Harry Potter is one of the most well-known characters in the history of movies. The movie series is one of the most popular and successful of all time, and a lot of that is down to Harry as a character, with the entire story being based around him.
Audiences get to follow his journey from being a young boy who knows very little about magic to becoming the man who defeats Lord Voldemort. Of course, throughout the films, it is Harry who is focused on the most and because of that, it is clear to see many changes in him. He grows up throughout the films, becoming a man and while there are some obvious changes, there also a few smaller, clever changes along the way. Here are 10 ways that the boy who lived changed during the story.
Learns How To Take Advantage Of Situations
During the first two movies, Harry Potter just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and winds up getting himself wrapped up in difficult and dangerous circumstances. However, as he grows up something he learns to do is take advantage of different situations.
This is most clear when he is having to get the memory from Professor Slughorn to help Dumbledore. He tries his best to no avail, but he uses every opportunity possible to make Slughorn feel guilty in order to eventually secure the memory.
Less Fearful
You would think that as the stakes rise, Harry Potter’s levels of fear would actually grow due to the circumstances, but that simply isn’t the case. While he is never as fearful as his friend, Ron is, he isn’t exactly ready to take on all the challenges that come his way.
However, as the final encounter with Voldemort comes, Harry proves how much he has overcome fear as he accepts death and welcomes it with open arms. Losing the fear of dying is a major change for him, and it ultimately allows him to overcome the Dark Lord.
He Thinks Things Through
In the early movies, Harry Potter would often rush to conclusions and make snap decisions that would put himself and others in danger. This is clear in Philosopher’s Stone when he is quick to blame Severus Snape, who actually has nothing to do with the situation he is dealing with.
As things develop he begins to learn from his mistakes, proving he is able to adapt. Harry takes his time and thinks situations through, trying to make a plan of action as best he can. This is most obvious with his search for the Horcruxes, which isn’t a mission he can just randomly go for.
Trust Issues
While Hermione and Ron always remain loyal to him, throughout the franchise there is no doubt that a lot of people show a lack of trust in the boy who lived. Whether it’s Dumbledore’s Army initially being hesitant to believe his stories, or Dumbledore knowing he had to die to kill Voldemort, he often gets lied to.
This leads to Harry building a lack of trust in people around him, especially when his name gets thrown into the Goblet Of Fire. This becomes evident throughout the series and is something he does have to battle with in order to overcome with different people.
He Learned To Be Humble
While Harry Potter was never an incredibly arrogant person, there are moments where he shows signs of becoming a little too confident, being proud of his ‘Chosen One’ status. He becomes a top Quidditch star from a very young age and could easily have allowed his fame and fortune to go to his head.
However, something that happens throughout the movies is that he becomes incredibly humble. It’s rare he brags about anything, in fact, he often downplays his own accomplishments, opting to push what other people are doing instead.
Romantic Interests
At the start of this franchise, the last thing on Harry Potter’s mind is romantic thoughts. It doesn’t seem like the story is ever going to take that turn for him throughout, but of course, it ends up happening. While he initially has a little romance with Cho Chang, it becomes clear Ginny is the person he deeply cares about.
It takes them a while to fully commit to their feelings but when that happens it creates a very sweet moment within a dark period of the film. He learns how to love and show compassion, which is something that simply comes with growing up.
Less Judgemental
One of Harry Potter’s worst traits is just how judgemental he is. Perhaps because he has had to grow up with the Dursley’s when he enters the Wizarding World he instantly seems to judge everyone he encounters, most notably Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape.
While both of them have some negative personality traits, they also have good deep within them. Both end up actually helping Harry, with Snape, in particular, actually looking out for Harry from the start. He learns by the end to not judge people on face value, which is a great lesson to learn as his relationships with Luna and Sirius highlight.
His Scar Fades
This a change that might go unnoticed by a lot of people, but Harry Potter does undergo a physical change throughout the series. His scar is one of the most common traits that is known about him and as a young child, it is very clear, red, and visible from afar.
However, as the story develops that scar actually begins to fade away. This is most obvious in the final scene of the series when Harry is an adult. The scar is barely visible which is because he has begun to totally forget about Voldemort and the issues he had.
Built A New Family
While Harry and Ginny do end the series with their own family, that isn’t the focus here. Throughout the story, Harry struggles with his lack of family. With his parents already dead and Sirius Black then being taken away, it causes a lot of conflict within his own mind.
However, throughout the films, Harry quickly realizes that family can be more than blood-related people. The bond he shares with Hermione and Ron (and the Weasley family) is incredibly tight, becoming his own family.
Becomes A Skilled Wizard
Harry Potter might be incredibly famous in the Wizarding World before he even knows about it, but he is also an extremely gifted wizard. To say he knew absolutely nothing about his magical abilities for large parts of his childhood, he ends up being a natural at quite a lot of aspects of the magical world.
While he doesn’t quite get to the level of Hermione Granger in the way of spells and charms, he is incredibly skilled. The fact he is able to pick up so much despite how many difficulties he has going on makes things even more impressive.
