To create a Horcrux, a dark wizard must commit a murder, as this act is said to shatter the soul, allowing a piece to be placed into an object. Lord Voldemort, in his quest for immortality, created seven Horcruxes. Each of these required the death of an individual.
Here is a list of Voldemort's known Horcruxes and the victims whose deaths were used in their creation, based on information revealed by J.K. Rowling:
Victims for Voldemort's Horcruxes
| Horcrux | Victim | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tom Riddle's Diary | Myrtle (Moaning Myrtle) | Murdered while Tom Riddle was at Hogwarts |
| Marvolo Gaunt's Ring | Tom Riddle (Sr.) | Voldemort's Muggle father |
| Salazar Slytherin's Locket | A Muggle Tramp | Victim revealed by J.K. Rowling |
| Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem | An Albanian Peasant | Victim revealed by J.K. Rowling |
| Helga Hufflepuff's Cup | Hepzibah Smith | A wealthy witch Voldemort worked for |
| Nagini | Bertha Jorkins | Ministry of Magic employee |
These six victims correspond to the six Horcruxes Voldemort intentionally created before attempting to make Harry Potter his seventh. The piece of soul inside Harry, often referred to as an unintentional Horcrux, was created by the rebounding Avada Kedavra curse when he attempted to kill the infant Harry. No specific murder was committed for the piece of soul that ended up in Harry, but rather it was a consequence of his failed attempt to kill Harry himself.
The identification of some victims, like the Muggle Tramp and the Albanian Peasant, was revealed by J.K. Rowling in interviews after the main books were published, providing a complete picture of the sacrifices Voldemort made in his pursuit of splitting his soul.
