Despite an upcoming television series on Max, Harry Potter fans will have a hard time imagining any other cast as the beloved Weasleys. Perhaps one of the strongest cinematic families of all time, the wizarding Weasley family is fondly remembered for their tight-knit nature and compassion for those in need. The Weaselys took Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) in as one of their own almost instantly. From Harry's struggle to get on the train to Hogwarts for the first time to battling Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) and his followers, the Weasley clan never let Harry feel alone.
Onscreen, they exuded the kind of homely warmth that audiences knew was missing from Harry's life outside Hogwarts. For every negative consequence of association with Harry, the Weasleys never withdrew their allegiance or backed down. Across eight movies, movie fans met eight of the nine family members. Everyone, except the second-oldest son, Charlie, was portrayed onscreen in at least one film. Thinking in terms of the cinematic adaptations of this literary family, how do they stack up? For movie-only fans provided only the onscreen context, the Weasley family ranks from (shockingly) unlikeable and unimportant to the undeniably great and crucial.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
PGAdventureFamilyFantasyWhere to Watch*Availability in US
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An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world.
- Release Date
- November 16, 2001
- Director
- Chris Columbus
- Cast
- Richard Harris , Maggie Smith , Robbie Coltrane , Saunders Triplets , Daniel Radcliffe , Fiona Shaw , Rupert Grint , Emma Watson
- Runtime
- 152 minutes
- Writers
- J.K. Rowling , Steve Kloves
7 Percy Weasley
Played by Chris Rankin
Movie | Year |
'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' | 2001 |
'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' | 2002 |
'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' | 2004 |
'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' | 2007 |
'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1' (Uncredited) | 2010 |
'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2' | 2011 |
As the third sibling in the Weasley family, Percy is the oldest brother audiences see onscreen until Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One. He is first introduced in Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone as a Hogwarts Prefect, eventually becoming Head Boy in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Audiences will probably remember him yelling, "Let me through, I'm Head Boy!" during the disappearance of the Fat Lady Painting.
Percy's pompous personality and sense of entitlement are a far cry from the rest of his siblings to the point where it seems like he belongs to another Hogwarts House, Slytherin. His ambition leads him to fit in well at the Ministry of Magic after graduating from Hogwarts. He eventually turns his back on his family, siding with the ministry regarding Voldemort's return. However, Percy eventually reconciles with them in the final movie, showing he really is a Weasley at heart. Still, Percy remains the least-favorite onscreen Weasley, and it's not even close.
6 Bill Weasley
Played by Domhnall Gleeson
Movie | Year |
'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1' | 2010 |
'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2' | 2011 |
The oldest of the Weasley children, Bill (Domhnall Gleeson) appears in the final two Harry Potter movies. He plays a crucial role in helping Harry, Hermione (Emma Watson), and his younger brother, Ron (Rupert Grint), as they hunt down the Horcruxes. Both Bill and his wife, Fleur Delacour (Clémence Poésy), are members of the reconstituted Order of the Phoenix, swearing to help Harry in his fight against Voldemort.
Bill is kind and supportive but quite underdeveloped, especially compared to his literary counterpart. Gleeson does his best with what little material he receives, but it's not enough to make him stand out among the other, more memorable and entertaining Weasleys. Still, he is a reliable member of the Weasley family, even if audiences get little to no time to truly relate and get invested in his character.
5 Ginny Weasley
Played by Bonnie Wright
Movie | Year |
'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' | 2001 |
'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' | 2002 |
'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' | 2004 |
'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' | 2006 |
'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' | 2007 |
'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' | 2009 |
'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1' | 2010 |
'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2' | 2011 |
The youngest Weasley and only daughter, Ginny Weasley is a major character throughout the saga. She starts as a very meek and quiet young student but evolves into a brave witch who can hold her own against the most dangerous Death Eaters. She is instrumental in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets as she becomes the subject of Tom Riddle's (Christian Coulson) torment.
Audiences don't get much more from Ginny as far as plot progression until Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, where she finally confesses her feelings for Harry. Ginny's character is passively divisive among movie and book fans; some wish she had more personality, and others don't buy the love story with Harry. Perhaps it's the writing, perhaps it's the acting or a combination of both, but Ginny and Harry's romance feels awkward and forced to movie viewers who aren't given much more context to build up as written in the books.
