Ranking the Harry Potter Characters

I was going to write a few more things about the Harry Potter Characters, but I the end, I was going to rank them anyways, so, I thought I'd just skip to that.

I left out Ron, Hermione, Harry, Voldemort, and Dumbledore on purpose. They are the main characters and don't need to be ranked. Hagrid was purposefully omitted because he sucks.

Criteria - Ok, my criteria is always a bit flakey, but usually, we are looking for the best character in the literary sense of the word - Do they add to the story? are the entertaining? do they invoke emotion in the reader? Would something be missing if they were absent? Obviously, if they are likable, they will be higher on the list. You'll see a lot of people from last posts list on this list as well. I think wanting to know more about a character is a key quality.

The Top 35 Harry Potter Characters.

35. Peeves - comic relief, but a bit annoying.
34. Xenophilius Lovegood- An interesting character, told a good story, but sold Harry out.
33. Cho Chang - Cho was very similar to many girls from my teenage years. You were all about her for a short time, but then she really fizzled out quickly.
32.Cornelius Fudge - He was a very present character, but really didn't do all that much.
31. Wormtail - You need a character you hate yet feel some pity for.
30. Narcissa Malfoy - Brought some much needed humanity to Draco
29. Oliver Wood - This mother loves quidditch!
28. Lavender Brown - a bit annoying, but played her role well, and brought Ron and Hermione together.
27. Mad-Eye Moody - I'm conflicted on this one. Moody was real cool in Book 4, but that was actually Barty Crouch Jr. The rest of his contributions were not too substantial.
26. Lucius Malfoy - You need villains. He was a good one, not a great one.
25. Percy Weasley - Another character it was easy to hate, but he had the transformation at the end.
24. The Dursleys - Wow, read #25. Dudley made the biggest chance of the family. That was one of the more interesting parts of Book 7
23. The Gaunts - They added a different element to the series. They were intriguing and showed much about Voldemort's character.
22. Igor Karkaroff
21. Remus Lupin - Lupin is the favorite character of some people, but he was a bit inconsistent for me. He was great in Book 3, but king of tailed off for me. His whole wanting to come with Harry in Deathly Hallows was kind of weird.
20. Barty Crouch - Sr. and Jr.
19. Ludo Bagman - Provided a foil for all the serious, earnest wizards and witches we met.
18. Arthur Weasley - Couldn't you see Arthur as your friend's father? The moral compass for the Weasley family and one of the few that always trusted Harry with the tough truth.
17. Fred and George Weasley - 2 parts comic relief, one part faithful friend and brother.
16. Cormac Mclaggen - As I said in the last post, I wanted to see more of this guy. He reminds me a bit of the Cobra-Kai, but I think he had a good heart. A good supporting character.
15. Draco Malfoy - I'm also conflicted on Draco Malfoy. His portrayal is inconsistent. He at times is just evil for no reason. We get a little better character insight of him in Book 6. There he shows humanity and much more depth, but I feel there was opportunity for more.
14. Sirius Black - Sirius was a cool character, but I feel he could have also been explored more. He was Harry's father figure and wanted to be his friend, but I think the toll years in Azkaban could have been more prominent.
13. Regulus Black - Odd that Regulus makes it here above this brother, but as a minor character, he was the bomb. See yesterday's post for more, but in such an odd role, Regulus was perfectly portrayed.
12. Horace Slughorn - A good mix of teacher and misguided teacher wanting to still make amends. A realistic portrayal I think.
11. Dolores Umbridge - The most unlikable character in the entire series, and that is saying a lot. A very great villain. So misguided, but a great example of what Harry and Dumbledore were up against.

10. Mungundas Fletcher - A great foil to almost every other wizard on the good guy's side. This guy failed in almost every way. You need that presence.

