Harry Potter Fans Are Disappointed By Ron's Forgotten Character Trait

By now, even some of the most casual "Harry Potter" fans know the main characters so well that they would have no problem listing off each of their skills, personality traits, and flaws. J.K. Rowling brilliantly created and developed these characters, making each one of them vital in the successful abolition of the Death Eaters, and it takes the combined powers of Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione (Emma Watson), and Ron (Rupert Grint) to defeat the evil Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes).

In the first installment of the series, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," Ron is established as the perfect friendly complement to Harry, the hero who is just learning about the wizarding world, and by the end of the series, he plays a vital role in tracking down and destroying Voldemort's Horcruxes. However, never again does he use the skill he exhibits in the first film.

Instead, Rowling took the character to a more slapstick place and even at one point thought about killing him off. "Funnily enough, I planned from the start that none of them would die," she recalled to Radcliffe in an interview on the "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2" DVD. "Then midway through [the series], which I think is a reflection of the fact that I wasn't in a very happy place, I started thinking I might polish one of them off. ... although I did seriously consider killing Ron, [I wouldn't have done it]." 

This may partially be why Rowling decided to push Ron aside to have characters like Harry and Hermione take the lead on figuring out how to destroy the Dark Lord. Whatever her reasons, fans of Ron continue to express their dissatisfaction with the character's story arc, and it's not difficult to find these comments online.

After watching every "Harry Potter" movie, there really is no doubt that Ron Weasley plays a key role in taking down Voldemort and the Death Eaters — but he does it without using a character trait that is established in the first installment. First, Ron beats Harry in a casual game of wizard chess. Then, when that same game appears in life-size form as an obstacle the trio must defeat in order to reach the Sorcerer's Stone, Ron wins against the enchanted pieces, allowing Harry to pass through to the final room.

However, this unique skill of being able to see several moves ahead is never used again. Instead, Ron uses physical strength and courage to help defeat Voldemort. On Reddit, u/lightblue_sky argued, "The first book gave the impression that Ron could be a great strategist. Rowling should have built up that character arch [sic] until the Battle of Hogwarts, where Ron's talents could be tested as he helped defend the castle to buy Harry more time."

Redditor u/ThisIsTheNewSleeve agreed, adding, "He's not particularly booksmart of [sic] overly gifted in magic but he can use his eye for strategy and unconventionalness to help the team. Sadly he wasn't really used like this after the first book." More fans agreed with this analysis over on YouTube, with @samuraishinobi giving Ron his deserved props: "Ron was a true knight to the very end. A noble one if I might add."