Does anyone else not like Ron Weasley?

[sim]

I loved Ron up until Prisoner of Azkaban. Then he started bugging me a bit too.

[Mitali]

Joel wrote: "Ron has his good moments in the series, but I can't help but dislike him personally, his character in general really grates on me. I think it started with the fact that pretty much the first thing ..."

Thank you! You said exactly what I think about Ron, but was unable to articulate myself. I don't feel quite as negatively about some of his actions as you do - for example, I didn't think that it was so out of line for a curious 11-year-old boy to ask to see a famous person's scar, while being unaware that it might be a painful issue for that person. But on the whole, I agree that Ron is utterly uninteresting, emotionally stunted, and far too willing to coast on the efforts of other people, from copying Hermione's homework to living off Harry's fame.

[Joel]

Mitali wrote: "Joel wrote: "Ron has his good moments in the series, but I can't help but dislike him personally, his character in general really grates on me. I think it started with the fact that pretty much the..."

Nice to see someone that agrees with me! While it's true that Ron might not have known better at 11, he never stops being so incredibly blunt, and I know some people may like that but it just comes across as offensive to me, I can't stand bluntness in real life. Also it has been a while since I read the earlier books but does any other first year actually ask Harry to see his scar?

[Alexis]

Laura wrote: "Kyle wrote: "I have never particularly cared for Ron as a character or as a friend to Harry. This may be because I have read so many other novels where friends are very important and very trusting ..."

If you read ahead, you'll find that a lot of people don't think Ron is a good friend. He is funny, but not haha funny, more ironic. I like the series yet hate Ron, so it's possible, as the title of this conversation proves. I can imagine the adventures without Ron- Less aggravation, less mean comments to Hermione, and Harry and Hermione did a good job on their own,(Snape's task, rescuing Sirius, Department of Mysteries, Umbridge in the forest, the Horcrux hunt after Ron left) The adventures would be a lot more enjoyable. In all the adventures, Ron always got killed off,(Chess game, rockfall in the Chamber, stunning curse by Peter, brains, jealousy),Potter/Granger could survive without him. Luna was a better main character, even Molly Sr. or Percy, and I hate them with a burning passion.

Not trying to be mean or whatever, but there are a lot of counter arguments to your response. Sorry if this offends you, but it's a discussion where you can hate Ron.

[Alexis]

Mika wrote: "Laura wrote: "Mika wrote: "Laura wrote: "Kyle wrote: "I have never particularly cared for Ron as a character or as a friend to Harry. This may be because I have read so many other novels where frie..."

I agree with everything you just said. One of my posts was Ron/Hermione only made up because of Harry. Ron did act cruelly to Hermione,(that's why I say they would never work as a couple) and if he wasn't friends with Harry, I think he would of still acted mean to Hermione. Harry was mad at her with the firebolt, but only because she went behind his back instead of her talking to him first, but he got over it the next day, and said "she did think she was doing the right thing, we should apologize"
Ron-"Yeah you're right" he was only going to say sorry, but only because Harry suggested it. I've read books where the character is jealous and immature, but they're better than Ron. So I agree with you whole heartily.

[Alec]

I liked Ron as a friend and a character, I think he's a very realistic portrayal of a teenage boy. I mean, most teenagers are constantly brave, loyal superheroes that have become the standard protagonists of YA fiction. I like that he has flaws, however I do not like him for Hermione. I don't think he was good enough for her, not to mention he bullied her (call it teasing all you want, near constant tormenting for years, counts as bullying in my book.) and I think they were a bad match.

[Alexis]

Feliks wrote: "I dislike every single character JK Rowling ever conceived."

Then why did you read the books?

[Alec]

Alexis wrote: "Feliks wrote: "I dislike every single character JK Rowling ever conceived."

Then why did you read the books?"

Don't feed the Trolls :)

[Feliks]

I don't like a single character in the entire repulsive series.

Just tellin' it like it is.

[Alexis]

Feliks wrote: "I don't like a single character in the entire repulsive series.

Just tellin' it like it is."

Most people would beg to disagree with the last sentence

[Emily]

Alec wrote: "I liked Ron as a friend and a character, I think he's a very realistic portrayal of a teenage boy. I mean, most teenagers are constantly brave, loyal superheroes that have become the standard prota..."

I totally agree. Ron is very real to me, and it's refreshing. He's the type of character I can actually place among the people I knew when I was in my teens. Likewise, I enjoyed his and Hermione's relationship because it was extremely realistic. Usually, you don't fall into a great, passionate relationship after knowing each other for a few weeks, and if you were friends beforehand, that typically complicates things, as it did in HP. It takes time, particularly if the two people are on different maturity levels, as usually happens with boys and girls.