9. Victor Krum - Krum played his role well - foreigner, outsider, friend, ally.

8. Neville Longbottom - Neville showed the most growth in the series. He was originally the screw-up, the one no one wanted to sit next to or work with, but turned into a leader. A great example of how 7 books allow for character growth and of Rowling's message of including all no matter how seemingly unfitting they appear.

7. Bellatrix Lestrange- Another one to hate, but this time you don't really need any further character exploration, bitch is just crazy.

6. Gilderoy Lockhart - A great literary character. His personality and true personality just fit the 2nd book so perfectly. You wanted to hate him and his cowardly ways, but couldn't. One of the first examples of Rowling showing that characters are not always as the appear.

5. Cedric Diggory - The prime example of honor, friendship, fairness. I think even Harry said he couldn't dislike him even when he tried. He may be a bit one-dimensional, but that fits his role. Also, his death was a turning point in the story.

4. Kreacher - I'm a big fan of the journey of the character, of a character changing due to the environment he or she is placed in, of the character learning from past mistakes. This can be seen in Neville, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and in my number one and two choices on this list, and we see glimpses of the downward change in Voldemort. Kreacher is a drastic example, going from one of the most hated and frankly worst characters to one of the best. He really came through for Harry and the good side in book 7, a nice turnaround.

3. Professor McGonagall - McGonagall illustrates the the other type of great character. It doesn't have to be all about change and transforming, consistency works too. McGonagall is the most consistent person in the book. We don't need to know her back story to see what see is all about. She is a caring teacher and role model, but also one you would not want to mess with.

2. Severus Snape - So I think I'm putting Snape number 2 because most people think I will put him 1. He is a great character no doubt. He has the journey. He has the mystery. He most importantly, has elements of good and evil. Even when at his most surly, even when you don't know any of his back story, you still like him, or at least want to see more of him and know more of him. That is the mark of a good character. Snape is again the sign of the complexity that a 7 book (7 year) series allows for. In one book, he never really does anything that great (accept for maybe book 6) and could not show dynamic change either, but as a body of work, is an amazing character.

1. Luna Lovegood - Yes, Luna Lovegood is the best character in the Harry Potter universe. She presents a lot of things that make Harry Potter what it is. She is different and funny, but most importantly sincere. She has this connection with Harry and other characters that makes her super likable, but also super crucial. And like most of my rankings, it is easier to be the favorite when you are a minor character. Luna is just on the fringe of being a major character, but being a minor character makes her free from mistakes. Every time she is present it is important, it adds value, you wait for it, whereas Snape had a few appearances that weren't all that great or even necessary.

There you go Harry Potter fans.

Harry Potter Characters

Well, I thought about ranking my favorite Harry Potter characters, which I might still do, but after looking at them I instead decided to divide them up into characters 1. I want to know more about 2. character I wish were around less and 3. characters that were porttrayed just the right amount, kinda like a Goldilocks version of Harry Potter characters.
First we'll look at the characters I wanted to see more and want to know more about. In the Star Wars Universe there was once a time where you could make a list like this, but after hundreds of books have added to the official lexicon, you know pretty much everything about every single character who had even a half second of screen time. I'm glad HP is not yet to that point. These are by no means the best Harry Potter characters, just the most intriguing ones.

Most Intriguing Harry Potter Characters

1. Regulus Black - Wow, I want to know everything about this guy. How did he and Sirius get along? Why did he become a Death Eater? Why did he turn away from Voldemort? How did he find out about the Horcrux? How did he get the Locket in the Cave? Yes, I want to know more!
He is also an odd character as he is never really in the books if I correctly recall, not even in flashbacks. He is just talked about by others. Interesting. Regulus would be my first choice for a Harry Potter spinoff, "The Dark Adventures of Regulus Black". A great examination of a tortured soul it would be.

2. The Gaunts - The House of Gaunt was one of the best chapters in the series. Here, shown only in flashback. You get access to a piece of the magical world not yet seen. How did the Gaunts come to this? What did they do before this? How did they interact with muggles? Did they go to Hogwarts?
Are there other wizards like this? Lots more to know.

