Despite the magical success of the Harry Potter franchise, one thing that pierced through fans’ hearts like Bellatrix Lestrange’s dagger is how the fan-favorite Ginger, Ron Weasley, was often overshadowed by his more glamorous counterparts—Harry and Hermione. Reduced to being Harry’s sidekick, fans expressed their need for justice for Ron.
Addressing how he spent seven years enduring the spotlight falling on his best friends, fans highlighted how even J.K. Rowling couldn’t seem to resist throwing a few extra firecrackers into Ron’s cauldron. Being sharp-eyed as they are, Potterheads thus spotted one particularly shocking instance where it seemed like Ron’s issues were almost magically ignored.
Ron Weasley Became the Unsung Hero in the Harry Potter Films
Much like any other film adaptation, even the Harry Potter franchise had certain limitations which led Warner Bros. to skim through J.K. Rowling’s extensive novels and focus the spotlight on only those characters that seemed important. Now, while several names were scrapped and scenes were shortened, at least the Golden Trio made their way to the silver screen.
However, despite being an integral part of the storyline and Harry Potter’s savior, his best friend Ron Weasley was somehow sidelined in the films. While Warner Bros. took their sweet time focusing on Harry and Hermione—showing their growth as characters, they noticeably reduced Ron into this timid group clown, who was scared of spiders but brilliant at wizard’s chess.
Therefore, while Harry was off saving the world, and Hermione was acing every exam, Ron was portrayed as a pitiful character, stuck with the hand-me-down robes, a rat that turned out to be a traitor, and the constant reminder that he wasn’t quite as naturally gifted as his companions. But amid such vast disparities between the trio, what came as a surprise for fans is how even J.K. Rowling sidelined Ron in the novels.
Fans are Disappointed by How J.K. Rowling Snubbed Ron Weasley
While fans could somehow forgive the films for ruining Ron Weasley’s character, they couldn’t fathom the fact that even J.K. Rowling once snubbed the fan-favorite Ginger, during his second year at Hogwarts. Therefore, taking to Reddit, Potterheads highlighted how Rowling had perhaps never planned on making Ron the center of attention.
Highlighting how Professor McGonagall had bought Harry an expensive broomstick before he even played a Quidditch match in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, and Dumbledore had helped Hermione with the time-turner in Prisoner of Azkaban, for her classes, fans noted how Ron was often left ignored among his companions.
Citing the above-mentioned incidents as examples, Potterheads noted on Reddit how none of the Professors offered to help Ron when he was carrying the literal weight of a broken wand, during his second year at Hogwarts. After the Whomping Willow accident snapped his wand into two pieces, Ron got no such thing as a compensatory gift, unlike his friends.
This lack of attention to Ron’s issues in the books raised a lot of eyebrows. Readers seemed infuriated by this magical snub and wondered if J.K. Rowling had simply written Ron as the guy who gave us comic relief. However, re-reading the books for the hundredth time, fans praised the 11-year-old Ron who beat the life-sized chess pieces and literally sacrificed himself for the team.
Harry Potter films are currently available to watch on Max.
