5 Worst Harry Potter Characters, Ranked

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As a huge fan of the Harry Potter series, I’ve always loved how rich and detailed the characters are. But let’s be real, with such a massive world created by J.K. Rowling, some characters just didn’t get the development they deserved. It’s not that they were villains or irritating—some are actually really popular!—but they felt a little unfinished, like there was more to their stories that we never fully got to see.

Compelling characters are complex, with believable reasons for their actions, and they often change and reveal new sides of themselves as the story unfolds. They usually play an important role in moving the plot forward or helping the main character grow. A prime example is Severus Snape, who starts as a mysterious and frightening figure before being revealed as a hero motivated by love. However, not every character can reach that level of depth, and we’ve examined the text to identify five of the weakest ones.

5) Cho Chang

Cho Chang is a great example of a character who never quite lived up to her potential. When she first appears in Prisoner of Azkaban, she’s a confident and well-liked Quidditch player. Later, she’s presented as Harry’s crush, but we don’t see enough of her to understand the connection. By Order of the Phoenix, her character feels underdeveloped, mostly defined by her grief over Cedric’s death and a disappointing relationship with Harry, ultimately leading to her disappearing from the story.

Honestly, it really bothers me how Cho Chang was handled in the books. Not only is her name a weird combination that feels really dated even for the 90s, but the story completely ignores her background! She’s the only significant East Asian character, and they didn’t even try to explore her culture or what makes her, her. It’s such a missed opportunity! She could have been a really interesting character, maybe even a rival to Hermione or Ginny, someone smart who was dealing with her own struggles. Instead, she just exists to give Harry his first crush and then… that’s it. It’s so disappointing.

4) Mad-Eye Moody

While Mad-Eye Moody is a memorable character, his role in Goblet of Fire presents a narrative issue. The Moody we see for most of the book turns out to be Barty Crouch Jr. in disguise. This raises the question of whether we ever truly get to know the real Mad-Eye Moody.

Honestly, one of the biggest disappointments for me is how little the real Moody factors into things after his reveal. It felt like J.K. Rowling wanted to both develop a compelling, complex Moody in Goblet of Fire and then pull the rug out from under us by revealing he wasn’t the Moody we thought he was all along. And let’s be real, it strains credulity to think Barty Crouch Jr. could perfectly impersonate him for an entire year. What we’re left with is Harry spending a whole school year with Fake Moody, and then barely a conversation with the genuine article before he’s tragically killed off in Deathly Hallows. It’s particularly frustrating that even his famous line, “constant vigilance,” is ultimately associated with the imposter, and quoted by Hermione after the real Moody is gone.

3) Tonks

Tonks was first introduced in Order of the Phoenix as a unique Auror who could change her appearance, often sporting brightly colored hair that reflected her emotions. Readers quickly fell in love with her playful and energetic personality. However, in the sixth book, her character seemed to change drastically, becoming almost entirely defined by her unrequited feelings for Remus Lupin. This wasn’t necessarily a problem, but the story focused so heavily on her romantic feelings that it overshadowed her other qualities and abilities. Her interesting power as a Metamorphmagus was rarely showcased, and instead of developing her as a fully realized character, the story quickly paired her with Lupin in a rushed romance and family storyline that didn’t feel fully developed.

Tonks was a dedicated fighter who deserved a more impactful story than simply being remembered as someone affected by Lupin’s past. Her death during the Battle of Hogwarts should have been as heartbreaking as Fred Weasley’s, but because her character wasn’t fully developed, it feels unsatisfying and diminishes her sacrifice. It’s sad that she died before we truly got to know her.

2) Crabbe & Goyle

Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle function as a single character portrayed by two people. Throughout most of the books, they’re simply Draco Malfoy’s sidekicks, often described as standing on either side of him. For six and a half books, they mostly exist for comedic effect, portrayed as gluttonous and unintelligent. While many fictional worlds include background characters like them, the biggest problem arises in Deathly Hallows. Crabbe suddenly attempts to kill Hermione with a dangerous curse, Fiendfyre, and is almost instantly killed by his own spell.

In Half-Blood Prince, Draco Malfoy struggles with his family’s connection to Voldemort, but Crabbe and Goyle remain largely unchanged. Then, in the final book, they unexpectedly switch sides, acting with a decisiveness that feels unearned and isn’t supported by their previous characterization. They weren’t established as particularly driven or malicious, so their sudden willingness to fight feels out of place. It’s also telling that the movies even switched which one died—killing Goyle instead of Crabbe didn’t significantly impact the story, highlighting how little individual personality they had.

1) Peter Pettigrew

Peter Pettigrew is arguably the most disappointing character in the Harry Potter series, especially considering his dramatic introduction. He’s initially presented as a complex figure – revealed to be hiding as Ron’s rat while wrongly implicating Sirius Black in the betrayal of the Potters. This reveal in Prisoner of Azkaban is a highlight of the books. However, after becoming a key follower and helping to revive Lord Voldemort in the fourth book, his story loses momentum. We never get a strong sense of why he betrayed the Potters, beyond simply being afraid. Considering he was protected by Dumbledore and other powerful wizards, it’s hard to accept that he was chosen as Voldemort’s most trusted follower if his only flaw was being cowardly and indecisive.

Despite playing a significant role in Harry’s life, the character remains underdeveloped. He appears only briefly towards the end of the series, and we never learn much about his past. Ultimately, he dies in Deathly Hallows because he can’t bring himself to kill Harry. His actions and motivations feel unclear and inconsistent, which is frustrating given his importance to the story. As a result, he comes across as a tool to move the plot forward rather than a fully realized character.

Who’s the most unlikeable Harry Potter character, in your opinion? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2025-11-09 16:12