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Highlights
- The portrayal of Albus Dumbledore changed between actors, with Michael Gambon adding humor and warmth to the role after Richard Harris passed away.
- Draco Malfoy transformed from a snobbish bully to a flawed hero who reconsidered his loyalties and saved his formerly sworn enemy’s life.
- Ginny Weasley transformed from a shy girl to a confident and capable witch who displayed impressive magical prowess and took the lead in her relationship with Harry.
From Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, when Harry and his friends were shy and awkward first-years at Hogwarts, to the epic showdown of the last film, many characters changed throughout the eight Harry Potter movies, for better or worse.
While many characters had impressive glow-ups or transforming character arcs, other characters gradually lost control and were almost unrecognizable by the end. While the films were based on the Harry Potter book series, the portrayals of certain actors also influenced changes in characters.
5 Albus Dumbledore
The Portrayal Of Dumbledore Changes Between Actors
- Featured in all eight Harry Potter movies.
While the seven years of the Harry Potter series were but a flash in the pan for the eventually 115-year-old Albus Dumbledore and the character or writing didn’t change too much, the change in actors meant the portrayals were vastly different.
After Richard Harris sadly passed away before filming of The Prisoner of Azkaban could begin, Michael Gambon was eventually cast as Dumbledore and put his own unique spin on the role. Gambon’s Dumbledore was much more spirited and was even roused to anger in a few moments, but for the most part, he added humor and a certain warmth to the role.
4 Draco Malfoy
Went From A Snobbish Bully To A Flawed Hero
- Featured in all eight Harry Potter movies.
During Draco Malfoy’s first few years at Hogwarts, he was the archetypal school bully and strutted around as though he owned the castle. Hailing from a wealthy family of Pure-Blooded elitists, Draco had been raised to believe that he was superior to everyone else, and was always quick to use the threat of his father’s supposed influence.
However, by the time of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Draco’s fortunes had taken a turn for the worse due to his father’s failure in the service of Lord Voldemort. As punishment, Draco was assigned the almost suicidal task of finding a way to get Death Eaters into Hogwarts in order to assassinate Albus Dumbledore. As a result, fans got to see a completely different side to the struggling Draco, who had also matured by this point. By the last film, Draco had seen the error of his ways and had reconsidered his loyalties enough to save his formerly sworn enemy’s life.
3 Ginny Weasley
Transformed From A Shy Girl To A Confidant & Capable Witch
- Featured in all eight Harry Potter movies.
While Ginny Weasley is one of the finest examples of Harry Potter characters who were better in the books, and even had a larger transformation on paper, she nonetheless changed plenty throughout the films too.
In the first few films, Ginny was extremely timid, especially around Harry due to the crush she had on him. But in later films, she was much more confident and assertive. In The Order of the Phoenix Ginny also displayed impressive magical prowess, on top of standing up to her elder brother Ron. It was also her that seemed to take the lead with Harry in the tentative stages of their relationship, a massive change coming from the girl who previously could not utter a word in his presence.
2 Lucius Malfoy
Gradually Broken By Successive Failure
- The Chamber of Secrets, The Goblet of Fire, The Order of the Phoenix, The Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2.
When Lucius Malfoy first appeared on-screen in The Chamber of Secrets, he was a cruel and arrogant elitist dressed in fine robes with considerable influence over the Minister for Magic and the governors of Hogwarts. While he was far from a good person, he was certainly powerful and filled with pride.
However, throughout the series, Lucius suffered from multiple humiliating failures, starting with the loss of his house-elf Dobby. Later, in The Order of the Phoenix, Lucius was unsuccessful in retrieving the prophecy, and not only was he imprisoned in Azkaban, but he was also indirectly responsible for causing his master’s unplanned reveal to the wizarding world. By the last film, after seeing his son punished for his own mistakes and feeling the Dark Lord’s wrath, Lucius Malfoy was a broken man with little self-respect and shaken values.
1 Neville Longbottom
Transformed From A Feeble Boy Into A Hogwarts Hero
- Featured in all eight Harry Potter movies.
When it comes to Harry Potter characters who changed the most throughout the movies, there is little doubt that Neville Longbottom comes out on top. When Neville turned up at Hogwarts, he was a feeble and forgetful boy with no self-confidence and very little magical prowess.
However, even in his first year, Neville did show signs of the brave Gryffindor hiding within when he attempted to stand up to his friends. By the events of The Goblet of Fire, Neville’s passion and proficiency in Herbology were beginning to bloom, but it was in the following film, when he joined Dumbledore’s Army, that Neville truly began to turn heads with his persistent progress. By the end of the series, Neville Longbottom had developed into a fearless leader who fought to protect those similar to the boy he had once been.
Harry Potter
- Created by
- J.K. Rowling
- Where to watch
- HBO Max
