There have been plenty ofdeaths across theHarry Potterfranchisethat felt cruel or even unnecessary. Characters who tragically departed the franchise often served as a lesson or held deep meaning to Harry and his quest to defeat Voldemort. However, there were plenty of deaths in the franchise and laterFantastic Beastsfilms that arguably neglected characters who had plenty of storyline and character potential.
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The characters featured in this list died in their prime and had plenty more to give. They serve to represent the tragedy of war and the devastation of dark magic and its consequences.
This list contains spoilers for both theHarry PotterandFantastic Beastsseries!
9Cedric Diggory
Cedric Diggory’s deathsparked the beginning of a full-scale war and Voldemort’s dramatic return, despite many still in disbelief. A young, immensely popular man still in school being brutally killed sent shock waves through the wizarding community.
This was the first time that Harry himself could remember seeing death, so it is significant in that respect, but it just feels like a waste. But that is the point. As his death could have easily been avoided and happened by chance, it ultimately demonstrated the absolute cruelty of Voldemort killing “the spare” and the terrifying significance of his return.
8Credence (Aurelius Dumbledore)
Ultimately a very powerful and neglected magical man hidden away, Credence is one of the most interesting characters across the franchise. His repression of magic created an Obscurial force within him, and as a result, the films suggest that this contributes to his falling into the dark clutches of Grindelwald.
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Whilst Credence does not die on screen, it is implied that he will soon die in theFantastic Beastsfilms. His character was not handled very well and lacked proper development,particularly duringThe Secrets of Dumbledore,and it seems bizarre to conceptualize a fascinating character who is related to Dumbledore only to kill him off.
7Colin Creevey
An excitable young man and a keen photographer, Colin Creevey was a sweet and gentle boy throughout theHarry Potterbookswho seriously admired Harry. Expelled from Hogwarts in his sixth year due to being Muggle-born, Colin snuck back into school during the Battle of Hogwarts and was killed by Death Eaters.
Described as “tiny in death” in the books, Colin highlights the magnitude of the loss of life throughout theHarry Potterfranchise. His happiness and loyalty made his death arguably one of the saddest and is not treated as very significant in comparison to other losses.
An ex-auror eccentric who has a knack for thinking like a dark wizard, Mad-Eye’s death occurs in passing, with Bill Weasley simply remarking: “Mad-Eye is dead.” He dies off-screen/page, which feels somewhat likean injustice to his character, as he is scarcely mentioned again.
First appearing inThe Goblet of Fire,Moody’s background story is cemented immediately as a man who is totally unafraid. Given his history of heroism and ability to stare down and fight a Death Eater, it felt as though depicting his death would have honored his huge legacy in the series.
5Leta Lestrange
Leta Lestrange was a very crucial character in the first twoFantastic Beastsfilms. She had a full-on character arc, including her redemption, and was rebuilding her relationship with Newt, only to just be killed off. This was a huge shock to many fans who saw her appearing in future films.
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This situation seemed weird as she was built up to be a huge and instrumental character for theFantastic Beastsseries. There is speculation over if she would return forThe Secrets of Dumbledore,but she did not return, which strongly suggests that her story arc was in vain.
4Dobby
One of the sweetest and most innocent individuals across the franchise, Dobby is a characterwhose death felt needless and completely tragic. It was completely random and a case of ‘wrong place, wrong time,’ which made it all the more crushing and unexpected for fans.
His death is even more heartbreaking as he died saving Harry’s life, which is something that Harry had told him never to do again. It ultimately feels meaningless because of how unfair and upsetting it is and sets the tone forThe Deathly Hallows Part 2(or the second half of theDeathly Hallowsbook).
3Fred Weasley
Fred represented the last element of joy with his continuous wisecracks with his twin brother, George. His death was deeply depressing, and felt as though it was just thrown in there to further exaggerate the sadness ofthe final battle at Hogwarts.
His death feels cruel as he and his family had only just reconciled with an estranged family member, Percy, who apologized for not believing that Voldemort had returned. However, it is frustrating that the movie did not pay proper attention to his death and instead chose to it occur off-screen.
2Remus Lupin and Tonks
Another death that happens off-screen is Remus Lupin’s, as well as his wife, Tonks. It is upsetting, not least because it parallels the death of Harry’s parents, as their young son Teddy is left as an orphan. It is still a sore spot for many fans, mostly due to the cruelty of it and the fact that it happens almost in passing.
Lupin and Tonks had obvious and fantastic chemistry, and it is still sad that this was cut short and not permitted to continue. The only consolation forPotterfans is that they were together until the end.
1Hedwig
Symbolizing the death of Harry’s innocence, it is still devastating that Harry and Hedwig’s story had to end so soon inThe Deathly Hallows.Their companionship transcended everything that happened in theHarry Potterseries from beginning to end.
Whilst Harry is permitted to feel sad, he is forced to very quickly move on, given the state of things in the wizarding world. Despite the argument that her death was necessary for the story arc, some fans have argued that it was pointless because Harry had lost his childhood innocence long before this point.
