Harry Potter: 15 Characters With The Most Total Movie Screentime

Summary

Some Harry Potter characters have less screen time than fans might expect, with Luna Lovegood, Fred & George Weasley, and Sirius Black having shorter appearances.
Changes had to be made in the movie adaptations to fit each book into a run time, resulting in some fan-favorite moments and characters being left out.
The upcoming Harry Potter TV series on Max may give deserving characters more screen time, improving upon previous adaptations.

The Harry Potter characters’ screen time is a little surprising with regard to some key people in the franchise. Part of what makes the series special is its vast line-up of complex, compelling characters. In addition to Harry and his close friends Ron and Hermione, there are dozens of fully-fleshed-out witches, wizards, creatures, and even ghosts that give the story so much depth. However, some definitely got more attention than others, and even several of the most popular Harry Potter characters’ screen time is much less than fans might expect.

Changes had to be made to fit each book into a movie’s run time. Not only did the adaptations of the Harry Potter stories leave out several fan-favorite moments, but several characters had their roles significantly cut. Although it can be argued that it was necessary to do so in order for those critical to the main storyline to shine, there were a few that definitely deserved a bit more. There is a chance that the upcoming Harry Potter TV series on Max will fix that and give some previously overlooked Harry Potter characters the screen time they deserve.

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15 Luna Lovegood

17:15 Minutes

Despite the fact that she didn’t make her first appearance until the fifth movie in the series, Luna Lovegood still had more screen time than many other important Harry Potter characters. Making her debut in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Luna plays a significant role in helping Harry and co. with the final Battle of Hogwarts.

Most of her screen time came in that last release, but both she and her father play a role in the Battle of Hogwarts in the final movie, with Luna proving herself a capable ally. Her role in the books was similar, as she provided something Harry and his friends needed before facing Voldemort. It is also notable that she appeared at the end of the final film after the big battle, sitting next to Neville Longbottom. The two shared a look that hinted at a future between them — though they both marry other people in the books.

Luna went on to marry Rolf Scamander, the grandson of Newt Scamander, who wrote the
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
book and was the protagonist of the movie franchise of the same name.

14 Fred & George Weasley

19:45 & 20:15 Minutes

In some interesting trivia, the twins Fred and George Weasley appeared in the exact to-the-second amount of screen time in the first five movies. This only changed in the last two releases, where Fred appeared exactly 15 seconds longer in each film than his twin brother. There was also the tragedy in the final film where Fred — despite getting the most screen time by 30 seconds — dies in the Battle of Hogwarts.

The books offered the twins more time, and the movies slighted Fred’s death by shorting it on the big screen. They also had a nice moment where Harry used his Goblet of Fire money to open their joke shop, something the movies omitted. Fred and George are two characters that the Max series should offer more time to since they play a lot bigger role than the films might have suggested.

13 Sirius Black

20:45 Minutes

Sirius only showed up in three of them outside of appearances as a ghost for Harry

Sirius Black is a special case. In both the books and the films, Sirius is only prsent in three a piece outside of appearances as a ghost for Harry to see. Sirius escaped from Azkaban in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. That movie was where he had most of his screen time as he connected with his godson, Harry, for the first time. He then plays a large role in Order of the Phoenix, where he sacrifices himself in the fight with the Death Eaters to protect Harry.

Sirius was a very important part of the story, and in both the books and movies, his time in the story was shorter but had greater meaning than almost any other character. There is little chance that the Max series will give Sirius any more screentime than he got in the movies since he was gone before Harry could really get to know him. It is disappointing, though, as Gary Oldman was fantastic.

12 Remus Lupin

24:30 Minutes

Remus Lupin is someone who didn’t appear until Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The newest Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher appears in that movie more than anyone but Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and even more than Sirius Black. However, after this, his only appearances in the last four films total under seven minutes. This proves highly disappointing as Lupin was part of the Order of the Phoenix, and the lack of this Harry Potter character’s screen time lessened his impact on the Battle of Hogwarts.

Lupin dies in that final battle, and the fact that he is only in the last film for less than two minutes makes it seem less important than it really was. The movies try to show how sad it is that Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks died together as star-crossed lovers, but the screen time doesn’t allow the deaths to have as great an effect as they did in the books.

11 Neville Longbottom

28:15 Minutes

It might surprise some that Neville Longbottom has as much screen time as he does. However, anyone who has read the books knows he is important. Many readers thought he was the real Chosen One over Harry Potter. Indeed, he appeared in over 28 minutes of the franchise, just a little less than McGonagall and more than all but the most important heroes and villains of the story.

