Harry Potter never featured a battle between Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape, leaving fans wondering which Death Eater would have won if they did.

The Harry Potter universe is a vast magical world filled with action-packed wizard battles, interesting creatures, and superb storylines. J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books, managed to incorporate all of these elements into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. To create a successful franchise, J.K. Rowling, and subsequently Warner Bros., had to feature an exciting villain — Lord Voldemort. Lord Voldemort and his followers of Death Eaters were perfect antagonists and stood at the center of the original Harry Potter franchise. Among Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters were, however, two characters who stood out: Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape.

Harry Potter depicted Lucius Malfoy as a strong believer in blood purity, and he preferred to eradicate anyone who came in the way of his radical ideologies. On the other hand, Severus Snape only appeared evil, while his true intentions always lay in protecting Harry Potter. During his time as Death Eater and Professor of Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts, Severus showcased his natural skills in magic and the hidden power that resided inside of him. Although there was never a real battle between the wizards, it would have been interesting to see a showdown of these talented Death Eaters to see who would have come out on top.

Lucius Malfoy Was One of Voldemort's Most Powerful Death Eaters in Harry Potter

Lucius Malfoy was probably one of the most well-known and dangerous followers of Lord Voldemort. Most known for his distaste of all Muggle-borns, Lucius Malfoy had strong ideologies that made him a feared and determined wizard in Harry Potter. Lord Voldemort's quest for blood purity came as the ideal goal for Lucius, and he even became Voldemort's second-in-command during the First Wizarding War. This title was later stolen from Lucius by none other than Bellatrix Lestrange.

Lucius Malfoy was already a talented wizard early on in his life and even became a Slytherin Prefect during his time at Hogwarts. When he later joined Voldemort's ranks as a Death Eater, his hatred toward the non-magical and Muggle-born community only increased, which most likely aided his ascension toward Voldemort's inner circle. Like many of his fellow Death Eaters in Harry Potter, Lucius Malfoy had an obsession with Dark Magic, which only enhanced his magical skills. Lucius' potential grew, and so did his experience. Sadly for him, the end of the Second Wizarding War saw Lucius and his family deserting from Voldemort's ranks and his power, as well as his dedication to the cause, noticeably waned in the time preceding their defection.

Many in the Harry Potter universe considered Lucius Malfoy a skilled duelist, but his preference for style over efficiency hindered him from truly transcending from a great duelist to a master of the art. Lucius Malfoy was also able to use nonverbal magic, a skill that not many wizards possessed in Harry Potter and which would have definitely come in handy in a battle with other Death Eaters.

Severus Snape Wasn't Only a Skilled Duelist in Harry Potter, He Was Extremely Intelligent as Well

Severus Snape had an early obsession with the Dark Arts and quickly became a skilled wizard. Snape was, however, held back from truly developing his magical skills due to his love for Lily Potter. After having told Lord Voldemort about the prophecy, Voldemort did kill Lily and Snape's life started to crumble apart. Although many would consider this Harry Potter moment a reason for weakness, it resulted in Snape becoming the powerful wizard many knew him to be. Snape decided to join the Order of the Phoenix as a spy for Dumbledore. His dangerous mission of bringing down Voldemort made Snape extremely cunning and gave him a lot of strategic expertise, something that certainly would have been an advantage in any fight.

Apart from Severus Snape's long Harry Potter history, Snape was also skilled in potions. As a Potions Master at Hogwarts, Snape showcased his expertise in potions, and although Harry Potter never fully took advantage of potions during real battles, Harry Potter lore reveals the extensive use of potions in combat. From the energy-boosting Invigoration Draught to invisibility potions, Snape would have definitely known a wide range of them and could have used them in a fight against any wizard or Death Eater. When training Harry Potter, Snape also displayed his skillful use of Occlumency and Legilimency, two skills that would have been an additional asset for a fight.

Considering Snape hid among his fellow Death Eaters for years in Harry Potter, he continued to acquire quite a lot of experience as a duelist. He held his own against many powerful wizards — even against Minerva McGonagall, who is widely recognized as one of the most powerful professors at Hogwarts. All in all, Snape had a broad knowledge of pretty much everything in the Wizarding World and excelled at the Dark Arts, potions, and dueling, making him one of the most deadly wizards in all of Harry Potter.

Severus Snape Would Win in a Duel Against Lucius Malfoy

Choosing a winner among these two Death Eaters is tough, with both Lucius and Snape having their respective strengths and weaknesses. Lucius' willpower and ruthless attitude made him a fearless follower of Lord Voldemort, while Snape was highly adaptive to any situation and a gifted wizard. Another important factor to consider is the specific moment they would fight in Harry Potter, as Lucius slowly grew weaker while Snape appeared to have become stronger with time.

In the end, Snape would have likely won through his heightened focus and willpower. Although their dueling skills were matched, Snape appeared to be more intelligent, and his early obsession with the Dark Arts certainly gave him an advantage in battle. Sadly for Harry Potter fans, the franchise never explicitly showed a real showdown of these skilled Death Eaters, and fans were left to imagine for themselves who would have come out on top. With the announcement of a new Harry Potter series, there might be the possibility of an actual fight between both Death Eaters.