Harry Potter: 10 Best Characters Introduced After The Philosopher's Stone

Which characters weren't there at the beginning, but still became essential?!

Bellatrix Lestrange Wand
Warner Bros.

Anyone who appears in the Harry Potter franchise can be called family to some. There are almost no duds in the Wizarding World, as each character comes along and fits into their narrative like the perfect puzzle piece.

Thanks to this, most of the characters feel less like one part of the series, and more a grand factor in the tapestry itself, making it seem like they've been there the whole time. But, it's often easy to forget that some of them were late to the game.

The HP movies followed a great trajectory, going from a quirky and cheesy fantasy project to a dark and mature epic that transcended popular culture. Naturally, lots of its charm came from the bright and colourful cast who populated the ground of Hogwarts and other, less favourable locations.

Whether they were a firm supporter of Dumbledore, a member of the Ministry of Magic or part of Voldemort's entourage, these characters proved they had what it took to stand with the iconic figures who were there from the get-go.

It just goes to show that you can arrive late but still make a big impression.

10. Peter Pettigrew - Wormtail

Bellatrix Lestrange Wand
Warner Bros.

Every dark lord needs a pathetic follower to perform their duties; Frankenstein has Igor, Captain Hook has Mr Smee, and Lord Voldemort has Peter Pettigrew, better known as Wormtail.

This character was introduced in The Prisoner of Azkaban, but his influence on the series began way before. As a former Hogwarts student and member of the Order of the Phoenix, Pettigrew was one of the first examples of a wizard turning on the side of good and aligning with Voldemort. He infamously exposed the Potters' location to Lord Voldemort, leading to their deaths - a crime he then pinned on Sirius Black (more on him later).

Naturally, he's a rather wretched creature who you love to hate. He had all the worst qualities of a rat, making his Animagus animal all the more appropriate. Plus, the reveal that he was hiding as Scabbers in Prisoner of Azkaban was one of the most inventive character debuts in the whole series.

Despite his awful nature, it's still easy to pity him and the poor choices he made, making him a pretty complicated character.

In this post: 
Harry Potter
 
Posted On: 
Contributor

Michael is my name, overanalysing comedy is my game! Anime, wrestling, TV, movies and video games all live in my head rent free!