I solemnly swear I am up to no good…
The Harry Potter series changed the world. The best-selling series of books ever committed to paper encouraged a generation that reading could be fun, taught countless people life lessons and inspired a sensational film series that became a force of nature.
This week, Harry Potter turns 20 as we approach the anniversary of the release of The Philosopher’s Stone. Reflecting on the series, the characters were the most valuable asset of all. The variety of personalities, the character development and the dynamic between them all – they brought the magic to the books.
We’ve ranked the top fifty Potter characters below, kicking off our countdown with #50-41.
Do you agree with out list? Let us know what changes you’d make (if any).
Mischief managed.
50. Whomping Willow
Yes, I know, it’s not a person. Or an animal. It’s a tree. However, the Whomping Willow was an important character, and it had a life of its own – becoming a significant player at the start of Chamber of Secrets and the climax of Prisoner of Azkaban.
49. Cedric Diggory
The chiselled dreamboat from Hufflepuff was the people’s favourite to win the Triwizard Tournament before being killed by Peter Pettigrew. He was modest and fair, despite Harry stealing his thunder at seemingly every opportunity.
48. Seamus Finnegan
Ahh, the token Irishman. Obviously, we’re not a very magical nation. Seamus added colour to the Hogwarts tapestry during the series, whether it was annoying the Carrows during the reign of terror or blowing stuff up due to his questionable mastery of pyrotechnics.
47. Cho Chang
Cho, a Ravenclaw, caught Harry’s eye in the fourth book. He asked her to the Yule Ball but was beaten to the punch by Hogwarts heartthrob Cedric Diggory. Was later a member of Dumbledore’s Army.
46. Kingsley Shacklebolt
Kingsley was an important character – he was a leading Auror, played a huge part in defeating Voldemort and went on to become Minister for Magic. However, he failed to ever capture readers’ imaginations and was even more forgettable in the films.
45. Peeves
It’s a shame Peeves never made the final cut of the films, as he’s present in several books, from Harry’s first days in Hogwarts to the final battle, where he’s seen pelting Death Eaters with plants. He was a notable accomplice of Fred and George in their mischievous schooldays.
44. Gilderoy Lockhart
An absolute eejit, but a sort of endearing one. Lockhart was Defence Against the Dark Arts professor for Harry’s second year, enjoying the attention of seemingly every female character for his charm and fame in the wizarding world. He was later exposed as a massive fraud, and accidentally Obliviated himself. Well done, Gilderoy.
43. Fenrir Greyback
Not the most memorable villain, but an important one. Greyback bit Lupin as a child, changing him into a werewolf, and later mauled poor old Bill Weasley, leaving him heavily scarred. A nasty piece of work.
42. Nagini
Nagini lent a Bond villain air to Voldemort, as the classic evil-pet-that-will-eat-my-enemies. Nagini is an important part of the plot, first appearing in Goblet of Fire, attacking Arthur Weasley and killing Snape in the Deathly Hallows, before being beheaded by Neville in the finale.
41. The Sorting Hat
Up there with Sherlock Holmes’ deerstalker and Indiana Jones’ fedora as the most famous hat in fiction, the Sorting Hat is a sapient, mindreading, sword-carrying fixture of the Potter world. It listens to Harry when he desperately wants to join his friends in Gryffindor, and saves the day twice – providing the Sword of Gryffindor to slay the basilisk and then Nagini.
We will publish numbers 40 through 31 on Friday…
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
