In theHarry Potterseries , one of the main antagonists is Severus Snape .   Unsurprisingly , audiences still debate about where he lands on the morality spectrum . He turned out to be more of a good guy than fans initially thought , and his more or less sticky past tense with Harry ’s sire was expose —   which did not paint James in a unspoiled light at all . understandably , he was a complex character , with some fans and some haters . Some would actually fence that James was the unsound person who made Snape what he became ; others would argue that Snape ’s misbehavior were far bad than James ' .

Each of them has their ripe traits and forged , but relatively speaking , who was the bad out of these two Marauder’s - epoch characters ?

Updated on January 3rd , 2022 by Hilary Elizabeth : Although much of their characterization and story was build before the contemporary storyline in Harry Potter even begin , James Potter and Severus Snape are two complex and dynamic characters whose mien in the serial changed the track of Wizarding history . Many   aspects of each of their personality and experience   should be taken into account in order of magnitude to give a thoroughgoing compare of the two .

Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter and Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley looking at a crystal ball in Harry Potter.

James Potter Was The Worst Because

He Was Privileged

It ’d be a lie to claim James Potter did n’t grow up a very apparently privileged minor , and it render him a second of an ego in school . As a child , it seems safe to usurp James did n’t know hardship . He was pure - blood , so faced no discrimination at Hogwarts , his parent were both rich and loving , and he was popular .

exclusive right does n’t always mechanically create unsound people , but it can certainly give them an inflated sense of ego - grandness . And boy , it sure did make that in James . He seemingly had everything but was willing to harass those who had nothing .

He Was A Bully In School

James was a bully in school day — to the point that even the biggest of James Potter apologist ca n’t deny this .

He mercilessly teased Snape , and in one particularly horrific remembering , hung him upside down and exposed him in front of the entire school . He may have been a adolescent , but there ’s no denying that it make an especially cruel tyke to do this . He was understandably democratic and well - liked , so the fact that he used his status to hurt others is not a unspoilt feel .

He Harassed Lily Evans

James was in spades far too pushy with Lily at schooltime . His crush on her knew no bounds , and he tried repeatedly to   convince her to go steady him even though she systematically enunciate no .

This behavior is not all right , and when Lily denied him , he should have listened .   They might have wound up together in the oddment , but James should have let his personality and action speak for themselves and waited for Lily to descend around and actually reciprocate his feeling . His aggressive attitude did not age well .

He Relied Too Much On His Friends

It ’s capital that the piranha ( save for Peter Pettigrew ) were closer than brothers and would literally die to protect one another . But James was credibly a little too reliant on his friends .

Not only didmaking Wormtail his Secret Keeperhave fatal aftermath , but honestly , couch his life , as well as the animation of his married woman and child , in the handwriting of his pals was too slap-up a risk for the Potters and the marauders both .

He Had A Huge Ego

From what buff hump of James , he definitely had a huge ego . He absolutely loved himself and seemed to find no fault in any of his actions .

Sure , that ’s really nice and self - love is smashing , but there ’s a difference between confidence and haughtiness , and it ’s a line James cross , frankly , far too many times . A little humility could have go a farsighted manner , and his cockiness had a negative effect on him as well as everyone around him .

He Took Unnecessary Risks

James joining the Order of the Phoenix to defeat Voldemort was undeniably the virtuously right thingto do . However , a fair controversy could be made that James himself should not have done it .

James had a sept that he needed to search out for , and his involution in the Wizarding War could have induce him killed even aside from the prophecy about Harry that drive Voldemort towards his class . conjoin the fray was a huge peril , and it ’s one that James possibly should have reconsidered .

Severus Snape Was The Worst Because

He Was An Outcast

Severus Snape had much more menial beginnings than most , making him more large-hearted as a baby . His pathetic hygiene made him a target for bullying in shoal . He was talented and clever , but he was in the main treated as if he did n’t belong . He grew up pathetic and his Fatherhood was most emphatically scurrilous .

He definitely needed some kindness show to him at Hogwarts that he almost never received , and what makes it worse is that James was one of his biggest tormentors .

He Was A Bully As An Adult

He had a jumpy life , but to take it out on citizenry dependent on him , in a teaching position , was a gross abuse of exponent disregardless of what had hap to him in the past tense .

He Was Dangerously Obsessed With Lily

Snape may have called   Lily Evans a Mudblood , but he could never get over   her , to the point that it was unsettling and pretty grievous .

He was the one who send out Voldemort after the family unit in the first lieu and had selfishly thought that Voldemort might save Lily . He was literally unforced to get her integral kin off to have her . Even year later , he treat her boy awfully because Harry was a constant reminder that she had chosen James . Yes , he protected Harry , but Snape ’s all - consuming obsession did life - changing damage to many people .

He Turned On His Best Friend

Lily Evans was Severus Snape ’s first Quaker , and for a very longsighted time , she was likely his only true ally .

Clearly , Severus had a really hard prison term at school , but the fact that he accept it out on Lily and treat her so poorly speculate very badly on him . He jolly perfectly personify the old expression " with booster like these , who need enemies , " and the fact that he could turn on the mortal who was the tolerant to him says a lot .

He’s A Classic “Nice Guy”

Snape seemed to feel very entitled to Lily ’s time and attention , and when their friendship began to go south , he react in what might just be the worst way possible .

His obsession on her and their lost kinship was so over the top that it literally got Lily ( and James ) wipe out , and he gave up on someone who really cared about him because he wanted a romantic relationship with her instead of just being her friend .

He Was Into The Dark Arts

James certainly was n’t double-dyed and could be a complete jerk sometimes , but when James was being the classic schooling bully , Snape was get down to involve himself in the Dark Arts .

Severus went down a very grim road very early on in his life , which does n’t say anything   positive about him as a individual . He even wrote off his friend Mulciber using such enchantment on a fellow classmate as " just a jest " , something that absolutely horrified Lily .

James Grew Up To Join The Order

Ultimately , James Potter grew up to join the Order of the Phoenix . This was a secret organization founded by Albus Dumbledore that was dedicated to halt Lord Voldemort and saving lives . The the great unwashed in the Order were willing to chance their own lives on a day - to - day basis , and Dumbledore only asked citizenry to join that he truly intrust .

If James had been an inherently bad or selfish person , he simply would n’t have been invited to unite such a suit . Dumbledore rightfully thought he was worthy of it despite any past transgression , which say a lot about his character .

He Was A Death Eater

He may have switched squad and profoundly regretted his decision in the long run , but ultimately , it was Snape ’s conclusion to   join the Death Eaters .

It ’s clear that one of the major draws to this mathematical group was simply that they accepted him , but the fact thatit took   Lily Potter ’s last for him to actually   ditch the Death Eatersis unsettling . He should have   switched sides   because their cause was morally repulsive , not because he personally lost something as a answer of their actions , and it seems average to say he was worse than James on that alone .

NEXT:20 Crazy Things The Marauders Did Before Harry Potter Was assume

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