10 Most Underrated Harry Potter Characters

A significant chunk of J.K. Rowling’s success is due to her many memorable characters. She has proven time and time again (not only in the Harry Potter franchise) that she is a master of personality, nuance, and depth when it comes to writing heroes, villains and everything in between.

It is understandable, therefore, that certain characters can be overlooked within the vast spectrum of individuals that reside within her magical world. In particular, many of the characters in the movies were presented far too briefly when compared to the original novels. As a result, these characters don’t receive enough admiration, especially among casual fans of the franchise.

Whilst some of the more overlooked witches and wizards were magically gifted or powerful, others had intriguing backstories or character arcs. There were also a number of villains who made for great secondary antagonists as well.

Put simply, Rowling’s impressive cast of characters can only be fully appreciated when looking beyond the primary heroes and villains, for there are plenty of other individuals who deserve equal attention.

Kreacher’s surly persona and overall dislike for the Order of the Phoenix made him far from popular when he was first introduced, and his betrayal of Sirius towards the end of the fifth novel (which the movie sadly left out) made him more vile still.

However, as with many of Rowling’s characters, there was a different side to Kreacher. In The Deathly Hallows, he recounted how he was abused by Voldemort in order to test the defences around Slytherin’s locket, and how he was unable to carry out Regulus Black's final wish and destroy the stolen horcrux.

After this retelling, Kreacher was viewed with pity rather than disgust, and his contribution to the Battle of Hogwarts (which was also absent from the movie) further demonstrated the noble side of his character.

It’s in some ways unfortunate, therefore, that Dobby tends to be the first character that springs to mind when people think of house-elves, as Kreacher was certainly the more interesting of the two.