Harry Potter delivers so much in terms of deep characters and emotionally rich plot threads that we often find many of J.K. Rowling’s intricate plot details overwhelmed by the sheer amount of things that the Wizarding World has to offer.
Even side characters and henchmen to the evil Lord Voldemort are not exactly the one-dimensional villains you’ve come to expect. After all, this is a detailed high fantasy series that involves hundreds of characters over the span of seven years, and even beyond that timeframe in the form of flashbacks and epilogues. But backtracking to You-Know-Who’s footmen, Lucius Malfoy was the epitome of a man serving the wrong master. Even though he was a cruel man himself, the Dark Lord’s evil deeds were too much for Lucius, which is why he showed reluctance to work with him from time to time, especially during the last two movies.
Ultimately, with Draco and his mom leaving the ranks of Death Eaters, the old man made his choice and ran away before the final Battle of Hogwarts took place. While Rowling actually details what happened to the character in his later life, his fate was left in an ambiguous state, though actor Jason Isaacs has his own idea about where Lucius would end up.
In a recent conversation with Syfy Wire, Isaacs had the following to say about Malfoy’s fate.
“I think what would’ve happened afterwards, is that he would become a shell of himself,” he explained. “His money would protect him because money always protects people, and I think he would’ve lost — if he ever had any — the respect of his wife and his son. Society would shun him and he would cower inside his mansion and drink himself into an early grave. And frankly, deserve it.”
The actor then went on to note why his character’s connection to Voldemort resulted in his isolation, saying:
“Onscreen, you can see he’s always slightly stubbly and red-eyed and drinking whenever he can. I always thought he drank too much. And then, in the final battle at Hogwarts, it became clear to him, particularly when Narcissa and Draco ran off, that there was no place for him in either future. Voldemort was not gonna have him by his side. He’d already [taken] my wand at the table in Malfoy Manor, which is public humiliation, almost castration.”
What do you think about Lucius’ fate, though? And is there potential for Warner Bros. to explore his character in other Harry Potter spinoffs? Sound off in the comments section below.