Neville appeared in every single movie, although he only had 15 seconds of screen time in Deathly Hallows – Part 1. He was also an important part of the final Battle of Hogwarts and deserved equal screen time in the various films as he had on the pages in the books. Harry Potter movie fans who haven’t read the books might never know how essential and important Neville is to the legend of the Chosen One, but at least his killing Nagini will go down as one of the coolest moments in the cinematic franchise.

10 Minerva McGonagall

28:45 Minutes

Minerva McGonagall isn’t the most pivotal character in Harry Potter, but her authority and reliability make her a pillar of the franchise. Appearing in seven of eight movies, she racks up 28 minutes and 45 seconds of screen time, with most of her appearances portraying her in a purely academic context. This screen time is important because McGonagall contrasts Snape, as she is a good and fair professor, especially when held up against the cruelty of her fellow instructor.

The exception to her role in the franchise is Deathly Hallows – Part 2. When the Death Eaters launch their attack on Hogwarts, she steps up to rally the school’s statues to defend them all. It would’ve been nice to see some of her more protective scenes from the book, such as when she has a showdown with Umbridge. The Max series will surely have more of McGonagall in it, as she is easily the second most important professor at Hogwarts, following only Snape.

9 Ginny Weasley

30:15 Minutes

As Harry’s love interest – and eventual wife – Ginny held a prominent role in the movies. She played an important part in the Chamber of Secrets, opening the Chamber on Tom Riddle’s behalf, and is Harry’s rock throughout Half-Blood Prince. However, what’s interesting is that Ginny should have appeared for far more than 30 minutes and 15 seconds. Ginny’s characterization and storylines run deeper in the books, where she is feistier, funnier, and stronger than her onscreen counterpart, which is a major point of contention for Harry Potter fans.

She is the one to talk Harry out of his fears of being possessed in Order of the Phoenix and fights with her family and Harry to be allowed to take part in the Battle of Hogwarts. While the love story doesn’t come until later in the stories, she is still a strong and powerful female character and is even better at Quidditch than most of the boys featured in the films.

8 Draco Malfoy

31:45 Minutes

Draco Malfoy is Harry’s self-proclaimed archenemy, yet only gets 31 minutes and 45 seconds screen time throughout all the movies. While it’s still more than most of the characters, it still comes as a great surprise to viewers, considering how passionately Harry hates his schoolmate and how much he gets in the way. True, Malfoy is magnificently nasty when he does appear.

More schoolboy elements of Malfoy’s rivalry with Harry get lost in many scenes

Some of the pettier, more schoolboy elements of Malfoy’s rivalry with Harry get lost in many scenes. However, Tom Felton acts out his moral dilemma over killing Dumbledore in Half-Blood Prince to perfection, and his moment of doubt as Draco would have played out even more beautifully in the movie had he been given the depth and gravitas he was in the novel. Draco was truly Harry’s greatest enemy until Goblet of Fire, but his screentime doesn’t say as much.

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7 Lord Voldemort

37:15 Minutes

Aside from living forever and establishing pure-blood dominance, Lord Voldemort’s greatest mission in life was to kill Harry. The franchise’s hero has to contend with his efforts to do all three of Voldemort’s goals in every Harry Potter movie (except for Prisoner of Azkaban), totaling 37 minutes and 15 seconds of terrifying Voldemort scenes. Across these appearances, Voldemort is played by five different actorsto account for the fact audiences see him at different stages of his life.

The escalating level of conflict between him and Harry in the final films bulk out much of his screen time, as well as the scenes in which Harry and Dumbledore delve into the antagonist’s past in Half-Blood Prince. It is not unusual to see a major villain’s screen time lower, as most films want to keep the bad guy mysterious, and not showing him as much makes him appear more dangerous.

6 Severus Snape

43:15 Minutes

Harry has three main enemies – Malfoy, Voldemort, and Snape – but it’s the latter who comes out on top in terms of Harry Potter characters’ screen time. Appearing in every Harry Potter movie, he spends most of his time bullying Harry and his other students. The last three releases give Snape enough material for 43 minutes and 15 seconds onscreen.

