The Dark Secrets Behind Voldemort's Obsession with Unicorn Blood

Highlights

Voldemort's fear of death drives him to go to extreme lengths to avoid it, such as splitting his soul and drinking unicorn blood.

Unicorn blood holds immense value in the wizarding realm due to its ability to bestow immortality, albeit at a grim price. It is Voldemort's sheer desperation to cling onto life that compels him to depend on unicorn blood in order to restore his weakened state and reclaim his lost power.

During a 2005 interview, J.K. Rowling, the creator of Harry Potter, revealed that Voldemort, the series' fearsome and evil character, is driven by a deeply human fear: "Voldemort's fear is death, specifically a shameful and undignified death." This fear is evident throughout the story as Voldemort goes to great lengths to extend his life and seek immortality. Through actions like splitting his soul into seven pieces and acquiring the Elder Wand, Voldemort surpasses typical levels of evil in his pursuit of power and triumph over death.

While death is a significant theme in the Harry Potter series, it is only briefly portrayed in the first installment when Voldemort's Killing Curse backfires and appears to destroy his physical body after Lily Potter sacrifices herself to protect her son. For the next ten years, Voldemort exists in a weakened state, resembling something less than a spirit or ghost. It is not until he encounters Quirinus Quirrell in Albania that he finds a means to restore his body, marking his first instance of cheating death. However, his reliance on unicorn blood to sustain his life foreshadows the undesirable consequences that come with pursuing immortality, thus setting the stage for the overarching theme of the story.

What Does Unicorn Blood Do?

Unicorns, as described in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, are widely known in the wizarding world and closely associated with magic in the Muggle world. In the Harry Potter lore, they are portrayed as pure and powerful creatures, much like their modern fantasy counterparts. These majestic beings possess immense magical properties, with their tail hair being considered one of the most coveted wand cores by renowned wand-maker Garrick Ollivander. Additionally, their horns are used as ingredients in certain potions, such as the Antidote to Common Poisons. The blood of a unicorn holds even greater value, as it can grant immortality to the drinker, even if they are at the brink of death. However, taking the life of a unicorn is considered a heinous act, condemning the perpetrator to live a cursed existence. The consequences of this curse are emphasized throughout the series, highlighting the profound sacrifices made by those who seek eternal life.

In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the Death Eater Peter Pettigrew utilizes unicorn blood, along with venom from Voldemort's snake Nagini, to create a potion that restores his master's fragmented soul and grants him a rudimentary body. As a result, Voldemort takes on an almost human form with distinct serpent-like features, such as a crouched stature, a snake-like face, red eyes, and scaly, reddish-black skin. It remains unclear if this indirect use of unicorn blood carries the same repercussions as consuming it directly, though it is likely that the consequences remain just as severe.

Why Does Voldemort Drink Unicorn Blood?

Nicolas Flamel requests Albus Dumbledore to safeguard the ruby-red Sorcerer's Stone at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Throughout the school year, a weakened Voldemort, who has attached his fragmented soul to Professor Quirrell's body, tirelessly attempts to steal the stone in order to create the Elixir of Life and achieve immortality. In the meantime, he instructs Quirrell to hunt and consume unicorn blood to gain strength and power.

During a night in the Forbidden Forest, Harry, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, and Draco Malfoy join Rubeus Hagrid in searching for an injured unicorn as traces of its blood have been found. Hagrid discloses that he had come across a dead unicorn a week prior, indicating that there is something dangerous roaming the forest. The group divides into two, and it is Harry and Draco who stumble upon a hooded figure (Quirrell/Voldemort) drinking from the corpse of a unicorn. Just as the figure approaches Harry, the centaur Firenze appears, causing it to flee. Later, Firenze explains to Harry that only someone who has nothing to lose and everything to gain would commit such a heinous act. Harry questions who could be desperate enough to choose eternal curses over death, but Firenze reminds him that only Voldemort, who has always clung to life, could be capable of such actions. With his fragmented soul sustained by multiple Horcruxes, Voldemort's existence is unstable, and his presence weakens Quirrell. As a result, they resort to preying on creatures as sacred as unicorns for their survival.