The Real Reason Behind Voldemort's Wand Design In Harry Potter
After the recent announcement of the "Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts" special on HBO Max a few weeks ago, Potter fans are more excited than ever. Nearly all of the original cast is returning, even the famed trio themselves — Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. Although, it doesn't end there, as the list of returning cast members is quite long, including the likes of Gary Oldman and the evil Voldemort himself, Ralph Fiennes. As the special approaches, many fans are discussing all of the best elements of the original eight films and behind-the-scenes anecdotes that many people might have forgotten about or never knew at all.
Fiennes' portrayal of Voldemort is often a popular topic of discussion amongst fans, including all of the decisions he made to bring the character to life on screen. Most fans would say that Fiennes captured the essence of the dark wizard that so many of us had imagined in our minds while reading the books. This could be attributed to many acting choices, even some as detailed as the design of Voldemort's wand, which actually came at the request of Fiennes himself, according to a recent Reddit thread.
Ralph Fiennes requested a hook on Voldemort's wand
According to a comment from user PristineAnimator683, the reason for the hook element at the grip of Voldemort's wand had something to do with Ralph Fiennes, as he requested the wand to be designed this way. According to the user, the actor wanted to move more "fluidly and snake-like" without dropping his wand in the process. Although Fiennes was never quoted saying that it helped him be more "fluid and snake-like," in a video interview with GQ, the actor did confirm that he requested that the hook be added, but more so for it to not fall off as he felt the wand should be an extension of his hand. Fiennes noted that he appreciated its lightness, and it helped throughout the production of the films.
Other users on the Reddit thread soon began suggesting possible and plausible reasons why a dark wizard might have a hook on a wand in the Wizarding World to support the actor's choice, with many suggesting that it could be prevention to the disarmament and the Expelliarmus spells. User quirx90 joked that they always wondered why wizards never put a Wii strap on their wand to keep it from flying away, but user Ritz527 was quick to say that with the way magic works in the Wizarding World, the strap would probably break anyways. User barbeque_invader supported that claim, as they mentioned the spell itself is literally to "disarm" when cast, so "it might make the strap not work as though you forgot to even use it."