Few stories have captured the magical and imaginative allure of fantasy quite like Harry Potter, with both the novel series and their film adaptations whisking audiences of all ages away into a dazzling realm of wizardry and adventure. Starring Daniel Radcliffe in the titular role, the eight-film saga follows Harry through his education at Hogwarts as he learns how to become a wizard. All the while, the ominous evil of Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) casts an ever-growing shadow over Potter’s life.

The films realized the books with such brilliance that virtually every component of them has become iconic, from the litany of exceptional performances and the many magical beasts to the mesmerizing setting and John Williams‘ unforgettable score. It goes without saying the spells themselves have had a significant impact on fans as well, with each of the eight Harry Potter films defined by either an uplifting enchantment or a terrible curse.

1‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ (2001)

Most Iconic Spell: Wingardium Leviosa

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As the introduction to the wonderful world of witchcraft and wizardry, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is the embodiment of the franchise’s starry-eyed adventure. It follows Potter as he befriends Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) during his first year at Hogwarts. As such, plenty of the film’s spells have become iconic, from the Unlocking Charm, Alohomora, to the petrifying Petrificus Totalus. However, it is undoubtedly Wingardium Leviosa that many fans know best.

Made famous by Ron’s mocking “It’s Levi-O-sah, not Levio-SA,” the levitation charm is taught to first-year students in Charms class and is quickly mastered by Hermione to her classmate’s frustration. While Rupert Grint’s hilarious line delivery will live long in the minds of fans, the spell spawns a moment that encapsulates the loving but occasionally tempered relationship between Harry, Ron, and Hermione. As such, it is the perfect incantation to describe their blossoming bond and define the first film.

‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ (2002)

Most Iconic Spell: Obliviate

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Carrying on with the lightness of the first film while introducing some of the darker elements that would become increasingly crucial to the story, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets features plenty of iconic spells, including the first use of Harry’s favorite, Expelliarmus. The film sees Harry’s second year at Hogwarts plagued by a lurking evil threat that petrifies those who see it while the students are taught by their new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, the ignorant Professor Gilderoy Lockhart (Kenneth Branagh).

While he is believed to be a daring and fearless adventurer, Lockhart is revealed to be a cowardly wizard who steals tales of the escapades of other wizards and wipes their memory with the charm Obliviate. The scene where Lockhart tries to use the spell on Ron and Harry only for it to backfire against him makes Obliviate one of the more memorable incantations from a movie that has surprisingly few defining spells. It is revealed to have quite the effect on the wizard, too, with a forgotten post-credits scene hinting at his fate.

‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’ (2004)

Most Iconic Spell: Expecto Patronum

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Widely regarded to be the best film of the franchise, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban sees Potter’s third year at Hogwarts marred by the escape of a supposed dangerous prisoner, Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), and the presence of Azkaban’s soul-sucking guards, the Dementors. A significant portion of the film revolves around the Patronus Charm, the spell that the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Remus Lupin (David Thewlis), teaches Harry so he can protect himself from the Dementors.

Given its importance to the story and the way in which it uses a spirit animal to define the caster’s personality, the Patronus Charm is arguably the single most iconic spell from the franchise. While it features other times in the saga, it has a unique relevance to The Prisoner of Azkaban. The scene in which a time-traveling Harry casts it to save himself and Sirius marks one of the most memorable and powerful in the franchise and is a defining moment in Harry’s journey, increasing his confidence and his bond with his late father.

‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ (2005)

Most Iconic Spell: Avada Kedavra

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Marking the midpoint of the franchise, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire takes yet another significant step toward darkness. It primarily focuses on the Tri-Wizard Tournament, a series of contests where nominated spellcasters from three different schools compete to be crowned the champion. However, lurking in the shadows of the story, Lord Voldemort steadily regains his power as he seeks to take physical form once more.

