Ron Weasley was set up to have a specific talent in the first Harry Potter book, but this was entirely forgotten in the sequels. Harry’s best friends were meant to bring their unique strengths to the Golden Trio, allowing them to support the Boy Who Lived on his journey toward defeating Lord Voldemort. Hermione’s intelligence was a constant asset to the team, and she did most of the legwork when it came to reasoning and logic. Harry was brave and full of heart, leading the Golden Trio with pure instinct. Ron, on the other hand, was a loyal friend (mostly)—but was that all?
Harry was always getting attention in Harry Potter, and as the years went on, this became a significant struggle for Ron. There were two instances in which it became too much for him. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Ron turned his back on Harry for a time after the Boy Who Lived’s name was drawn for the Triwizard Tournament. Then, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the locket Horcrux caused Ron to leave out of anger and jealousy. Though Ron’s return both times proved his loyalty, the character was initially set up to have a far more significant role within the Golden Trio.
Ron’s Talent For Strategy Was Completely Forgotten After Philosopher’s Stone
Ron’s Big Chess Win Didn’t Mean Much In The Continued Story
In Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had their individual strengths tested by the obstacles guarding the Philosopher’s Stone. Harry caught a flying key from a broom and bravely chose to face Voldemort on his own. Hermione faced the logic Potions test placed by Severus Snape, deducing which bottled potion would safely take Harry forward and which would allow her to turn back. Ron’s specific task was the most memorable. He used exceptional strategy to play a massive chess game and safely get his friends to the other side of the board.
Hermione’s logic test with the Potions was cut from the
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
movie.
The skills that Harry and Hermione demonstrated in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone continued to be pivotal for the rest of the book series. Harry’s skill as a flyer saved his neck on several more occasions, and his bravery and willingness to face the Dark Lord alone is what saved the wizarding world in the end. Hermione’s cleverness was invaluable to the team from the start of the series to the end. However, the Harry Potter books entirely forgot Ron’s strategic prowess. Per the story’s formula, this skill should have been key in Ron’s character arc, but it was hardly even mentioned again.
Ron’s Good Qualities Were Overshadowed By His Jealousy Of Harry
Ron’s Mistakes Stood Out Above His Victories
Ron might not have been book-smart like Hermione, but his skill at chess proved that he was highly strategically minded. This really should have come in handy throughout the Harry Potter series. He should have been the one to say when the group needed to be cautious or when it was time to make their move against whatever suspect was central to that book’s mystery. Instead, Ron’s main role within the Golden Trio was as a tie-breaker when Harry and Hermione disagreed on what to do next. Any intelligent value he actually did bring to the team was overshadowed by his jealousy and insecurity.
Any intelligent value he actually did bring to the team was overshadowed by his jealousy and insecurity.
Ron’s primary arc in Harry Potter revolved around his being a loyal friend. It was necessary that he be tested in this way, which is why he had those moments of weakness in Goblet of Fire and Deathly Hallows. However, Ron’s continued struggle with being constantly overshadowed by Harry and his brothers wound up overshadowing his good qualities. In Philosopher’s Stone, Ron sacrificed himself in the chess game so that Harry could carry on. This, along with his strategic skill, never again emerged within his arc, leaving his weakest moments in the story the most memorable.
The Harry Potter Movies Made Ron’s Character Seem Basically Useless
Of course, the Harry Potter books managed to drive Ron’s story home in the end. He never again demonstrated his skill for strategy, but his big return in Deathly Hallows, followed by his saving Harry’s life and destroying the locket Horcrux, served as a sort of redemption. Unfortunately, the Harry Potter movies downplayed this and turned up the volume when it came to all of Ron’s most outrageous moments.
Ron often came across as cowardly and stupid in the films, completely contradicting his big chess moment in
Philosopher’s Stone
.
Ron could certainly be a comical character in the Harry Potter books, but the movies took this to the extreme. Ron often came across as cowardly and stupid in the films, completely contradicting his big chess moment in Philosopher’s Stone. It’s as if the 11-year-old boy who recognized Harry’s destiny and sacrificed himself to clear the way for the Boy Who Lived had completely vanished after that installment and was replaced in the movie sequels with a bumbling fool. It’s rather poor treatment for a Harry Potter character whose book arc was already woefully neglected.
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a multimedia franchise about an orphaned boy who enrolls at Hogwarts School of Wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family, and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world. Adapted from the novels, Harry Potter is an eight-episode film saga that follows the journey of Harry Potter and his friends, Hermoine Granger and Ron Weasley, as they navigate the tricky world of growing up, school life, and magic. Starting from year one and moving to their seventh year, the films chronicle the students’ time at Hogwarts while unfurling a sinister plot that centers around the unsuspecting Harry. With the return of the dark wizard, Voldemort, the students and professors at Hogwarts will fight to carry on as the world around them may change forever. Harry Potter has expanded beyond the world of its films and novels with several video games, a spin-off film series titled Fantastic Beasts, and even attractions at Universal Studios.
- Cast
- Daniel Radcliffe , Emma Watson , Rupert Grint , Tom Felton , Alan Rickman , Matthew Lewis , Bonnie Wright , Evanna Lynch , Maggie Smith , Michael Gambon , Richard Harris , Ralph Fiennes , Helena Bonham Carter , Alfred Enoch , Harry Melling , Gary Oldman , Robert Pattinson , Warwick Davis , Oliver Phelps , James Phelps , David Bradley , David Thewlis , Katie Leung , Jason Isaacs , Imelda Staunton , David Tennant , Jamie Campbell Bower , Timothy Spall , Robbie Coltrane , Eddie Redmayne , Jude Law , Katherine Waterston , Ezra Miller , Dan Fogler , Alison Sudol , Johnny Depp , Mads Mikkelsen
- Character(s)
- Harry Potter , Hermione Granger , Ron Weasley , Dumbledore , Minerva McGonagall , Rubeus Hagrid , Dobby the House Elf , Draco Malfoy , Sirius Black , Ginny Weasley , Voldemort