History Characters / HarryPotterSlytherin

* HateSink: In the first five books, all named Slytherin students that Harry meets are described as rude, racist, elitist bullies and cowards with no redeeming features or members whatsoever. To top it off, most are described as dumb and ugly, though this can be attributed to Harry being an UnreliableNarrator.

* PlanetOfHats: Until the sixth book, all Slytherins seen in the series are depicted as unpleasant people. They are either bullies, blood supremacists, or both.

* {{Foil}}: Collectively, they can be considered a foil to Dudley Dursley. Setting aside the easy comparisons of physique, Crabbe and Goyle capably match Dudley in the field of being stupid, incurious, thuggish louts whose only interest is bullying others. (Whatever traits of Dudley's aren't reflected by Crabbe and Goyle, such as his spoiled, ungrateful attitude and his leader-among-bullies persona, are instead reflected by Malfoy; see {{Foil}} under his entry.) However, whereas Dudley eventually wises up and begins the process of bettering himself and mending his relationship with Harry, Crabbe and Goyle only get worse after Snape takes over Hogwarts. It's especially salient that, while Dudley has taken his share of magical needling from mischievous but well-meaning characters like Hagrid and the Weasley twins, what prompts his eventual HeelFaceTurn is his one and only brush with the horrific power of *dark* magic, embodied by the AlwaysChaoticEvil dementors. By contrast, the allure of the Dark Arts is precisely what brings out the worst in Malfoy's sidekicks, even leading one of them (Crabbe in the book, Goyle in the film) across the MoralEventHorizon when he casts Fiendfyre in an attempt to kill the trio.

* AdaptationalComicRelief: Their stupidity is mostly played for laughs in the films, they’re also given much more comedic moments, whereas in the books, they did little more then flank Draco.

[[Characters/HarryPotterTheWeasleyFamily The Weasley Family]] | [[Characters/HarryPotterMinistryOfMagic Ministry of Magic]]\\

** ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets Chamber of Secrets]]'' has the Slytherins at a distinct advantage over Gryffindor due to their [[BuyingYourWayToVictory new brooms]], as well as a rogue Bludger forcing the Gryffindor Beaters to protect Harry instead of watching out for the rest of the team. This means that Slytherin is able to take an early 60-0 lead without much trouble. But Draco, instead of immediately trying to find the Snitch and win the game, gets so caught up in taunting Harry that he doesn't even notice the Snitch hovering ''inches'' above his own ear - but Harry does. This ends up costing Slytherin the game, and Flint tears a strip off of Draco for it.

* AdaptationalDumbass: Although Crabbe and Goyle aren't known for being smart in the books, they have one moment in the movies where they come off as even ''dumber''. ''Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'' has Harry, Ron, and Hermione leave potion-laced cupcakes on a random banister for the duo to eat in the original book, while in the movie, the Harry and Ron leave the cupcakes to ''randomly float around suspiciously in the air'' in front of Crabbe and Goyle. Ron even lampshades in the movie just how easily tricked the duo are when they eat the floating cupcakes without hesitation.

* AdaptationalDumbass: Although Crabbe and Goyle aren't known for being smart in the books, they have one moment in the movies where they come off as even ''dumber''. ''Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'' has Harry, Ron, and Hermione leave potion-laced muffins on a random banister for the duo to eat in the original book, while in the movie, the trio leave the muffins to ''randomly float around suspiciously in the air'' in front of Crabbe and Goyle. Ron even lampshades in the movie just how easy the duo are to trick.

** ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets Chamber of Secrets]]'' has the Slytherins at a distinct advantage over Gryffindor due to their [[BribingYourWayToVictory new brooms]], as well as a rogue Bludger forcing the Gryffindor Beaters to protect Harry instead of watching out for the rest of the team. This means that Slytherin is able to take an early 60-0 lead without much trouble. But Draco, the new seeker, is so focused on taunting Harry that he doesn't even notice the Snitch ''hovering inches above his own ear'' - and Harry does. This ends up costing Slytherin the game, and Flint tears a strip off of Draco for it.

** By the time of the Quidditch finals in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban Prisoner of Azkaban]]'', the Slytherins start off with a huge points advantage — they're far enough ahead on the scoreboard that Harry can't catch the Snitch until the Gryffindor Chasers score enough goals to close the gap, or else Gryffindor will win the game but lose the cup. But rather than utilize what is essentially free time for Malfoy to catch the Snitch and win the game, the entire team - Malfoy included - commits multiple blatant fouls that do nothing but give Gryffindor free scoring chances. Naturally, Gryffindor manages to close the gap and, via Harry catching the Snitch, wins both the game ''and'' the Quidditch cup.

