Highlights
- Fred and George Weasley are iconic fictional twins known for their incredible bond, charm, humor, and wit, despite their subtle differences.
- Physically, George is slightly taller with a longer face and a more curved upper lip, while Fred has a rounder face and a straighter upper lip.
- Fred's tragic death had a profound impact on George, leaving him devastated and altering the course of his life, but their legacy of joy and laughter continues to inspire others.
Throughout history, there have been many famous sets of fictional twins. One of the most iconic sets of twins is, without a doubt, that of Fred and George Weasley from the Harry Potter saga. Fred and George quickly became fan favorites due to their incredible bond, charm, spirit, quick wit, and humor. While their connection is undeniable and they look nearly the same, usually think the same way, and finish each other’s sentences, keen observers can notice subtle differences that tell the pair apart, and with some attention to detail, they can learn about their unique personalities and individual contributions to the wizarding world.
Portrayed by James and Oliver Phelps, Fred and George were the fourth and fifth children of Arthur and Molly Weasley, one of the most famous pure-blood families in the wizarding world. Like the rest of the Weasley family, they were sorted into Gryffindor, and both were beaters for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Both the actors and the characters are identical twins, so it’s not surprising that they look nearly identical, making it hard for many Harry Potter fans (and even their parents sometimes) to tell them apart. While they were so close that it was quite rare to see one twin without the other, they were still individuals and had their own unique traits and abilities that made them stand out from each other and other wizards.
What Are the Differences Between Fred and George Weasley?
George Weasley | Fred Weasley | |
|---|---|---|
Played by | Oliver Phelps | James Phelps |
Hogwarts House | Gryffindor | Gryffindor |
Patronus | Magpie | Magpie |
Quidditch position | Beater | Beater |
First appearance (books) | Philosopher's Stone | Philosopher's Stone |
Last appearance (books) | Deathly Hallows | Deathly Hallows |
First appearance (movies) | Philosopher's Stone | Philosopher's Stone |
Last appearance (movies) | Deathly Hallows: Part 2 | Deathly Hallows: Part 2 |
First line (books) | "Hurry up." | "I'm not Fred, I'm George." |
First line (movies) | "He's not Fred, I am." | "Honestly woman, you call yourself our mother." |
Last line (books) | "Now let's get upstairs and fight, or all the good Death-Eaters'll be taken." | "You actually are joking, Perce... I don't think I've heard you joke since you were—" |
Last line (movies) | "You OK, Freddie?" | "Yeah." |
Most of the time, it is hard to tell the Weasley twins apart. When they are first seen in the Philosopher’s Stone, even their mother, Molly, gets confused for a brief moment as they play a prank on her. This serves as a perfect introduction, as it shows their similar personalities and shared sense of humor, which quickly turned the pair into fan-favorite characters. They were born on April 1st, 1978, the date of the April Fools’ Day celebration, an annual custom consisting of practical jokes, pranks, and hoaxes, which is an indicator of the twins’ prankster nature and famous sense of humor. While Oliver Phelps, who plays George, is the older twin in real life, Fred is the older Weasley twin, and he was born a couple of minutes before George. An important thing to note is that the duo is known as Fred and George, not George and Fred; in the Harry Potter books, Fred is mentioned over 900 times, while George is only mentioned around 731 times.
You know, George, I've always felt our futures lay outside the world of academic achievement.
This is likely because Fred was slightly more outgoing than his brother, and he tended to be the one who made the first move and spoke first, usually with a joke or a dramatic comment, and George was the one who followed and further explained what his brother meant.
Fred, I've been thinking exactly the same thing.
Since Fred and George are identical twins, it can be quite the challenge to physically identify them, but there are some subtle differences that can help any wizard or fan instantly recognize if they’re looking at Fred or George. Unlike other movies, the Weasley twins are played by real-life twin actors, and perhaps their most noticeable physical difference is that George is slightly taller than Fred, although it is pretty hard to notice if they are sitting down or if one of them is alone. Fred has a rounder face and George has a longer, more oval-shaped face and a more pronounced bump on the bridge of the nose. The curve of their upper lips is also an efficient way to know which twin is which. Fred’s upper lip is more straight, while George’s is slightly curved. When speaking, if paying attention, it can be easier to tell them apart, since George has a deeper voice than Fred.
The Harry Potter movies are available to stream on Max
Quidditch is another area where Fred and George showcase their individuality. While they were both accomplished Beaters for the Gryffindor team, George’s playing style was more calculated and aggressive, and Fred’s was more playful, making many of his moves more unpredictable than those of his brother. Overall, George was a better Quidditch player, and throughout the story, there are more mentions of him hitting Bludgers than Fred. George was the more compassionate of the two, and Quidditch was likely a good outlet for him to let out his frustrations. Meanwhile, Fred was the funnier twin, and it also translated to his playing style.
How Did Fred’s Death Affect George?
The Battle of Hogwarts was the last time the duo was seen together, and it featured the ultimate sacrifice made by one of the beloved twins. Without a doubt, Fred's tragic death was one of the saddest and most heartbreaking in the series. During the battle, he was killed in an explosion while fighting Voldemort and his Death-Eaters. While it affected all his family and loved ones, it definitely hit George the hardest, leaving him completely devastated and altering the course of his life. J.K. Rowling has described Fred’s death as the hardest one for her to write, and in 2015, she posted a message on X that she was sorry about his death.
Fred and George were the embodiment of joy and laughter. Fred’s death cast a dark shadow on George, and he never truly got over it. He lost his former enthusiasm without his partner in crime, and he struggled to find the ability to laugh. He continued to run the Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes shop he had built alongside his brother, and Ron later helped him run it as well. George went on to marry Angelina Johnson, his good friend and former Gryffindor Quidditch teammate, who had been Fred’s date to the Yule Ball in The Goblet of Fire. They presumably bonded over the loss of Fred, and they named their first son Fred II in his honor. They also had a daughter named Roxanne. While George’s future after that remains somewhat uncertain, it is known that he was never the same again. Fred’s tragic and untimely death changed the course of the Weasleys’ lives, but the impact Fred and George had on Harry Potter will continue to inspire and encourage both wizards and fans to live life to the fullest and not be afraid to crack a good joke.
Harry Potter
When Harry Potter learns that he is a wizard, he enters a world beyond belief. Aside from continuing his studies at Hogwarts with best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry must also face Voldemort and his dark wizarding forces. The Harry Potter franchise is a worldwide phenomenon, spanning seven books, eight movies, three spinoff movies, a stage play, and numerous video games.
- Created by
- J.K. Rowling
- Where to watch
- HBO Max
- Cast
- Daniel Radcliffe , Emma Watson , Rupert Grint , Alan Rickman , Michael Gambon , Ralph Fiennes , Maggie Smith , Robbie Coltrane