10 Harry Potter Characters Who Are Way Better In The Books
5. Percy Weasley
With the possible exception of Auntie Muriel, Percy is the least likeable member of the Weasley family. He’s bossy, snobbish, sanctimonious, and obsessed with his career prospects.
These characteristics are consistent in both versions of the story. But there’s a lot more detail in the books, especially in The Order of the Phoenix.
When Harry arrives at 12 Grimmauld Place, he learns about Percy’s row with the rest of the family. Blinded by his own ambition, Percy quarrelled with his father and blamed him for the family’s lack of financial stability. He also denounced Harry and Dumbledore and refused to believe Voldemort had returned. It’s not until The Deathly Hallows that he sees the error of his ways.
Conversely, the movies only show flashes of Percy’s character arc. We briefly see him working alongside Cornelius Fudge in the fifth film, but there’s no explanation given as to why he’s sided with the Ministry, and he’s not even mentioned in the sixth film.
This is a shame as Percy’s journey explores the conflict between family commitments and personal ambition. It’s one of the most interesting – and underrated – themes in the books, and it should have been in the movies, too.