* DickDastardlyStopsToCheat: Slytherin students have a bad habit of trying to sabotage other students to ensure their own success. More often than not, this tends to backfire on them.
** ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone Philosopher's Stone]]'' has Draco Malfoy discovering Harry, Ron, Hermione and Hagrid's plan to smuggle Norbert out of Hogwarts. Since he's ''also'' breaking curfew to do so, however, he ends up with detention alongside Harry, Hermione and Neville and gets points docked from Slytherin.
** During the Quidditch match in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets Chamber of Secrets]]'', Slytherin takes an early lead when a rogue Bludger forces the Gryffindor Beaters to protect Harry instead of watching out for the rest of the team. But Draco is so busy taunting Harry over it that he doesn't even notice the Snitch ''hovering inches above his own ear'' - and Harry does. This ends up costing Slytherin the game, and Flint tears a strip off of Draco for his lapse in concentration.
** The Slytherin Quidditch team seems to have a problem with this overall. By the time of the Quidditch finals in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban Prisoner of Azkaban]]'', Slytherin is in such a hefty lead on the scoreboard, all they have to do is delay the Gryffindor Chasers until Malfoy can catch the Snitch. Instead, the entire team - Malfoy included - commits multiple blatant fouls that do nothing but give Gryffindor free scoring chances. This essentially robs them of victory when Gryffindor manages to close the gap and, via Harry catching the Snitch, wins both the game ''and'' the Quidditch cup.

* DickDastardlyStopsToCheat: Due to their ambitious sides, Slytherin students have a bad habit of trying to screw over students from other houses to ensure their own success. This doesn't always work out, however:
** ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone Philosopher's Stone]]'' has Draco Malfoy ratting out Harry, Ron and Hermione over Hagrid's baby dragon... while also breaking school curfew to do so. This ends up getting points docked from Slytherin and Malfoy sharing detention with Harry.
** During the Quidditch match in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets Chamber of Secrets]]'', Slytherin takes an early 60-0 lead, as the rogue Bludger forces Fred and Gorge to protect Harry constantly, essentially leaving Gryffindor down two players. But instead of taking advantage to catch the Snitch and win the game, Malfoy spends more time jeering at Harry, meaning he ''doesn't notice when the Snitch is right over his head''. Lampshaded by Ron, who gleefully describes Flint tearing a strip off of Malfoy for his idiocy.
** The Slytherin Quidditch team seems to have a problem with this overall. ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban Prisoner of Azkaban]]'' sees the Quidditch final begin with Slytherin in such a hefty points lead on the scoreboard, all they have to do is delay the Gryffindor Chasers until Malfoy can catch the Snitch. Instead, the entire team - Malfoy included - commits multiple blatant fouls that do nothing but give Gryffindor free scoring chances. This essentially robs them of victory when Gryffindor manages to close the gap and, via Harry catching the Snitch, wins both the game ''and'' the Quidditch cup.

** The Slytherin Quidditch team seems to have a problem with this overall. ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban Prisoner of Azkaban]]'' sees the Quidditch final begin with Slytherin in such a 'massive' points lead on the scoreboard, all they have to do is delay the Gryffindor Chasers until Malfoy can catch the Snitch. Instead, the entire team - Malfoy included - commits multiple blatant fouls that do nothing but give Gryffindor free scoring chances. This essentially robs them of victory when Gryffindor manages to close the gap and, via Harry catching the Snitch, wins both the game ''and'' the Quidditch cup.

** The Quidditch match in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets Chamber of Secrets]]'' sees Slytherin take an early lead, as the rogue Bludger chasing Harry essentially leaves Gryffindor without their Beaters to assist the other Chasers. But instead of taking advantage to catch the Snitch and win the game, Malfoy spends more time laughing at Harry, meaning he ''doesn't notice when the Snitch is right over his head''. Lampshaded by Ron, who gleefully describes Flint tearing a strip off of Malfoy for his idiocy.
** The Slytherin Quidditch team seems to have a problem with this overall. ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban Prisoner of Azkaban]]'' sees the Quidditch final begin with Slytherin in a 'massive' points lead on the scoreboard, meaning that Harry can't catch the Snitch until Gryffindor's chasers can score enough goals to close the gap. But rather than buying time for Malfoy to catch the Snitch as soon as possible, the entire team - Malfoy included - commits multiple blatant fouls that do nothing but give Gryffindor free scoring chances. This essentially robs them of victory when Gryffindor does indeed close the gap and, via Harry catching the Snitch, wins both the game ''and'' the Quidditch cup.