As Snape’s complete tragic backstory is unveiled in Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows – Part 2, all of his previous actions are framed in a totally different light. Of all the characters in the franchise, Snape is perhaps one of the most accurately adapted, and very few key scenes are omitted. His sacrifice was felt more than almost any other in the books and the films, and Alan Rickman’s performance made every minute he was on screen a treat to watch.

5 Rubeus Hagrid

45:45 Minutes

Warm, friendly, and loyal, Hagrid is one of the most likable characters in all of Harry Potter. He’s one of Harry’s best allies and is always on hand for support, which earns him 45 minutes and 45 seconds of Harry Potter characters’ screen time. Because he is just so charming, Hagrid’s scenes are always heartwarming. Some of them are also powerful – he’s the one to carry a baby Harry into the story, and comes full circle when he carries what he thinks is Harry’s dead body out of the Forbidden Forest.

There are other heartwarming moments that didn’t make the movies, but most of these consist of Harry just visiting him in his hut. Hagrid’s screen time is the most surprising since it is more than people like Snape, Draco, and McGonagall. While he is beloved by fans, his importance to the story is not as high as the others, and it seems a little off-balance for him to appear more than other characters.

4 Albus Dumbledore

77:15 Minutes

A lot of Albus Dumbledore’s most impactful actions are made behind the scenes, beyond Harry’s realm of awareness. Mysterious as he may be, he still manages to appear for 77 hours and 15 seconds, helping Harry navigate – and ultimately win – the war against Voldemort. He only appears in seven of eight movies, but, like Voldemort, Dumbledore’s screen time increases as the stakes get higher.

Once Voldemort has returned, Harry has more adult issues to deal with that require Dumbledore’s involvement beyond just being his headmaster. Half-Blood Prince is the most Dumbledore-focused of the bunch. While Harry and his friends obviously get the most screen time, it is Dumbledore who is the most important character for Harry’s journey and he always takes up a large share of the story, on the page and on the big screen.

3 Hermione Granger

205:00 Minutes

Some fans feel like the movies exaggerated Hermione’s role in comparison to their portrayal of Ron, yet she spends less time onscreen than her future husband at 205 minutes. She appears in every film and is the only reason Harry survives as much trauma as he does. Her intelligence and practicality make her a key part of almost all of Harry’s storylines. Harry doesn’t spend as much one-on-one time with Ron in the films as he does in the books, with the trio instead shown as spending most of their social time as a group.

However, one explanation for Hermione’s slightly lower screen time is that she spends a lot of Chamber of Secrets petrified. While many fans wanted to see more of Harry with Ron, the franchise made the right decision in giving Hermione’s role such weight. She also had an entire subplot in the books that was cut from the movies, as her determination to save House Elves was mostly glossed over in the films.

2 Ron Weasley

211:45 Minutes

Ron is Harry’s first and best friend, with the pair clicking the second Ron enters his carriage on the Hogwarts Express. From that moment on, they’re inseparable – as proved by Ron’s 211 minutes and 45 seconds of screen time. This is exactly the attention Ron deserves. Ron is almost always there when Harry needs someone to talk to and is his greatest confidant.

Unfortunately, many of his best moments and personality traits didn’t make the transition from page to screen – and some fans feel that the adaptations cut a lot of his wit, loyalty, and empathy – but his friendship is still critical to Harry in the movies. The Max series should increase Ron’s screen time, as this also resulted in most of his family getting reduced time as well, as the entire Weasley clan deserves more attention in the next live-action adaptation.

1 Harry Potter

539:15 Minutes

Is it really any surprise that Harry Potter’s screen time is more than double the amount of any character? As the Chosen One, the world of Harry Potter quite literally revolves around him. It’s his hero arc that forms the structure of all eight movies, ending with his triumph against Lord Voldemort. Condensing the events of over one million words’ worth of content into eight films is nearly impossible.

However, nearly all of Harry’s important character beats make the cut in his 539 minutes and 15 seconds onscreen. It’s tough to single out his biggest moments, but the most gratifying is definitely his final defeat of Lord Voldemort in Deathly Hallows – Part 2. There is no story without Harry Potter, and the scenes that don’t include him are mostly exposition and a look at the villain’s plans. Expect the Max series to have a similar focus on the Boy Wizard.

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.

Created by J.K. Rowling First Film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Character(s) Harry Potter , Hermione Granger , Ron Weasley , Dumbledore , Minerva McGonagall , Rubeus Hagrid , Dobby the House Elf , Draco Malfoy , Sirius Black , Ginny Weasley , Voldemort