First and foremost, let me preface this by saying that I absolutely LOVE all of the Harry Potter movies, and I rank many of them in my personal Top 30 Best Movies of All Time list. But I have to admit that these movies are not perfect, and that there are some characters that just don’t hi the mark. While this list isn’t big, I found 5 of them to be worthy of this list. So, let’s take a boat to Hogwarts, shall we? Here are the top 5 worst characters in the Harry Potter franchise!


5. James Potter

James Potter with a smug expression and round glasses.

The problem with James Potter is that after we see Snape’s memories, we’re never once given an explanation to why James was a “bully”. Why did he treat Snape badly? Was James always this way, or did he get older and became a “good” person? I mean, Sirius Black and a bunch of other characters have nothing but praise for him, but are we really supposed to believe that Snape “deserved” to be bullied or something? Why am I being fed how “great” James Potter is, when the opposite of that is actually the truth? He wasn’t nearly as perfect and kind-hearted as people made him out to be, and that’s a big problem. It doesn’t make sense to praise a person in this fashion, when it was obvious that he wasn’t that good to begin with.

That being said, it’s tough to really pin down what kind of man James Potter was, isn’t it? Is he good? Was he a problem child? Like Sirius Black wisely pointed out, everyone’s got a little bit of both light and dark inside of them. But honestly, it would have been great to get a bit more insight into James’ character so he doesn’t end up looking so bad by the time Harry’s journey wraps up. Just a little more depth could’ve gone a long way!


4. Dudley Dursley

Dudley Dursley being held by his parents while looking dizzy.

I really like Dudley’s egocentric and arrogant vibe in the early Harry Potter films. He’s a simple, straightforward character who’s there to give us a good laugh, while also showing us how much more his parents love him when compared to Harry Potter. It’s all part of the charm! But here’s the kicker: he’s kind of a one-trick pony. Dudley never really grows or becomes an active part of the story, which is such a missed opportunity. I mean, he’s Harry cousin — you’d think we’d get more of his hilarious antics, right? Sadly, we’re left with this character that always makes me thin, “What could’ve been?”

Worst of all, Dudley somehow manages to go from a spoiled rich brat to a bully who hangs out with low-lifes and wears “cool” clothes? Now, where did this change come from? Well, we don’t get an explanation. In all honesty, we rarely ever get to see much of Dudley. He’s only involved when Harry’s on the screen, otherwise he seemingly doesn’t exist. And in the end, why didn’t the two of them have a moment of recollection and possible comradery? Well, only god knows.


3. Cho Chang

Cho Chang with other girl students looking into the distance.

Where do I even begin with Cho Chang? First off, she was introduced in The Goblet of Fire as a love interest for Cedric Diggory, but also Harry Potter. This love-triangle doesn’t go anywhere and only serves one purpose; to show that Harry is coming of age and is looking at girls more. Secondly, she’s a minor character who has no impact on the story, yet she gets many scenes in which she serves no purpose. And last but not least, she gets unceremoniously written out of the storyline, as if she didn’t matter whatsoever. It’s such a strange decision, right? They didn’t know what to do with Cho, so they removed her from the storyline altogether. Oh well…

What could’ve made Cho Chang a better character is if she had a story of her own, you know? Not something connected to just Cedric and Harry, but something that makes her, well.. HER. You know, some actual characteristics that make her a unique person, instead of a crutch for other characters. Worst of all, she doesn’t even come close to the quality of Lavender Brown, who at least had an attitude, an over-the-top personality and an addictive way of loving Ron. On the other hand, Cho is just a sweet girl. She’s shy. That’s it. Nothing more. She’s barely got a personality. It’s just sad to write a character this shallow in a franchise this amazing. In turn, I think she’s one of the worst Harry Potter characters.


2. Neville Longbottom

Neville Longbottom looking glum in his Gryffindor robes.

I’m sorry, but when a character goes from being a goofy, comedic mess and a snivelic coward to suddenly becoming an amazing hero at the end—without any real buildup—it just doesn’t land. It’s honestly a bit disappointing. While I did enjoy Neville’s scenes in Deathly Hallows: Part 2, it would’ve been nice to see a reasoning behind his transformation, rather than becoming heroic out of the blue. Sure, he started to grow bolder in The Order of the Phoenix, but even that he just felt like a child trying too hard to be something he’s not. While the books do a better job building him up, the Harry Potter films sadly don’t do the same. It results in an awkward and cringey developed in a character who hasn’t earned it.

I get that people love Neville, but if we’re being real, his character doesn’t hit the mark. His best moments are when he’s the awkward, goofy comic relief, and that vibe gets overshadowed by the time we hit the fifth movie. It’s not necessarily bad, but he doesn’t grow and evolve on the adventure like other characters do, and thus it throws off who Neville has been. If you all of a sudden want me to think that he’s brave, I have to disagree. If you consider it brave to blow up a bridge while running away and killing a snake that wasn’t even looking at you brave, then we have a different definition of what brave is. It’s not Neville. He’s not even a Gryffindor.

Neville Longbottom Is Not Brave. He’s Not a Gryffindor.

Last but not least, let me add that Neville has his positive, as he’s a funny character, but the amount of time he gets on the screen while offering so little is unacceptable. I’m not saying that he must grow like Ronald, Draco or Fred and George, but he does little to be that loved. It’s weird. I must admit, it’s peculiar. Even characters like Cedric Diggory are better, and it’s not close. Without the boyish charm and the childishness, Neville would be an A4 piece of paper.


1. Ginny Weasley

Ginny Weasley holding a wand looking focused.

I hate to say it, but Ginny Weasley is definitely one of the most poorly written characters in the Harry Potter franchise, which is quite surprising considering she’s the love interest of the main character himself! You’d think they’d have given her a bit more depth, right? What we’ve got in Ginny is a constantly awkward and cringey individual, always seeming a little out of place and, to be honest, rather forced. Nothing about her feels natural, and every time she’s on screen, it’s like we’re bracing for a string of moments that make you want to look away. It’s the classic case of a character who’s not given her own identity and is mainly there to prop up the much more well-developed characters around her. Such a missed opportunity!

You might think that I hate Ginny Weasley, but I really don’t. I actually find her to be sweet and heartwarming, but that doesn’t mean she’s a good character. If anything, it means that Bonnie Wright did something right, and made us feel something, all right? Sorry for the rhyme, it was cringey, just like Ginny Weasley. So it’s somewhat fitting, isn’t it? But I digress, Ginny Weasley had her moments, being particularly memorable in the earlier films. The older she got, the less she grew and the more problems that arose. Therefore, I say that while Ginny has her positives, I think that she’s one of the the worst Harry Potter characters. Sadly, the very worst.

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