Download Article
The cunning folk of Slytherin use any means to achieve their ends
Download Article
Slytherin is one of the four houses of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Harry Potter series. Although Slytherins are sometimes called “evil” because the house bore some of the more sinister witches and wizards, if you’re a Slytherin there are tons of reasons to take pride in your house. Not only are Slytherins ambitious, loyal, self-confident, and clever, but they have a ton of other positive characteristics as well. Read on to find out more!
Things You Should Know
- Although some Slytherins are seen as rule-breaking, selfish, sneaky, arrogant, or prejudiced, there are many positive ways to be a Slytherin.
- Slytherins are cunning, ambitious, resourceful, determined, prideful, and shrewd. They also have incredible self-preservation skills.
- Not all Slytherins are evil or dark! Some of the most powerful and complex wizards in the Wizarding World were part of the Slytherin house.
Steps
Section 1 of 4:
Strong Slytherin Traits
Download Article
-
Ambition Slytherins are incredibly goal-oriented and determined. Ambition will get you anywhere you want to be, and Slytherins are known for aiming high and taking all the steps they need to get where they want to be. However, their ambition is not always to bring themselves up—take Severus Snape for example, who kept Harry Potter safe above all else, even when his emotions occasionally got the best of him.
- Slytherins also tend to be incredibly proud of their house and heritage and incredibly competitive in winning the house cup or the latest Quidditch tournament.
-
Confidence Although it might sometimes tip into the selfish territory, Slytherin’s daring nature and confidence in themselves and their abilities are incredibly admirable. Even when someone from this house feels insecure, they tend to fake it until they make it and learn to love themselves. Although Draco Malfoy has his faults, he never once said anything bad about himself, even when his father constantly put down his achievements.Advertisement
-
Cunning A Slytherin’s skillful craftiness is just another example of their intelligence, and their cunning character allows them to get anywhere they want to be in life. This deviousness might seem like a negative trait, but it can be incredibly useful and positive in the right circumstances. Narcissa Malfoy, for example, used her cunning nature during the Battle of Hogwarts to lie to Voldemort by saying that Harry Potter was dead, which led to Potter eventually defeating the Dark Lord.
-
Resourcefulness Slytherins are well-known for being strategic, intelligent problem-solvers. After all, they’re clever, quick on their feet, and always find ways to overcome whatever lies in their path. Slytherins have a knack for planning ahead and thinking about what moves their enemies will make before taking action. For example, Narcissa Malfoy made Snape take an Unbreakable Vow to protect her son after learning about Voldemort’s plans.
-
Natural leaders The core traits of the Slytherin house are perfect building blocks for the leaders of tomorrow. They’re ambitious, cunning, and resourceful, which can help anyone achieve great heights in their chosen field. For example, the famous wizard Merlin was a Slytherin who founded the Order of Merlin, which promoted Muggle’s Rights and created rules against using magic on them.
-
Shrewdness Slytherins are naturally intelligent and pragmatic, with sharp powers of judgment. Although their problem-solving skills and strategicness may be viewed as sinister, their ability to stay calm under pressure and evaluate situations quickly are powerful traits. Their shrewd nature can definitely contribute to good—for example, Severus Snape constantly proved his loyalty to Voldemort and even made an Unbreakable Vow to keep his true commitment to Dumbledore hidden until nearly the end of the series.
-
Loyalty Although Slytherins are less known for their loyalty, it’s definitely the backbone of the entire house. As the biggest rebels of the four houses, they tend to be dedicated to certain people or ideas and regularly go against typical standards. Although this trait has been used for evil, it’s definitely used for good as well. Narcissa Malfoy was devoted to her family even against the Dark Lord’s wishes, and Severus Snape stayed faithful to Dumbledore and Lily Potter until the very end.
-
Self-reliance Because Slytherins are so self-confident, they aren’t afraid to go out and succeed in situations all by themselves. They don’t require anyone’s help or permission and trust themselves above all else. Although it might not have been an admirable goal, Draco Malfoy prepared the Vanishing Cabinet and accepted Voldemort’s requests, refusing Snape’s help and determined to achieve it all by himself.
Advertisement
Section 2 of 4:
Weaker Slytherin Traits
Download Article
-
Self-preservation Though this isn’t an inherently bad trait, being independent and self-confident can quickly spiral into putting your own life or needs above other people's. The most infamous example is Voldemort, who put his goal to become the most powerful dark wizard above everything, even the lives of his own followers.
-
Rule-breakers Slytherins enjoy pushing the boundaries of whatever rules and regulations may be standing in their way. Although this can be great when trying to make positive change and progress, like Merlin did when he created the Order of Merlin, it can also create chaos for the people around them. For example, when Draco attempted to kill Dumbledore, he used various methods, like transporting a cursed necklace, that threatened the safety of other students.
-
Prejudiced There are plenty of Slytherins who are known to be a bit judgemental. However, there are a select few whose judgemental nature spirals into prejudice and are racist against any wizard who isn’t pureblood. This goes all the way back to Salazar Slytherin, who created the Chamber of Secrets to one day unleash the Basilisk and get rid of all the muggle-borns at Hogwarts.
-
Arrogant Slytherins are full of pride for their heritage or house, but for some of the more infamous wizards from Slytherin, this can quickly turn into elitism or haughtiness. Draco Malfoy, for example, could be incredibly condescending, superior, and disdainful towards Ron Weasley and his siblings for being poor.
-
Selfish While Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors are known for sticking up for others, Slytherins’ ambitions tend to be more self-preserving. Although in the end Severus Snape protected Harry Potter and remained loyal to Dumbledore, his mean streak toward Harry was definitely born out of selfishness.
-
Sneaky Many students who are part of Slytherin are great at getting out of trouble and evading punishments. This trait can be incredibly useful for Slytherins looking to achieve their goals, but it also means that they have a tendency to throw other people under the bus or lie to others. Draco Malfoy often snuck around the castle, trying to catch Harry Potter breaking the rules, and Horace Slughorn hid his true memory of Tom Riddle from Harry and Dumbledore to hide his guilt for telling Voldemort about Horcruxes.
-
Manipulative One of the most negative Slytherin traits is their ability to be cruel, manipulative, and vindictive to achieve their ends. Not all Slytherins are this way, but their bad reputation comes from those who are. For example, during the Triwizard Tournament, Barty Crouch Jr. impersonated Mad-Eye Moody and manipulated events to make sure that Harry Potter touched the portkey and got transported straight into the arms of Voldemort.
Advertisement
Expert Q&A
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
Advertisement
Tips
Submit a Tip
All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
References
- ↑ https://www.sparknotes.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-hogwarts-house-compatibility/
- ↑ https://www.sparknotes.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-hogwarts-house-compatibility/
- ↑ https://www.sparknotes.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-hogwarts-house-compatibility/
- ↑ https://www.mugglenet.com/2004/07/the-significance-of-house-colors/
- ↑ https://fantasytopics.com/most-famous-slytherin-characters-harry-potter/
About This Article
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 21,672 times.
Advertisement
