Search results
- Severus Snape. Actor: Alan Rickman. “Always”…The word that comes to mind when remembering the cold and mysterious Potions professor. We were almost certain Severus Snape worked for the bad guys, considering he emotionally bullied Harry for years.
- Neville Longbottom. Actor: Matthew Lewis. Not everyone will agree with this one, mostly because Neville Longbottom is a secondary character and serves as comic relief for much of the series.
- Lord Voldemort. Actor: Ralph Fiennes. Ironically, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is mentioned more than he appears on screen, yet he is our third-favorite Harry Potter character.
- Hermione Granger. Actress: Emma Watson. Ranked as the fourth top Harry Potter character is Hermione Granger. The one who stands by Harry the most; the Muggle-born who is unashamed of who she is; the smart young witch and cleverest in Hogwarts…
- We've sorted the Wizarding World's greatest heroes and villains.
- The 25 Best Harry Potter Characters
- 25. Dobby
- 24. Gellert Grindelwald
- 23. Ginny Weasley
- 22. Gilderoy Lockhart
- 21. Albus Severus Potter
- 20. Molly Weasley
- 19. Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody
- 18. Minerva McGonagall
By IGN Staff
Updated: Jan 27, 2024 1:21 am
Posted: Jan 24, 2024 8:00 pm
It's 2024, and Harry Potter is still just as relevant as it was when it first came out. To celebrate one of the longest running movie frachises of all time, we took a hard look at the wonderful Harry Potter film series with our picks for the 25 best characters.
Before we reveal our choices, a quick word about the selection process... These are based on overall fan reaction, impact on the franchise (novels and films weighed equally), character relevance to the best moments in the series, and significance in the Potter mythos. If you're surprised that your own faves didn't make the list, that's what the comments are for!
Now, join us in the Great Hall for this special assembly as we look at the top 25 Harry Potter characters...
Note: This list does not include any characters from Hogwarts Legacy and will remain unaffected by the upcoming Harry Potter series.
"Such a beautiful place... to be with friends." It's difficult to not get a bit misty-eyed recalling the moment when Dobby the house-elf said those words in Deathly Hallows Part 1, which were among his last. When we met Dobby, admittedly, he was pretty annoying. He was a strange, little creature with a habit of hurting himself, who made things very difficult for Harry Potter as he began his second year at Hogwarts. But Dobby's intentions were always noble, and his determination to help Harry, despite the short term consequences, was commendable.
Dobby's role in the film series is far smaller than in the books, where he made frequent appearances in-between Chamber of Secrets and Deathly Hallows. In the books, we saw more of how kind-hearted and loyal Dobby was, particularly towards Harry Potter, to whom he was indebted for his freedom. But even those who only knew Dobby from The Chamber of Secrets film were probably affected by his sacrifice in The Deathly Hallows Part 1, where he proved crucial in freeing Harry and his friends from a horrific scenario, only to fall victim to Bellatrix Lestrange in the process. The fact that Dobby, in his dying moments, clearly had no regrets about literally giving his all for his friend Harry resulted in one of the most touching moments in the series.
His reputation may have eventually been overshadowed by Voldemort, but there was a time when Grindelwald was the most feared villain in all the wizarding world. He only has one brief appearance in the main Harry Potter series, though one where he manages to stymie even Voldemort himself.
It's the Fantastic Beasts movies where Grindelwald is truly coming into his own as a villain. These prequels are showcasing Grindelwald's reign of terror in the early 20th Century and his troubled relationship with close friend-turned-rival Albus Dumbledore. It's not every villain that can manage to hide in plain sight for an entire movie before finally revealing himself.
On hand in Chamber of Secrets as a lovesick little girl/vessel for Tom Riddle's madness (following her cameo in The Sorcerer's Stone), Ginny and Harry's eventual romance captivated us. It seemed to both spring up out of nowhere and feel like it was meant to be all along. It was only natural that Harry should wind up finding love in the same family where he found…well, family. It was refreshing to finally see someone in Hogwarts see Harry as the proud and pensive catch that he was.
While it wasn't really captured in the films, Ginny becomes a true leader of rebel forces like no other. She's a strong, determined and alluring young woman who is always there to fight the forces of evil as a member of Dumbledore's Army. Ginny is the quintessential "girl who got her guy" – and we wouldn't have it any other way.
Gilderoy Lockhart is a real charmer. It's through sheer charisma (and the occasional memory charm) that he established himself in society as one of the most accomplished wizards of all time, without actually performing any of the heroic acts he claims to have done in numerous best-selling books.
The vain and self-aggrandizing Lockhart's habit of exaggerating his own deeds would backfire when he was hired as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He would at first relish the position as yet another avenue of self-promotion, but his buffoonery and incompetence soon got the best of Lockhart. His false claims are revealed by Harry Potter and his friends after Lockhart cowardly attempted to flee the school upon being ordered to confront the monster in the Chamber of Secrets.
Harry Potter may have faced a difficult childhood being known as "The Boy Who Lived," but that's nothing compared to growing up with the biggest celebrity in the wizarding world for a father. Making matters worse is that Albus Severus is named after two of the other most important wizards in history. His central conflict is right there in his name. He feels the pull between fame and anonymity, good and evil, and Gryffindor and Slytherin.
To date, the Potter movies have only given us a small glimpse of Harry and Ginny's troubled son. To get the full story behind Albus Severus' time at Hogwarts and the adventures he faces, you have to be lucky enough to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on stage. But we're hopeful that it'll only be a matter of time before this young wizard gets his time in the cinematic spotlight.
