10 Things You Didn't Know About Harry Potter's Scar
Come and find out what Harry Potter has in common with drunk tourists...
If there was a list of the most well-known injuries suffered by fictional characters, Harry Potter and his lightning bolt scar would definitely sit atop that pile.
It's not just a feature that has become synonymous with the character's overall look, either; it plays a key role in each instalment of the series, bringing The Boy Who Lived closer to The Dark Lord and forever tying them together on the same twisted path.
The result of a failed Killing Curse inflicted upon the boy when he was just one year old, the depths of the wizarding world - from the movies to the books to the encyclopedia that is Pottermore - contain lots of interesting nuggets relating to Harry and his famous scar, many of which you might not be aware of yourself.
From its original fate in the novels to its possible hidden meaning, and the insane amount of times it was applied in the movies, there's a lot more to Harry's fascinating forehead than first meets the eye, so let's look over some of the coolest, most obscure facts and details.
10. J.K. Rowling Initially Chose Its Shape For An Odd Reason
Given how meticulously and carefully the wizarding world has been built up since its inception, there's almost an expectation that everything should have a deeply profound reason for existing. Harry's scar is no exception, and while there are definitely a lot of nifty details we can draw from it - many of which we'll discuss - Rowling's reason for originally choosing that iconic lightning bolt shape feels unusually one-dimensional.
In a now-archived Mugglenet interview, the author was asked about Harry's scar, and more specifically, why it was given its famous shape. Her answer?
"To be honest, because it's a cool shape. I couldn't have my hero sport a doughnut-shaped scar."
Rowling had aspects of the final book planned before she even wrote the first one, so if she did have a deeper reason for choosing a lightning bolt, she would have known it in 2007 - when this interview took place.
Still, imagine watching a version of the movies where Harry has a sugar-ring doughnut plastered across his forehead? Oh, what could have been...