harry.]]

* NoPronunciationGuide: It wasn't quite clear how his name was supposed to be pronounced. Most British and American characters pronounced it as "Grin-dull-wold"; Viktor Krum in the ''Goblet of Fire'' book refers to him as "Grindelvald" in FunetikAksent; Voldemort in the ''Deathly Hallows'' film addresses him as "Grindel-volt", but no book source supported this. In ''The Crimes of Grindelwald'', Dumbledore, who knew him personally and used to be friends with him, also pronounces his name as "Grindel-volt".

The two of them took together immediately and even began a romantic relation, with plans to go find the Hallows and subjugate Muggles "for the greater good". However, before they left Aberforth confronted them over their plans to take Ariana with them. A fight ensued between the three of them when he attacked Aberforth and Ariana was killed in the chaos, though no one knows who was the one who did it. He went back home to not and started looking for the Hallows himself, eventually gaining the Elder Wand from Gregorovitch.

A Dark wizard defeated by Dumbledore in 1945, decades before Harry Potter's birth. He was briefly mentioned in the first book but pops back up in the backstory of ''The Deathly Hallows''. It is revealed in that book that he and Dumbledore had met each other as teenagers when he was expelled from school and sent to the UK to stay with his great aunt, Bathilda Baghshot, who was the Dumbledores' neighbor. They worked together to find the eponymous magical object with the eventual goal of overthrowing the International Statue of Secrecy and subjugating Muggles “for the greater good”. They even became romantically entangled but their relationship fell apart when he tortured Aberforth and Ariana was killed in the ensuing fight between the three of them. He would be locked in his castle, Nuremgard, from the time of his defeat until his death half a century later when he lets Voldemort kill him when he comes calling looking for the Elder Wand, as a means to stop him from getting it as well as to stop Voldemort from desecrating his old partner’s tomb.

* StraightGay: Doesn't show any stereotypical gay traits.

* ActorSwap: The role was re-cast from Depp to Mikkelsen between the second and third films when Depp was found responsible for domestic violence in a civil court case in the UK in late 2020.

* BadassLongcoat: In both his guise as [[spoiler:Percival Graves]] and his true appearance, Grindelwald favours long, flowing coats.

** He's one of the oldest examples in the books as well as the one that takes the longest to pay off. He's first mentioned on Dumbledore's Chocolate Frog Card in the first book, then never mentioned or referenced again until the final book, where he plays a major role in the {{backstory}}.
** In the film, he's mentioned as a distant, serious danger and the cause of much of the worry about relations between wizards and No-Majs early in the film, only to be revealed at the very end as the BigBad.

** They also have radically different origins and relationships with Dumbledore. While Grindelwald was born into a respectable wizarding family, knew of magic and his nature from birth and was a lover's of Dumbledore during their teen years, Voldemort was raised in a muggle orphanage, was unaware of magic until well into his childhood and was a child when Dumbledore was already into middle-age, their relationship being that of a student/teacher rather than peers.
** Grindelwald also has a very different dynamic with Newt compared to Voldemort and Harry. While Voldemort and Harry were moral enemies who absolutely hated one another and have a dark past, Newt and Grindelwald have no real relationship with one another and only met by pure chance because Newt happened to be in New York on an unrelated matter when Grindelwald escaped. And other than some jealousy about his relationship with Dumbledore, Grindelwald has no personal animosity towards Newt in sharp contrast to Voldemort [[TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou insisting that he be the one to kill Harry.]]

* NoSenseOfPersonalSpace: He tends to stand really close to someone he threatens or sways, as he did to Credence, Krall, and [[spoiler:Queenie]]. He also pulls Spielman awfully close and does a little turn with him before throwing him out of the flying carriage during his prison break.

** He's essentially the Voldemort to Dumbledore's Harry Potter. For better or for worse, he was arguably the most significant figure in Albus Dumbledore's life. Their brief friendship together and the tragedy from the ensuing fallout helped shape Dumbledore into the man he was during the original series. It isn't all that different from how Voldemort's murder of Harry's parents helped shape Harry, as it forced him to live an abusive childhood with the Dursleys.