4 Arthur Weasley
Played by Mark Williams
Movie | Year |
'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' | 2002 |
'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' | 2004 |
'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' | 2006 |
'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' | 2007 |
'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' | 2009 |
'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1' | 2010 |
'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2' | 2011 |
Making his grand debut in the second film, Arthur Weasley demonstrates very early on that he'll serve as yet another surrogate father figure to Harry. While audiences never fully see his 9-5 at the Ministry of Magic, his insider knowledge serves in several expository moments in each of the films he appears in. Arthur's excitement and fascination with Muggles is wholesome and pure, serving well-timed one-liners like, "Tell me, what exactly is the function of a rubber duck?"
Despite being a pure-blood wizarding family, Arthur ensures his family is the opposite of the Malfoys, especially when it comes to views on Muggles Studies. His door is always open to those in need, and his resources are available to help his friends and allies. At every twist and turn of Harry's journey to defeat Voldemort, the Weasley patriarch never shies away from aiding and protecting Harry, truly acting like the father the Boy Who Lived never had.
3 Ron Weasley
Played by Rupert Grint
Movie | Year |
'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' | 2001 |
'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' | 2002 |
'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' | 2004 |
'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' | 2006 |
'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' | 2007 |
'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' | 2009 |
'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1' | 2010 |
'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2' | 2011 |
Every hero needs a best friend, and Harry's is the youngest Weasley son, Ron. From the moment they meet at the train station, it's obvious to movie-only fans that Ron will be exactly what Harry needs in a best friend. Funny and clueless yet fiercely loyal, Ron is the comedic drive in the first Potter movies. He follows Harry's lead, and while there's palpable tension in several key moments between the two, Ron remains Harry's staunch companion.
As he transitions from a boy to a teen to a young man, Ron evolves into the best friend who pushes back and voices his opinion instead of just mindlessly following Harry.Never a smooth talker or ladies' man, Ron's transition through puberty is a bit of a rollercoaster. As he stumbles through the world of girls and ego, Ron inadvertently hurts the one he cares about the most, Hermione. In many ways, Ron is the most complex character in the saga; he's not the Chosen One like Harry or hyper-intelligent like Hermione. Instead, he's a regular boy who inadvertently enters a war he doesn't want to particularly fight. Ron is insecure and lacks tact but that doesn't make him any less interesting; quite the opposite.
2 Molly Weasley
Played by Julie Walters
Movie | Year |
'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' | 2001 |
'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' | 2002 |
'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' | 2004 |
'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' | 2007 |
'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' | 2009 |
'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1' | 2010 |
'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2' | 2011 |
From the infamous "RONALD WEASLEY" howler to her duel with Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter), Molly Weasley is one of the most badass witches in the Harry Potter movies. She can flip her maternal switch from a warm, doting presence to a protective, sometimes smothering voice of authority. A mother hen, she immediately "adopts" Harry as another child, consistently advocating for his safety and maintaining some sort of innocence during the dark times.
Whether she is mixing up one of her twins or scolding Harry and Ron, Molly's onscreen portrayal allows audiences to feel like they are one of her own as well. This is largely thanks to two-time Oscar nominee Julie Walters' warm portrayal, an underappreciated highlight of the Potter saga. One of the all-time best movie parents bar none, Molly Weasley is the matriarchal heartbeat of the franchise that always clings to every ounce of love and hope.
1 Fred & George Weasley
Played by James and Oliver Phelps
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Movie | Year |
'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' | 2001 |
'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' | 2002 |
'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' | 2004 |
'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' | 2006 |
'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' | 2007 |
'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' | 2009 |
'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1' | 2010 |
'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2' | 2011 |
Double-trouble twin brothers Fred and George Weasley are the best onscreen Weasleys. Audiences know early on they are in for multi-movie hijinks and pranks at the hands of these middle-siblings. Whether they're providing comedic relief or expository plot developments like the Marauder's Map, Fred and George are rarely seen without one another. They are the ultimate hype-men for all things Gryffindor, Quidditch, and the Triwizard Tournament. Their infectious personality and propensity for pranks leads them to open their own shop called Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.
This dynamic duo is fully invested in the student anarchy. Like the other members of their family, the twins follow Harry in his crusade to take down Voldemort. Fred's death in the final film is an absolute gut punch to fans, arguably the saddest death in the entire saga. The brotherly bond and wordless connection displayed onscreen truly make Fred and George the best Weasley characters.
All 8 Harry Potter Movies are available to stream on Peacock in the US and Canada.