3. Cormac - I might be in the minority here, but I really like this guy. He was pretty funny in both the book and the movie. Where did he come from? What did he do in all his years at Hogwarts in in Gryffindor that we didn't see him? I wish he would have been used more.

4.Cedric Diggory - The All-American boy, if he was American. What was his life like before the Triwizard tournament, just breaking the hearts of girls everywhere?

5. Professor McGonagall - Mcgonagall has to be the most consistent character in the series, and maybe the most realistic. She never wavers. She fights for good, cares about her students, but doesn't always give Harry the benefit of the doubt when he does something stupid. This would be my second pick for a Harry Potter spin-off, "Young Minerva McGonagall" I imagine it would be like Sabrina the Teenage Witch, but sluttier. Tell me she wasn't saucy in her younger years.

6. Professor Slughorn - I only wish we had a few more years with Slughorn. We had glimpses of his past, but I want more.

7. Barty Crouch - Going for Sr and Jr here. I like the prim and proper, by the book Crouch. His story is actually rather touching. With Jr., man there are a lot of unanswered questions. What did he do to go to Azkaban? How did he know so much about Moody? Why was he such a damn good teacher? Why did he do that weird tongue licking thing in the movie?

8. Luna Lovegood - Great character, but where was she in years 2-4? Also, seeing her at Hogwarts without Harry, Ron, and Hermione in Deathly Hallows would have been interesting.

9. Ludo Bagman - Got to love a gambling addict.

10. Victor Krum - This could be another great spin-0ff, "Victor at Durmstrang" or "Krum, the Hungarian Heartthrob".

11. Draco Malfoy - We did get a lot about Draco. Most of the time he was just a huge a-hole. I guess it was his upbringing, but I would like a little more depth.

12. Mundungus Flectcher- I like this dirtbag. He adds something to the Order of the Phoenix and the good guys.

13. Percy Weasley - I'm not sure why I like Percy, but I do. He is definitely a douche, but I can just imagine him going home every night and crying himself to sleep.

14. Xenophilius Lovegood - A good addition to the last book.

15. Aberforth Dumbledore - He did what with goat? A good foil to Dumbledore.

16. Borgin - Dude owns a Dark Magic artifact store. That has got to spark your interest.

17. Igor Karkaroff - What did he do to go to Azkaban? How did he reform? How did he die?

18. Lavender Brown - I'm pretty sure all we know about her is she likes to snog and likes unicorns.

19. Blaise Zabini - Just to prove that there is more to Slytherin than Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle

20. Ernie Macmillan - Hufflepuff!

Ranking the Harry Potter Books

I'm sure you know that here at Big Dunc we are very fond of making lists. We are also very fond of popular culture (maybe edging toward the geekier side of it), and though we have given a great amount of attention to Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Lost, and comics, I believe there has been only one Harry Potter post, actually being one of the first ever Big Dunc offerings.
Anyways, let's rank 'em.

Ranking the Harry Potter Books.

7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
There are numerous reasons why I rank Deathly Hallows as the worst Harry Potter book, the biggest being that it was just a rather poor ending to a great series. It was too long, too inconsistent, too all-action all the time - jumping from one crisis to another without much really happening. You just read it to see what happened instead of enjoying all of it. I think being almost Hogwarts-less really led to an absence of magic that was present in all the other volumes. I'm a big fan of reflection, but really, were chapters like the Shell Cottage really necessary? Overall it just felt forced and lacked the sincerity of many of the other books.

Best Parts:
Battle of Hogwarts
7 Harry Potters
Kreacher and Dobby's sacrifice
Ollivander
seeing characters like Luna and Neville come into their own.
learning a bit more about Snape
destroying the locket.

