Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them (Rowling, 1999). Dementors have a humanoid shape, but what do they really look like under those dark hooded cloaks?
What are Dementors?
Dementors are soulless creatures considered one of the foulest beings on Earth. They feed on human happiness and thus cause depression and despair to anyone near them. They can also consume a person’s soul through the ‘Dementor’s Kiss’, leaving their victims in a permanent vegetative state (Rowling, 1999).
Dementors serve as the guards of the wizard prison Azkaban, as they can drain the happiness and hope of prisoners to keep them subdued. However, they sometimes leave the island to search for souls, which allows Sirius Black to escape in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling, 1999).
Origin of Dementors
The origin of Dementors is unknown. Some legends say that they were created by a dark wizard Ekrizdis, who practiced horrific experiments on muggles on the island that later became Azkaban. Others believe Dementors arose naturally in places of great sorrow and evil. However, their true beginnings remain a mystery (Rowling, Pottermore, 2017).
Physical Appearance
Dementors are described as tall humanoid figures, around 3 meters (10 feet) in height, covered from head to toe in dark hooded cloaks (Rowling, 1999). Their bodies are believed to be decayed and scabbed, somewhat skeletal, with their rotting skin visible underneath their cloaks. However, their appearance under the cloak is never fully described in the books.
Here is how J.K. Rowling describes a Dementor’s hands under their cloak in Prisoner of Azkaban:
“A pair of grey, slimy, scabbed hands slid from inside the Dementor’s robes, reaching for him.” (Rowling, 1999)
So their hands are depicted as grey, slimy, with scabs – indicating decayed skin and flesh. Their hands are described as “dead and rotten” at another point. So decay and rot seems to be a constant theme with their physical bodies.
Face
The Dementor’s face is completely obscured by their hood. The only feature described are the creature’s mouth – which is depicted as a lipless hole that sucks the soul out of victims (Rowling, 1999). Underneath the hood, their faces are likely equally decayed and skeletal as the rest of their bodies.
Cloaks
Dementors are shrouded from head to toe in long, ripped black cloaks. These cloaks are described as flowing even without wind, giving the creatures an ethereal, ghost-like quality (Rowling, 1999). The cloaks allow Dementors to glide above the ground as they move. They keep their faces hidden under large hoods.
Sounds
Dementors make very little sound. They communicate through rattling breaths that cause the air to become bitterly cold. Victims sometimes report hearing a faint screaming or moaning coming from under the Dementor’s hood as they draw near (Rowling, 1999).
When they administer the Dementor’s Kiss to consumes a victim’s soul, it makes a faint rattling sound as if they are drawing breath in through their mouth (Rowling, 1999). So Dementors seem to make minimal sounds beyond their rattling breaths.
Senses
Dementors are blind and cannot see. However, they sense and feed on human emotions and happiness. They are particularly drawn to darker emotions like grief, hopelessness, and despair. Dementors can detect thoughts and memories that evoke these emotions to torment their victims (Rowling, 1999).
Dementors also have an acute sense of smell to detect people and move toward them. They tend to suck the positive emotions out of any human in their path.
Powers and Abilities
Dementors have various magical powers that make them dangerous:
- Glide smoothly above the ground without physically walking
- Fly freely and reach any victim
- Cannot be destroyed by physical means, only driven away with a Patronus
- Suck all feelings of hope, happiness and comfort out of their surroundings
- Make people re-live their worst memories and experiences
- Drain a person’s soul completely through the Dementor’s Kiss, leaving them an empty shell
- Impossible to kill by witch or wizard, though their numbers can be controlled
These abilities make Dementors feared and dangerous opponents to face. Their lack of eyesight is offset by their ability to sense emotion and memories.
Weaknesses
Dementors have few weaknesses that can repel or ward them off:
- The Patronus charm creates a magical guardian that drives Dementors away
- The charm does not work on Dementors assigned to guard Azkaban
- Cannot penetrate certain magical barriers like the Fidelius Charm
- Seem unable to enter Hogwarts without permission
- They avoid areas with large concentrations of happiness, like Hogsmeade
So while Dementors cannot be killed, the Patronus provides limited protection against them. Powerful wizards like Dumbledore can drive them away from Hogwarts’ grounds. But in general, Dementors are dangerous foes with few convenient weaknesses.
Behavior
Dementors generally tend to flock together in large groups. They patrol the grounds of Azkaban to guard prisoners, constantly feeding on any happiness they can find. Dementors appear to communicate silently among themselves in an unknown manner.
When not constrained to Azkaban, Dementors roam to feed off human emotions. They are attracted to darkness, decay and human despair. They will eagerly feed on specific victims if allowed, though they tend to affect everyone in their path by draining positive emotions from the air (Rowling, 1999).
Dementors seem to communicate with the Ministry of Magic to some degree. They can be assigned to guard duties or search missions if the Ministry allows it. But in general Dementors are wild, dangerous creatures that Wizards have only partial control over at best.
Reproduction
The manner in which Dementors reproduce is a mystery. Pottermore notes that they seem to grow like fungi where the conditions are damp, darkness and decay (Rowling, Pottermore, 2017). This suggests Dementors may spawn new young from their bodies under certain conditions rather than mating.
Their numbers seem to be limited only by the amount of human unhappiness and despair they can feed on. Less misery in the world could deplete their numbers, while greater human suffering allows them to breed and grow.
Interaction with Humans
Dementors have a profoundly negative effect on any humans that get near them. They radiate an aura of coldness and darkness that spreads despair and drains people of energy. Prolonged exposure tends to make people depressed and withdrawn. The creatures seem to enjoy inflicting suffering for its own sake (Rowling, 1999).
Victims report hearing dying screams in their ears as the Dementor draws out their worst experiences. People are forced to re-live past trauma and painful memories vividly. The Kiss fully consumes the victim’s soul and personality, leaving them a shell.
Even wizards like Harry struggle to fight off the crushing despair Dementors create, making them dangerous foes. Their official role is prison guards at Azkaban, but Dementors remain wild creatures at heart, difficult to control.
Dementor Encounters
Here are some notable human encounters with Dementors in the Harry Potter books:
- During Hagrid’s brief imprisonment in Azkaban, the Dementors nearly drove him insane with relived memories of his expulsion from Hogwarts.
- Harry faints repeatedly when Dementors are searching the Hogwarts Express, forcing him to re-live his parents’ murder.
- The Quidditch match versus Hufflepuff is interrupted by dozens of Dementors, causing Harry to fall off his broom.
- Sirius Black escapes from Azkaban in dog form when the Dementors fail to recognize him.
- Harry drives away over 100 Dementors using the Patronus charm to save Sirius.
- Dolores Umbridge requests Ministry Dementors be stationed at Hogwarts, only to be thwarted by Dumbledore.
These incidents show how Azkaban has damaged even magical creatures like Hagrid. Harry is especially vulnerable due to his traumatic memories. The encounters also demonstrate the limited nature of Ministry control over the Dementors.
Conclusion
Dementors are fearsome creatures with a terrifying effect on humans. Their slimy, decayed hands reach out from under tattered cloaks to feed on happiness and souls. While their face remains hidden, it is likely equally rotten and skeletal. Dementors communicate silently and move smoothly above the ground, sensing emotions. They reproduce rapidly in darkness and misery. No effective way to kill a Dementor has been found, only drive them away temporarily. These vile magical creatures inspire dread in wizards and muggles alike. Their appearances and behaviors reflect their total lack of compassion or mercy.