In the Harry Potter series, some characters just seem to stand out from the rest. And I don't just mean because of the casting — some characters are just better than others thanks to their charm and traits.
These characters are the ones you'd want as friends, be it because of their kindness or talent. Meanwhile, there are some that are just more of an annoyance than anything else.
If you're a Harry Potter fan, you've likely got your own opinions on who falls into which category — I'm here to share mine.
In honour of the series that never gets old, I ranked 11 characters from the Harry Potter movies in order of best to worst, and fans might be a little surprised.
Hermione Granger
Yes, Hermione gets the top spot in this ranking. You may think that Harry, being "the Chosen One" and all, deserves the highest spot, but where would the golden boy be without the "brightest witch" of their age?
Hermione's quick thinking, cleverness and preparedness save Harry and Ron's necks multiple times in the movies, and Harry definitely would not have made it as far as he did without her.
You could say it even goes as far back as the first moment Hermione and Harry meet when she fixes his glasses on the train using the spell "oculus reparo." Would Harry have ever fixed his specs or gotten new ones without her?
Without Hermione there, who knows — his glasses could have snapped in half while taking on Quirrell in The Philosopher's Stone or while battling the basilisk in The Chamber of Secrets.
Besides her skill, Hermione shows again and again that she's an all-around kind, animal-loving witch.
Harry Potter
Even though Harry doesn't get the top spot in this list, I couldn't place him too far down, of course.
The golden boy deserves all the praise for, one: defeating Voldemort, obviously; two: just being an all-around nice guy, and three: devoting his time to constantly saving Hogwarts because man, for all Harry did, all he got to show for it was Gryffindor points and bragging rights (which he doesn't even use, by the way).
As shown in the movies, his character is one who responds to every crisis with courage and resolve. It would just simply never occur to Harry to abandon his quest, friends or loved ones. Who wouldn't want a friend like that?
Rubeus Hagrid
Hagrid gets a near-the-top spot thanks to his kind demeanour throughout the films.
I mean really, this man opened his home to three kids who are constantly bugging him for stuff. He always does what he can to help them — not only that but also always with a smile on his face!
Hagrid's the kind of person to have you over for tea and let you vent about that potions final you flunked. Or offer to watch your pet rat while you're visiting your brother in Romania. And he'd ask for nothing in return!
Ron Weasley
Ron comes in just below the top three for me, and I promise, there's a good reason for it.
While Hermione and Harry can be seen as selfless friends who are constantly giving their all to whatever cause they're fighting for that day, Ron, on the other hand, falls a bit short.
Sure, he does what he can. But, in many instances, he lets his fears get the better of him — I mean spiders, dogs (aka Sirius), what isn't this guy afraid of?
He can also be kind of immature. Sure, he's a kid for most of the movies, but compared to Hermione and Harry, Ron seems to be more childish and impulsive.
We also see Ron getting into moods all the time. You didn't ask Hermione to the dance and she went with someone else — get over it! Or later, in the Deathly Hallows films — Harry and Hermione are not sleeping together Ron, it's in your head!
That said, he of course has some redeeming qualities, like his protectiveness of his friends.
Sirius Black
If you aren't a fan of Sirius Black I just want to know... why?
Sirius clearly loves Harry and any watcher likely felt the heartache when Harry couldn't be with the only family he had left in the movies.
He's also brave, jumping in to protect others multiple times and standing up to Voldemort with the Order of the Phoenix.
He also spent 12 years in Azkaban for a crime he didn't commit and still came out as a good guy. That deserves some praise!
Albus Dumbledore
Dumbledore is a beloved character for many, so of course he deserved a spot on this list.
However, he definitely has some traits that put him closer to the bottom than the top.
For one thing, he's pretty manipulative and secretive throughout the films, when you think about it. The whole time, Dumbledore knew he was leading Harry to his death. As Snape put it, Dumbledore was "raising him like a pig for slaughter."
And yes, it may seem that all the while Dumbledore did care for Harry, but he still acted in a way that was for the common good, rather than what was good for Harry.
It's not all bad though. Dumbledore's kindness (especially in the first two movies) sets him apart. He's also said to match Voldemort in skill and magical talent but chooses to use them for good. That gets him some points.
Luna Lovegood
Luna Lovegood is introduced later in the movies and she's definitely not as integral to the storyline as Hermione, Ron or Harry (obviously). But she deserves a spot in this ranking for simply being her quirky self.
Luna is weird and eccentric — very much so, at times — but she never fails to be her unique self, a nice idea in today's world, where many are pressured into being people they aren't.
She's clearly open to seeing the wilder side of life and is always kind and sweet to others.
She's also just as brave as any Gryffindor, despite being sorted into Ravenclaw where wit, not bravery, is prized. You go, girl.
Dobby
You might be surprised that Dobby is so far down the list — I get that but hear me out.
Dobby is a great character — he clearly cares about Harry and even dies for him (in what was the saddest movie death ever and no, you will not convince me otherwise).
But when he's introduced in The Chamber of Secrets he's... just annoying. Surely there was some other way to keep Harry from going back to Hogwarts. Why didn't Dobby just try to talk to Harry? Instead, he pretty much ruins his life for a good portion of the movie.
Like dropping that cake at the Dursleys. Harry's already got it hard at home, Dobby, way to make things worse!
Still, the reason he antagonized Harry for a bit is admirable, and Dobby does prove a useful friend to Harry later, so he retains a better-than-last-place spot on this list.
Severus Snape
As much as I love Alan Rickman, Snape was a cold character who often made clear his dislike of Harry.
That in itself is enough to get him a lower spot on this list. What kind of adult has a personal vendetta against a kid?
And it wasn't just Harry — Snape wasn't particularly friendly to most students. He was what Neville was afraid of most, as shown when Neville's boggart assumes the form of the professor in The Prisoner of Azkaban. This should tell you what you need to know about the kind of person Snape was.
I am, however, part of the group of fans who believe he redeems himself by trying to save Harry. That, and his love for Lily, which is sweet, keeps him from the bottom of the list.
Lord Voldemort
Sure, Voldemort is the bad guy, but you could say his evilness came from his circumstances.
He was orphaned, after all. Who knows what he would have been like if he'd had a loving family?
And while he definitely proves how bad he can be in the movies, you've got to admire his drive and self-reliance — it seems like he had a whole plan worked out from when he was young and he followed through on it. Who else can say the same?
Cedric Diggory
Sorry to any Robert Pattinson fans, but Cedric Diggory gets the last spot on this list, notably, behind Voldy.
Cedric isn't around for long in the movies — he's seen in The Goblet of Fire and then dies at the hands of Voldemort.
But for the short time he is around, he's kind of a jerk. His friends bully Harry during the tournament and Cedric basically does nothing to stop them.
When Harry even helps Cedric with one of the tasks, the Hufflepuff doesn't do much to thank him. He returns the favour, yes, but likely only because Harry extended the offer of help in the first place.
You might wonder why his spot is lower than Voldemort's. But old Voldy was the villain of the movies — Cedric was one of the good guys, and a Hufflepuff, no less!
Hufflepuff values include things like loyalty, friendliness and having a strong moral code and sense of right and wrong — things he definitely did not exhibit during his short stint.
There's also something to be said about him dating Harry's gal. Did he deserve to die for that? No. Was his death that much of a loss? Well...
