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Three unforgivable curses are as follows:

1. Killing Curse

2. Imperius Curse

3. Cruciatus Curse

I just wanted to know if what are the standards of classifying a curse as unforgivable.

Invoker
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    For the downvoters: can you please make it a habit to leave a message of the reasons you downvoted posts? (Because it seems nonsense that you downvote someone's post without a tip or advice) Especially to us whose reputations are not yet that high. – Invoker Jan 20 '17 at 14:45
  • Murder, torture and body-capture are pretty bad. What other spells would merit being on the list? – The Dark Lord Jan 20 '17 at 14:53
  • I don't know, really. But I am sure that there are certain spells or curses that are bad enough – Invoker Jan 20 '17 at 14:56
  • The standard appears to be 'Something that, if done to you, you would not forgive'? I appreciate you wouldn't want to be Sectumsempra-ed, but you could still live to tell the tale and may in time forgive the one who attacked you.. – Longshanks Jan 20 '17 at 15:00
  • @Gallifreian: Obviously, it's not a duplicate it may be related but not a dupe. Can you tell me, did that tell the standards of the curses I mentioned? Or did it just mentioned its history? :) – Invoker Jan 20 '17 at 15:14
  • Honestly, is it your habit to mark something dupe so to say you marked a question a dupe? You really don't help. :) – Invoker Jan 20 '17 at 15:19
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    It says that the standard has been defined by a certain decree in 1717 to fit 3 specific curses, which is the same thing as the accepted answer here is saying. – Gallifreyan Jan 20 '17 at 15:21
  • @Gallifreian To be fair, the answer here says more than that (and based on comments below the answer, that second part seems to be the reason of accepting). But on the other hand, I do not think that comment with the possible duplicate question can be wrong. This comment itself doesn't imply that the question should be closed. – TGar Jan 20 '17 at 15:29
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    @TGar - fine, we can dupe-hammer the other way around. Closing as duplicates isn't actually closing, it's simply linking two questions, so that further questions about this with different wording don't pop up. – Gallifreyan Jan 20 '17 at 15:31
  • @Gallifreian not a dupe as this one wants to know what the reasons for said classifications are, not when they were classified as such – Dave Johnson Jan 20 '17 at 15:52
  • @DaveJohnson - linked question happens to answer both. – Gallifreyan Jan 20 '17 at 16:00
  • Related? What makes those three curses unforgivable – Longshanks Jan 20 '17 at 16:04

2 Answers2

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Those aren't just three known Unforgivable Curses; they are by definition the three Unforgivable Curses. If you like, the standards for classifying a curse as unforgivable are "to be one of those three".

From when they're first introduced in the series, in HP and the Goblet of Fire:

"Now ... those three curses – Avada Kedavra, Imperius and Cruciatus – are known as the Unforgivable Curses. The use of any one of them on a fellow human being is enough to earn a life sentence in Azkaban. That’s what you’re up against. That’s what I’ve got to teach you to fight."

And according to Tales of Beedle the Bard:

The Cruciatus, Imperius and Avada Kedavra Curses were first classified as Unforgivable in 1717, with the strictest penalties attached to their use.

Rand al'Thor
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  • I don't get the point 'to be one of those three' – Invoker Jan 20 '17 at 14:44
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    @BookStriker The point is, you're putting the cart before the horse. I don't think "Unforgivable Curse" has some well-defined criteria which those three spells happen to satisfy; it's that those three spells were classified under a special law, and the simple name for them is "Unforgivable Curse". – Rand al'Thor Jan 20 '17 at 14:51
  • Oh sorry if I misunderstood it. I get it now. So the point is the unforgivable curse are well defined as the three curses only and that term is made to classify those three dark magics? – Invoker Jan 20 '17 at 14:55
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    @BookStriker Yes. I don't think it has any deeper meaning than that. – Rand al'Thor Jan 20 '17 at 14:57
  • Well, I think this answers my question. Thanks – Invoker Jan 20 '17 at 14:58
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If the question is really 'why those three, and not others', then I think the (unspoken) within-canon answer may be that those three curses uniquely imperil the soul - both for the victim and for the caster. For the victim: (1) Flings the soul out of the world altogether, (2) Damages the soul by overriding free will, and (3) Damages the soul though unbearable pain [e.g witness the insanity of the Longbottoms]. For the caster, effective use of the curses requires the taking of pleasure in evil acts: (1) Murder, (2) Domination, and (3) Torture.

PMar
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