Imagine the perfect, loving, giving mother – and then add magic. That's Molly Weasley for you. We love her husband Arthur as well, but Molly's treatment of Harry has always been a particularly wonderful part of the series. Harry is an orphan, treated horribly by his aunt and uncle – and his relationship with his godfather, Sirius, was tragically short. But since the day Harry met Molly, she's treated him like another son and given him the love, support, and yes, Christmas presents, he'd been lacking in his life.
While we're used to Molly as a lovably concerned (or amusingly chastising, if you're Fred and George), classic mother figure, she also has her own courage and strength to call upon – willingly risking herself as a member of the Order of the Phoenix. And when her children are threatened, well… Let's just say, Bellatrix learned her lesson the hard way.
Grizzled. If there's one word that could describe Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody in a nutshell, it's "grizzled." One of the most renowned Aurors of all time, Moody was a fierce fighter for good in the First and Second Wizarding Wars. He'd lost an eye, which was replaced with a magical one, he has a wooden leg, and his face is covered with scars. His experiences in battle left him emotionally damaged as well -- paranoid, bitter, and eccentric.
In spite of his seemingly fragile mental state, the veteran Moody was convinced to come out of retirement by Dumbledore to serve as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. But Moody was shortly attacked by Barty Crouch Jr., who would trap and subsequently impersonate him using polyjuice potion in service of Voldemort. The real Moody would go on to serve in the reformed Order of the Phoenix, faithfully protecting Harry Potter from Voldemort and his forces until he died in the line of duty in The Deathly Hallows Part 1.
As the head of Gryffindor house and Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall can be a strict disciplinarian. She is quick to kick misbehaving students out of her class, and deduct house points when the situation warrants. But she can also be kind of like that cool aunt of yours -- the one who sometimes lets you get away with a bit of mischief. And that's what's so endearing about McGonagall.
She grew up attending Hogwarts and returned to the school as an adult to teach Transfiguration, under Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, who would later entrust her with the Deputy Headmistress position and serve with her in the Order of the Phoenix during the First Wizarding War. After the infant Harry Potter's defeat of Voldemort, McGonagall was one of the members of the Order who traveled to Privet Drive to leave the child in the care of the Dursley family whom she viewed as the "worst kind" of Muggles. She would later take Potter into her own house at Hogwarts and watch over him throughout his time there.
- Tom Beasley
- Hermione Granger. Hermione is the best character in the entire series, regardless of whose name is on the front of the books and DVD covers. She is, let’s face it, the glue holding the franchise together.
- Severus Snape. There’s no doubt that Severus Snape is the most complex character in the Potter universe and, with the help of Alan Rickman’s virtuoso acting performance, that nuance carries over onto the big screen.
- Lord Voldemort. Occasionally, nuance is overrated. Sometimes what you want from one of the best movie villains is a skeleton-cum-man with a ludicrous pantomime voice and a long, black cloak.
- Sirius Black. Several of the most joyful moments of the Potter franchise involve Sirius Black, as played in the movies by Gary Oldman. There’s a brief moment in which Harry and Sirius leave the Shrieking Shack at the conclusion of Prisoner of Azkaban, ready to clear his name and start a life together finally.
- He Can Be Vindictive. Harry does not always keep his cool. Specifically, he had conflicts with Draco and with Voldemort over and over again. At first, being the nice guy he is, he tried to handle things reasonably.
- He Can Be A Bit Obsessive. One trait Harry shares with Hermione and Ron (expressed to different degrees, in different ways) is that he can be a bit obsessive.
- He Has Been Known To Be Moody. Harry is a teenager, so an unsurprising flaw is his moodiness. He can be sensitive, and this is understandable; he lost his parents, he always feels like a lot of pressure is on him, and he has faced some terrible enemies throughout the years.
- He Can Be Impulsive. In the novels and films, Harry always seemed to have unrealistic expectations for himself and others. Eventually, he could no longer handle it; he would jump the gun and throw himself into a situation at the wrong moment or in the wrong way.
Apr 8, 2022 · Rubeus Hagrid. Rubeus Hagrid is the character who gets the unique distinction of introducing Harry to the world of wizards. He comes to rescue Harry from his cruel relatives while also bringing Harry a birthday cake which immediately makes him an endearing figure. RELATED: 10 Best Deleted Scenes From The Harry Potter Movies, According To Reddit.
- Colin Mccormick
- Author
Apr 8, 2023 · From the famous Harry Potter, intelligent Hermione Granger, adorable Dobby, the complex and mysterious Severus Snape, to the iconic villain of Lord Voldermort. Below we have compiled an A-Z list (with images) of every Harry Potter character named in the books and movies.
People also ask
Who are the most famous Harry Potter characters?
Who is the best female character in Harry Potter?
Are Harry Potter characters good or bad?
Is Voldemort a good villain?
Why is Hermione the best Harry Potter character ever?
Is Ron a good Harry Potter character?
2 days ago · Hannah Abbott is a fictional character from the Harry Potter book series written by J. K. Rowling. Film: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Also ranks #2 on Fictional Characters Named Hannah. Also ranks #7 on The Best Members of Hufflepuff.
Browse new releases, best sellers or classics & find your next favourite book. Huge selection of books in all genres. Free UK delivery on eligible orders
Discover all you need to know about Harry Potter. Features, Pros and Contras. Download Harry Potter App for Free. Secure & Quick Download !
