Fantastic Beasts 2 Fan Theory Predicts the Origin of Voldemort’s Snake

Prepare to put on your tinfoil sorting hats, there is a major fan theory fresh from the first trailer of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald about Claudia Kim’s mysterious new character.

There was plenty to take in when watching the Crimes of Grindelwald teaser trailer, but one of the best bits was an up-close look at the Circus Arcanus. The magic version of a freak show, Kim’s character is reported to be part of the ensemble as an afflicted Maledictus – a wizard who is born with a blood curse that eventually turns them into a beast. Little else is known about what animal she will turn into, but when promotional pictures of the cast were released last year, Kim’s leggings were a rather weird choice of fabric that appeared to look like snakeskin. But what does it all mean?

Digital Spy had already concocted a theory that Kim’s character is actually Voldermort’s snake/Horcrux Nagini, but the trailer may have just confirmed it. If you look closely at the high-res image from Pottermore, it shows the billing for one of the acts with the word “Maledictus” at the bottom. There are also the French words “En Chair Et En Os” (in the flesh) and what appears to be the painting of a snake.

The Circus Arcanus actually appeared on a poster back in the original Fantastic Beasts, meaning that Rowling and Yates may have been building up to this reveal for quite some time. Interestingly, there is little known about Nagini prior to her introduction in the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire novel from 2000. Even then, the slippery serpent played Voldemort’s loyal servant up until her death in the final book, but still remained shrouded in mystery.

Adding fuel to the fire, most of the cast of Crimes of Grindelwald have been given names to put to faces, but Kim’s role is still only referred to as “unidentified Maledictus”. Just like the reveal of Credence as an Obscurus, Nagini making an appearance could be a huge twist to the storyline. That being said, the spoiling of Enchanting Snake Girl actually being Nagini this far ahead of the movie’s release – it is an idea that needs to be taken with a pinch of salt.

There are many Maledictus out there in the Wizarding World, so it isn’t as simple as just saying “theory confirmed.” However, as the first Fantastic Beasts showed fans, connections between the prequel movie series and J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels were littered around like an Easter Egg hunt. As Rowling attempts to tell the tale of Dumbledore’s fight with Grindelwald, she is keen to remind audiences that this world will eventually lead to Voldemort’s reign of terror. If Kim’s character is forever trapped in snake form and crosses paths with Johnny Depp’s big bad Grindelwald, it could be an easy segue into a meeting with Tom Riddle at some point in the franchise’s future.

Source: Digital Spy, Pottermore