Top 10 Underrated Harry Potter Characters

#10: Ron Weasley

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Poor Ron has been overshadowed and overlooked by everyone. Often being seen as comic relief in the films, having to compete with his more gifted siblings, and even living in the shadow of his best friend, Harry Potter. And yet people forget that he possesses some legitimate wizard know-how and is arguably the most grounded and realistic of the trio –though he’s not above getting emotional. Unquestionably, Ron’s most valuable asset is his loyalty to his loved ones –for example, Ron gave up Christmas with his family JUST to keep a lonely Harry company. Even when he’s in mortal danger or has a falling out with his friends, he’ll never stop trying to help those he loves.

While Dumbledore was a great headmaster, everyone is quick to forget who REALLY laid down the law at Hogwarts – Professor McGonagall. Along with being head of Gryffindor house and the Transfiguration teacher, McGonagall acted as deputy headmistress of the school and enforced the rules when needed. She has no personal biases when it comes to disciplining a student – if someone from even her own house acts out of line, she’ll make sure they’re rightfully punished. But let’s not limit it to just students; if even a fellow faculty member or associate from the Ministry acts disgracefully, she’ll give them a piece of her mind –and she won’t back down. It’s safe to say that she earned the title of Headmistress after Dumbledore’s passing.

Up until his tragic death, most of the wizarding world regarded Sirius as a murderer and a traitor; and yet, only a select few –including his own godson, Harry- knew him for what he really was. Though he was a bit arrogant at school, he was fiercely loyal to his own friends –especially James Potter- and would rather die than ever betray them. Despite being raised in a family of Voldemort sympathizers, he rejected his heritage and chose to fight against the Dark Lord –a feat that possibly inspired his younger brother Regulus to defy his former master. Sirius was living proof that no one is born purely good or evil, but rather it all depends on which path they choose to follow.

When Harry was in danger during his second year at school, Dobby –the house elf slave to the Malfoy family- did everything he could to protect the boy who lived. While his methods were rather… unconventional, he only cared about Harry’s safety –which made the elf’s eventual freedom all the more deserved. While fans adored this loyal, brave and cute little creature, the films just couldn’t do him justice. He appeared many times throughout the books series and had so much more to offer, but those scenes were either cut or given to another character in the films. This meant that Dobby only had two actual film appearances – his debut in “Chamber of Secrets” …and his tragic death in part one of “Deathly Hallows”.

We all know and love Hogwarts’ half-giant gamekeeper, Hagrid. His loyalty to his friends –and especially Dumbledore- is unquestioned. He sees the best in even the nastiest beasts, he offers words of wisdom that really should be taken to heart, and more importantly, he was Harry’s very first friend and the one to bring him into the wizarding world. Unfortunately, life has repeatedly dealt Hagrid a bad hand. He was wrongfully expelled in his third year at school, had to carry a bogus criminal record for years, and he faces discrimination as a half-breed. What’s even worse is that despite his impact on Harry’s life, his role seems less significant as the series winds down – and it’s especially bad in the movies.

Tonks was a feisty young Auror with shapeshifting powers and the eventual partner of Remus Lupin. Despite having a limited amount of focus, both in the books and movies, she’s shown to be a very interesting character. Along with her unique magical abilities, it takes a lot of skill and bravery to become a dark wizard catcher at her age. There are also some heavy elements to her story that sadly don’t get as much attention in the forefront – including how she came to fall in love with and marry a werewolf. Unfortunately, her story was sadly cut short when she was murdered in the final battle –leaving Tonks to peacefully lie beside her husband.

Despite his status as a werewolf, Remus Lupin has been considered a great Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher – helping his students face their fears head-on. Unfortunately, the films criminally underplayed the inner turmoil of his condition, and also how it helped bring him and his best friends together to form the Marauders. Probably one of the most tragic subplots never fully explored in neither book nor film was the romance between Lupin and Tonks. Lupin was so convinced that no one could love someone with his ailment… but Tonks proved him wrong; they even got married and had a child together. However, his tale was brought to a tragic end when he and his wife were murdered in the final battle.

Poor Neville had a rough start in both the books and the films. He was forgetful, clumsy, and basically a walking magnet for bad luck – essentially treated as an embarrassment to both Gryffindor house and the Longbottom family. But as the years go by, we see Neville grow into a more mature and sympathetic character – coping with his parents’ illness, getting better and better at magic, and growing more confident in his abilities –despite others still treating him like a joke. Ultimately, in the grand finale, we see the final evolution of a once unlucky little boy into a heroic young man willing to stand his ground against evil and fight for what is right.

Tragically, the Weasley family seems to get the short end of the stick in the wizarding world. While Ron is overshadowed by everyone, Ginny’s inner badass is overlooked thanks to a lack of proper movie screen time… and in this case, no one seems to pay any mind to dear Molly Weasley. It’s hard enough being a mother of seven living in poverty, but she’s also a proud member of the Order of the Phoenix –and her legitimate concerns are usually ignored. Despite all that, she still remains a caring, loving matriarch throughout the years –plus she earns extra brownie points for being the one to finally rid the world of Bellatrix Lestrange for good. Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few underappreciated honorable mentions. Sybill Trelawney Kreacher Peeves Kingsley Shacklebolt Narcissa Malfoy (née Black)

Luna may be one of the strangest students at Hogwarts – mostly due to her eccentric fashion sense and spacey personality. Because of this, she was constantly bullied and didn’t have many friends –they nicknamed her “Loony Lovegood” because of her quirkiness. Despite her strange behavior, she is very bright and can be an unexpected source of comfort to those who need it –most likely because she herself has faced great tragedies in her life. More importantly, she is incredibly loyal to anyone who would call her a friend –including our own Mr. Potter. Overall, Luna is undeniable proof that sometimes the most bizarre people are your greatest friends –and that you shouldn’t be so quick as to blow them off.