All three of the unforgivable curses are used throughout the movie, but it is undoubtedly the infamous Killing Curse, Avada Kedavra, that has the most devastating impact. Voldemort’s murder of Cedric Diggory (Robert Pattinson) marks one of the first truly shocking deaths in the films, and it’s the actual moment where Harry’s innocence fully disappears. The ruthless murder is a harrowing announcement that the Dark Lord has returned at the peak of his powers, and no one is safe.

‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’ (2007)

Most Iconic Spell: Stupefy

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Despite the Dark Lord’s return, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix sees a wizarding world in denial, with Harry and Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) ostracized for what others see as alarmist claims. As tensions rise with the ruthless and tyrannical Professor Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) watching over Hogwarts for the Ministry of Magic, Harry and his friends form a secretive resistance movement to stand against the Death Eaters when the time comes.

A spell that the students rely on is the simple and effective yet harmless Stupefy. Temporarily immobilizing their enemies, the members of the Order of the Phoenix use Stupefy prolifically to nullify attacking Death Eaters when they clash in the Ministry of Magic. It is cast 29 times throughout the franchise, the most used spell in the Harry Potter films. The climactic duel of The Order of the Phoenix features Harry and his friends using it to great effect against their more seasoned and murderous opponents.

‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ (2009)

Most Iconic Spell: Sectumsempra

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One of the most brutal spells in the franchise that comes in the sixth Harry Potter film, Sectumsempra is the curse that Harry discovers in his potions textbook that once belonged to a wizard who referred to himself as the “Half-Blood Prince”. While Harry and Professor Dumbledore learn more of Voldemort’s past in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the young boy also grows intrigued by the mystical Half-Blood Prince as he grows suspicious of Draco Malfoy’s (Tom Felton) shadiness throughout the school year.

Harry’s and Malfoy’s feud elevates when the two clash in the bathroom, breaking into a duel in which Potter casts Sectumsempra somewhat haphazardly, garnering an unforgettable result. The spell sees Malfoy covered in vicious lacerations that could have killed him had Professor Snape (Alan Rickman) not arrived to reverse the spell’s effects. Crude and violent, Sectumsempra is among the darkest spells in the saga, a work of true evil that is later revealed to be Snape’s invention when he states that he is the Half-Blood Prince.

‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows – Part 1’ (2010)

Most Iconic Spell: Protego

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As Dumbledore’s death emboldens Voldemort and the Death Eaters to launch a full-scale attack on the wizarding world, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 sees Harry and his friends on the back foot in their stance against evil. While he, Ron, and Hermione set out to find and destroy Voldemort’s Horcruxes, the staff and students at Hogwarts brace for battle. With all the film’s heroes under siege, the Protego spell plays a pivotal part in the movie.

Otherwise known as the Shield Charm, Protego is a protective spell that casts an invisible force field that deflects certain spells and physical objects. Perhaps its most memorable use from the film is when Hermione casts a variation of the spell, Protego Totalum, to shield the area where the trio set up camp. However, it is also used by plenty of other wizards throughout the film, especially at the beginning when Death Eaters attack Bill Weasley’s (Domhnall Gleeson) and Fleur Delacour’s (Clémence Poésy) wedding.

‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2’ (2011)

Most Iconic Spells: Expelliarmus

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If Voldemort’s violence and evil were aptly shown through his signature spell, the Killing Curse, then Harry Potter’s preference for the Disarming Charm, Expelliarmus, is equally emblematic of his moral decency and resolve. It is a spell that Harry uses prolifically throughout the films, but it has an even greater weight to it when he clashes with Voldemort for the final time in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

With Harry resurrected from the dead and the battle of Hogwarts nearing its conclusion, Potter casts the spell and deflects Voldemort’s Killing Curse, which rebounds into the Dark Lord, who effectively dies by his own hand. Bringing about the demise of Lord Voldemort, Expelliarmus is the definitive spell of the final Harry Potter film and, as Potter’s favored spell, it could well be the most iconic spell from the entire franchise. It’s the character’s signature move and the perfect example of his reluctance to kill those aiming to kill him.