Bad parts:
Harry and Dumbledore at King's Cross
Dumbledore's past revelations
Bathilda Bagshot
all the moodiness of Harry, Ron, and Hermione
The Epilogue
Dumbledore's Will
the long times at the House of Black and the Ministry of Magic
Snapes quick death


6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
I know this is the one that started it all, but when compared this the vastness of the next books, it just can't hold up. All the introductions were cool. It was fun to be like Harry and be new to all this stuff, but the story itself wasn't too complex or too exciting.

Best Bits:
Newness - Quidditch, Diagon Alley, Hogwarts
Mirror of erised

Bad bits:
Quirrell
ending - saved by love?
Norbert
Nicolas Flamel - lots of put into the importance of Flamel who really had nothing to do with the story itself


5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Order of the Phoenix had some of the coolest parts in the entire Harry Potter series, but also some of the worst. It ranks as number 5 mostly due to these inconsistencies. There is a lot of up and down. Action will happen (see the Dementors in the first chapter) but then will be followed by lots of inaction. The normal story arch is not present. At times it is a collection of events and tales rather than a focused, single story.

Best bits:
Dumbledore's Army - the recruitment and training - one of the best sequences of the entire series, making minor characters relevant.
Dolores Umbridge - maybe the best villain of the series
O.W.L.s - I like the academic stuff
Luna Lovegood - possibly my favorite Harry Potter character
House of Black
Cho - both good and bad - you rooted for Harry, but it contributed to the uneven story
Fred and George's exit

Bad Bits:
The Hearing
Dumbledore not talking to Harry
Harry always being Moody
Occlumency - the Snape/Harry scenes were great, but nothing really become of it
The Prophesy
Grawp/Hagrid


4. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
This one might come in 7th place on many people's lists, but I actually like the simplicity. It was a neat story without too much excess. You had the mystery and the ending did not disappoint. It had the classic narrative structure - continual rise to climactic ending. New doors were opened in the Harry Potter World. No super high highs or super low lows. Sincere.

Best Bits:
Lockhart - a fun character
Dueling Club
our first taste of Tom Riddle
the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets and the Heir of Slytherin
The Burrow

Bad bits:
car in the forest
too much Dobby
Lucius Malfoy's meeting with Arthur Weasley

3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
This is the favorite of many people, and I can see why, but for me, it is only number 3. This is the first truly great Harry Potter Book and really sets the done for the depth of the series and the darker nature for the latter books. The main story is great. The side stuff like new classes and Quidditch is great too. Unfortunately, it takes a while to get the story started, and after the seeming climax, you have to do it all over again with the Time-Turner thing.

Best Bits:
The mystery - at the root of all the best HP stories for me are questions and mysteries. Books 5 and 7 have little to no mystery and are thus rated rather poorly. Prisoner of Azkaban probably had the best outcome to the mystery in the series.
Harry not being infallible
Quidditch
Marauders Map
Lupin/Snape/Black interchanges

Worst Bits:
beginning
Knight Bus
Time Turner
A bit too much Trelawney

2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
To me, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a great combination of what worked in books 3 and 5. You have events going on which may not contribute hugely to the main story, but are still entertaining. You have a cool mystery story. You have Hogwarts as a major player. But with all of these, there is an impending scene of doom, an anticipation that something big is going to happen, and in the end, it does.

Best bits:
Hogwarts and classes at the center again
giving depth to Voldemort, I loved the Gaunt chapter
The potions book
The Cave - maybe the best chapter in the series
Dumbledore's Death - some people don't like that Harry was frozen, but you as the reader really share his sense of helplessness
The scene where Percy came home but only because of work and not to see his family was pretty intense
Also the scene on the train where Malfoy actually defeats Harry was pretty cool too, one of my favorites

Bad Bits:
Aragog and sad Hagrid
Ron and Lavender
lack of big action until the end that it

1. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Much like Half-Blood Prince, Goblet of Fire has all the elements that make Harry Potter great - the mystery - who put Harry's name in the Goblet and why, great side stories and action, further exploration of the Harry Potter World, a crazy entertaining ending, the feeling of impending disaster, and in this one, the main backdrop story is the awesome Triwizard Tournament! I am a sucker for competition, so Goblet of Fire is obviously number 1. But like I said, it wasn't just the tasks and the tournament. You have the Quidditch World Cup, the new Wizarding Schools, the Yule Ball, Mad-Eye Moody, and the rest of the series is really set into motion from this one. Despite the length, this one is never forced (ok, maybe the house elf thing). Even character like Moaning Myrtle, meant to be annoying, and Trelawney and Hagrid are used to their best ability.

Best Bits:
Quidditch World Cup - This is the best exposition of the entire Wizarding World in the series. We learn there is so much more to it than Hogwarts
The other schools
Tasks - dragons, mermaids, sphinxes, skrewts
The unexpected task - asking a girl to the dance, tough
The Yule Ball - very real, unglamorized
Dropping the Egg- this might be my favorite sequence in the entire series - Harry gets stuck in on of the trap stairs, drops the egg, Peeves and Filch and Snape and Moody come while Harry is helpless under the invisible cloak. The drama and suspense here at its highest. How was Harry going to get out of this one? I remember my heart racing at this one, probably more than even at the end of this book or Half-Blood Prince
The ending - Death Eaters, Priori Incantatem, and the explanation of it all. The ending was great. I could not stop reading, but unlike the ends of Half-Blood Prince, Prisoner of Azkaban, and Order of the Phoenix, which are all awesome scenes, here you are not reading just to see what happens. You truly want to soak in every detail.

Bad Bits:
house elves- drunk Winky
Ron being mad at Harry
Rita Skeeter.

Well there you have it.

Why is Harry Potter so Good?

He's just a dorky, sometimes whiny British teenager, so why are the Harry Potter books so good?
The writing is usually very formulaic. So why is it so good?
Many characters are just tropes and stock characters. So why are they so engrossing?

Lots of good questions. I really don't know the answers, but J.K. Rowling really put out something quite cool. I read the first good while in high school and liked it, reading it very quickly, really wanting to know what happened next. And I guess that's the first an most important part- the entertainment, really being hooked by the story no matter how forulaic, outrageous, or improbable. That is why foreshadowing is such a big part of Rowling's formula. Just wanting to know what happens next will keep you reading and eventually lead to some link with the characters. That link, like, or even empathy for the characters is the second thing that makes HP so good for me. Harry is a real person with real reactions and desires. He is not altruistic, but human and this makes his character more identifiable. You want to know whats gonna happen not only against Voldemort, but in quidditch and in his evolving love life. You want to see Hermione and Ron get together. You want to see Neville succeed. You want to see Percy realize what a bitch he is. And then when back stories are glimpsed, it just fuels your fire both to read on and become further attached to the characters. My third reason why Harry Potter is so good is the general subject matter, magic. It is something new to me and very interesting. It's fun to learn what classes Harry will be taking. It's fun to learn all about spells and magically creatures completely foreign to us. All the new things just touched upon you want to be elaborated. You want to know the history of the Black family and learn why Harry can speak like a snake.

Yeah, so I didn't expect to like Harry Potter so much. I'm still not totally sure why, but these were a few of my reasons. Rowling uses an attractive subject matter mixed with good story telling with tons of foreshadowing to hook the reader. And having 7 books helps for the great character development and emergence of back story and new characters. So basically the more you read the more you like it because the long series allows for better writing and character and plot growth. Nothing amazing on the surface, but put it all together and it works wonders.


I think I've reach a whole new level of dorkiness writing an analysis of why I like Harry Potter. My next post might as well be about Dungeons & Dragons.
Actually a future post will be about Harry Potter vs. Lord of the Rings. See? Dorkdom.

P.S. I once told a friend that I think I would have made a good wizard.