** The Slytherin Quidditch team seems to have a problem with this overall. ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban Prisoner of Azkaban]]'' sees the Quidditch final begin with Slytherin in a 'massive'' points lead on the scoreboard, meaning that Harry can't catch the Snitch until Gryffindor's chasers can score enough goals to close the gap. But rather than buying time for Malfoy to catch the Snitch as soon as possible, the entire team - Malfoy included - commits multiple blatant fouls that do nothing but give Gryffindor free scoring chances. This essentially robs them of victory when Gryffindor does indeed close the gap and, via Harry catching the Snitch, wins both the game ''and'' the Quidditch cup.

** ''[[HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone Philosopher's Stone]]'' has Draco Malfoy ratting out Harry, Ron and Hermione over Hagrid's baby dragon... while also breaking school curfew to do so. This ends up getting points docked from Slytherin and Malfoy sharing detention with Harry.
** The Quidditch match in ''[[HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets Chamber of Secrets]]'' sees Slytherin take an early lead, as the rogue Bludger chasing Harry essentially leaves Gryffindor without their Beaters to assist the other Chasers. But instead of taking advantage to catch the Snitch and win the game, Malfoy spends more time laughing at Harry, meaning he ''doesn't notice when the Snitch is right over his head''. Lampshaded by Ron, who gleefully describes Flint tearing a strip off of Malfoy for his idiocy.
** The Slytherin Quidditch team seems to have a problem with this overall. ''[[HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban Prisoner of Azkaban]]'' sees the Quidditch final begin with Slytherin in a 'massive'' points lead on the scoreboard, meaning that Harry can't catch the Snitch until Gryffindor's chasers can score enough goals to close the gap. But rather than buying time for Malfoy to catch the Snitch as soon as possible, the entire team - Malfoy included - commits multiple blatant fouls that do nothing but give Gryffindor free scoring chances. This essentially robs them of victory when Gryffindor does indeed close the gap and, via Harry catching the Snitch, wins both the game ''and'' the Quidditch cup.

* SamusIsAGirl: {{Inverted}}, see ShesAManInJapan.

* TheCameo: In the films, an unnamed boy takes Nott’s place at the Slug Club meeting, he matches Nott’s book description as he is credited as ‘Skinny Boy’. Nott is the only Slug Club member missing, therefor he is most likely supposed to be the unnamed boy at the meeting.

* {{Jerkass}}: Pretty much all named Slytherins in the main series are assholes, except Slughorn, Andromeda Tonks, and possibly Regulus Black.

* {{Jerkass}}: To everyone, even Draco to an extent. He spends most of his scenes insulting those around him or scoffing at them.

%%* NotSoAboveItAll: Crabbe, frequently in the films.

%%* TerribleTrio: When partnered with Malfoy.

%%* {{Jerkass}}: To everyone, even Draco to an extent.

%%* SamusIsAGirl: {{Inverted}}.

%%* VillainousCheekbones

%%->'''Portrayed by:'''

%%* TheBrute: Act like this to Malfoy and the Death Eaters.

* DumbJock/DumbMuscle: Described as troll-like.

%%* CanonForeigner

%%* EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette: A double dose.

* DumbMuscle: Described as troll-like.

%%* JerkJock: One of the best examples in the series.

* TheRival: To Oliver Wood. Their rivalry seems to be more personal then that of other Quidditch captains throughout Harry's school year.

* TheVoiceless: They don't have a single line of dialogue for the whole first six books. Crabbe's NotSoHarmlessVillain moment in Deathly Hallows is all the more shocking by the fact that he [[SuddenlySpeaking actually gets to talk]]. Although it is clear that the Trio has heard them speak before, as Harry goes out of his way to correct Ron's speaking voice to sound more like Goyle's during the Polyjuice scene in Chamber of Secrets. Also, in the book, where they do get the voices of Crabbe and Goyle after their transformation, Harry/Goyle's voice is described as being a low rasp, while Ron/Crabbe's voice is described as being a deep grunt.

* AdaptationalHairstyleChange: Crabbe is described as having a bowl cut in the books, while his onscreen counterpart has closely-cropped black hair(Crabbe does have a bowl cut in the fifth movie, but has a shaved head in the sixth).

* DirtyCoward: When Voldemort delivers an ultimatum to Hogwarts in Book 7 to either surrender Harry or face a massive siege, she's more than ready to turn him in.