There are a lot of wizards in the Harry Potter series and even though not all of them are good, most of them are memorable. Even if their role in the books wasn't that big, the Harry Potter fandom has ensured that most of them remain well remembered and loved, or hated.
But some of the wizards in the books are so underrated, that even hard-core fans have a difficult time remembering what their role was in the books exactly, or even if they do, believe that they didn't get the credit they deserve. While some of them are amazing wizards, some others have superb stories to make up for their lack of skill. One thing is for sure though: they all deserved more page time.
Updated on September 5, 2023, by Callum Murray: Harry Potter is one of the most successful franchises ever, with 8 main movies, 3 spin-off movies, and one Broadway stage play under its belt, it's easy to forget that it all started out with the books. It featured everything from wizards to witches, and also the odd muggle from time to time. The first book was originally published in 1997, and it continues to be one of the most-read book series around the world. It features a lot of criminally underrated wizards that didn't quite get the respect they deserved in the books.
10 Cedric Diggory
Cedric Diggory does play a significant role in The Goblet of Fire book, but he is killed off too soon for fans to be able to appreciate his potential brilliance as a wizard in the series. This was a character who was selected as the Hogwarts Triwizard Champion but was criminally overshadowed by the entry of Harry Potter. He was tied in first place with Harry on a couple of occasions, and Harry is considered to be one of the best wizards in the books.
He's a heroic character, and this is perfectly portrayed in the movies, with the casting of Robert Pattinson in the role. However, fans would've liked to see how far his skills could've gone in the books if his character was given a chance to compete for longer with his wizarding counterparts. He was a bit older than some of the characters in the books, so there's a chance he was further along in his abilities. However, he would've made an interesting mentor to future wizards coming through the ranks at Hogwarts.
9 Filius Flitwick
This is a Hogwarts professor that people would love to know more about, but in all likelihood, all they remember is that he was the Charms professor and Head of the Ravenclaw House. But despite his small size and kind appearance, Filius used to be a dueling champion in the past, something that becomes quite clear when he fights the Death Eaters.
It's quite easy to miss that since there are so many things happening at once in the Hogwarts Battle (and so many beloved characters die), Filius and his bravery aren't getting the attention he deserves. Also, he showed his more mischievous and playful side when he "helped" Fred and George sabotage Dolores Umbridge.
8 Percy Weasley
Despite being a prefect and head boy at Hogwarts, Percy Weasley was never given the respect he deserved as a wizard, always living in the shadow of his younger brother, Ron.
He is very underdeveloped in the books and doesn't get much more credit in the films, but he was a match for almost anyone in the wizarding community. He was a hero in the battle of Hogwarts and had a loyalty to the rules which always made him a stronger wizard for it. Yes, he has plenty of faults, but fans wish he'd been fleshed out a bit better in the books, leading to a more significant role in the movies.
7 Neville Longbottom
A lot of people remember Neville Longbottom as an awkward, not-that-skilled wizard, that was in the Gryffindor house. Some others will remember that he even had a tragic backstory, with both of his parents tortured and then put in a mental asylum. Some might even remember that he was very brave.
All of those things are true, but in reality, they barely scratch the surface of how important Neville truly is in the books. Firstly, his bravery was the reason that Gryffindor won the House Cup. Second of all, he was not only a part of Dumbledore's army, but he also actually led the resistance when the Death Eaters attacked Hogwarts. Third, he used Gryffindor's sword to slay Nagini, practically making sure that Voldemort's death was possible. Lastly, there are a lot of questions about whether Neville was actually the chosen one or not, and although the books say he wasn't, fans keep debating over it.
6 Barty Crouch Jr.
Despite being on the wrong side of proceedings, Barty Crouch Jr was underestimated in terms of his wizarding prowess. He was busted out of Azkaban by his father, with the expectation that he would be kept under the Imperious curse, but it wasn't to be. A criminally underused appearance in the books was made up for with the casting of David Tennant in the films. This elevates his character to a higher level when fans go back and read the books and picture the ex-Doctor in the role.
Technically, Crouch was a death eater, but he still possessed abilities in the wizardry department. He had a plan to use the Polyjuice potion to become Alastor Moody for a year, manipulating the situation to make sure Harry Potter won the Triwizard tournament. The aim was then for the one whose name we don't mention, Voldermort, to kill him in the graveyard. Now that is wizardry used to its worst potential, but it is smart magic nevertheless.
5 Nymphadora Tonks
What fans know about Tonks is that she was a wonderful and fierce half-witch and Metamorphmagus, which meant that she could change her ability at will. That, and the fact that she had a love story with Remus Lupin, is what she is mostly known for in the Harry Potter universe.
As underrated characters go though, Tonks might just be one of the tops. She was a member of the Ministry of Magic and trained to be an Auror with Alastor Moody, and later on, joined the second Order of the Phoenix. Tonks fought in most of the legendary battles that happened in the books and was brave enough to fight for her love for Remus and have a child with him, no matter the possible risks and Remus's anxiety about the kid having the werewolf gene.
4 Kingsley Shacklebolt
If someone is not a devoted Harry Potter fan, then chances are that the name Kingsley Shacklebolt will not mean much to them. But Kingsley was not only a pure-blood wizard, but he was also the Minister in the Ministry of Magic. From his place, he had the option to be as corrupt as he wanted, but not only he did not do that, he chose to help by becoming a member of the second Order of the Phoenix and passing undercover information to them.
Kingsley, throughout the books, has fought in many important battles and even when the Ministry of Magic fell under Lord Voldemort, he continued his opposition even though to do so meant risking his life.
3 Minerva McGonagall
Professor McGonagall is one of the most recognizable professors at Hogwarts but not a lot of people know more than the fact that she is brave and stern and that she can transfigure into a cat. Professor McGonagall, apart from being a transfiguration teacher and Head of Gryffindor, has been a member of the second Order of the Phoenix and was even a spy during the First Wizarding War.
Some other achievements include the fact that she has fought in most of the critical battles in the Harry Potter universe, she has been headmistress of Hogwarts, and in her time as a student in Hogwarts, she had aced her O.W.Ls and N.E.W.Ts and also a prefect. Her early life was quite interesting too, as she was a half-blood and spent her early years trying to conceal her magic.
2 Fleur Delacour
Fleur is described as a very beautiful witch who was also a quarter-Veela. What she is mostly known for is that she was part of the Triwizard Tournament, that Harry saved her sister, and that she married Bill Weasley.
But Fleur also fought very bravely at the Hogwarts Battle, met Bill Weasley as her co-worker at Gringotts Wizarding Bank, and had her wedding crashed by Death Eaters. Fleur has even been awarded medals for her bravery by the French and the British Ministries of Magic.
1 Regulus Black
Regulus is one of the truly unsung heroes of the Harry Potter universe. He has an amazing character arc, and he truly changes at the end, providing a powerful weapon to future generations to defeat Voldemort. Regulus was the younger brother of Sirius Black, and he attended Hogwarts as a Slytherin, much to the satisfaction of the other family members who were disappointed with Sirius, who didn't care about pure-blood supremacy like the rest of his family.
Regulus became a Death Eater after years of admiring Lord Voldemort, but that was until he learned what Voldemort truly intended to do and how far he was willing to go to achieve it. He stole his Horecrux and was intent on destroying it, but he perished before he had the chance. Disappointingly, Regulus never appeared in any of the movies, but he would've made a welcome addition to them.