[Isabelle]

Kelly wrote: "You do realize they're like 13 in that book. Raging hormones and all. But you have your opinion and I respect that! :)"
Your totally right!I love Ron,he's so funny and cute.But,yeah,he is kind of annoying at times.

[[deleted user]]

yeah, Ron isn't my fav character but he is still MOSTLY a good friend to Harry.

[Willl]

I like Ron better then Harry!

[Georgia]

Finally!!!! Somebody that agrees with me!!! Thank you!

I find Ron a jealous git. He had more than Harry did, and he just to jealous to see that. He had a family that cared for him, and grew up in a loving home. He knew what Harry grew up in, he had no reason to be such a git.

[Kelly]

^^^^
Sweta,
This is why I think Harry and Ron's friendship is more true to real life than Harry and Hermoine's.

[Willl]

Ron is the best period.!

[Kujo]

Ron is one of the best characters of the series. JK Rowling had a terrible view of his character and he still came out great. First of all, Ron never uses Harry to get fame, Ron never gets any special treatment for being Harry's friend and is actually looked down upon even more for it. Slughorn couldn't even be bothered to figure out Ron's name! Ron actually suffered for his relationship with Harry. Not including all the life threatening situations that the trio got caught in, Snape never hated Seamus or Dean as much as he hated Ron and Hermione, because they were Harry's friends. (Neville was an exception because he was such an easy target) Ron's character is funny, charismatic, intelligent (I'm pretty sure he and Harry only had two different OWL grades, and one that he was lower on he got the same grade as Hermione) and above all he is loyal to his last breath. At the age of 11 he put himself at the mercy of a giant chess piece to save his friends' lives and he was prepared to die. (no one knew how hard the piece would hit him) In the Goblet of Fire Ron finally gave into feelings that haunted him his entire life and only grew when he met Harry, and the experience was actually a healthy release of emotions and he was able to grow as a person and come back to Harry and apologize. In Deathly Hallows two things caused Ron to leave, #1 the horcrux which corrupted his mind. It's completely normal for someone out shined by their family and friends for their entire lives, and who always goes unnoticed to have resentful feelings, and the horcrux intensifying those feelings and a generally unsupportive Harry by that point made Ron leave. The #2 reason is that JK Rowling had abandoned Ron by that point and completely ignored all of Ron's other qualities besides jealousy. (bad writing) As for tormenting Hermione, in the beginning of Sorcerer's Stone it was kind of deserved seeing as she was being a know it all and nosy and generally rude especially to Ron. In Prisoner of Azkaban Hermione was completely out of line with her attitude in the Crookshanks and Scabbers feud, she should have controlled her cat a lot better (this is before we knew that it was actually Pettigrew and it was Ron's pet he cared for) Then when everything pointed to Crookshanks eating Scabbers Hermione turned a blind eye to it, isn't it normal to get upset over that and the loss of a pet? The firebolt thing was just another manifestation of Ron's frustration with Hermione not accepting her pet's responsibility. And then besides good natured teasing like calling her a know it all I don't think they really fight again until Half Blood Prince where Ron gets a girlfriend and Hermione gets jealous AND ABANDONS RON. So unless all of you also hate Hermione, you can't hate Ron for being jealous, leaving, realizing he was wrong and coming back. Ron risked his life countless times for Harry and was under appreciated his entire life even when he did heroic things. He would never abandon Harry for good and he is a character you can always depend on to do the right thing even if it takes him some time to realize what he needs to do.

[Kelly]

Couldn't have said it better Kujo! Thanks!!

[Jeanette]

Yes, exactly- you stated it perfectly, Kujo.. And that factor of BAD writing in the final books of the series! And it wasn't only in the continuity of Ron's FULL character either. That's the biggest factor that Harry Potter fanatics often fail to notice at all. In her effort to get dark she went long-winded and obscured the depths of the characters exactly in that mode of Ron's core. All of them.

[Kujo]

I'd take a bow Carthya but I'm still winded from that rant

[Selena]

As a child/teen when reading Harry Potter for the first time, I disliked him, but really loathed him in "Deathly Hallows." Now, as a young adult, I loathe him. I'm on a Harry Potter podcast that is going through canon and I don't know if it's because we're all Slytherins, but we are bashing Ron to no end. His first interaction with Harry was doing exactly what his mother told him not to go (gawk at him) and he was cruel to Hermione and Harry for years. Not to mention he leaves them in Deathly Hallows. Harry is much more forgiving than any of us.

[Rachel]

Can I just say that I love Harry as a character I truly do but, as someone else pointed out, he does think of himself as better than Ron, several times he mentions this, yet no one gets angry at him for that.

Ron throughout the series was a very loyal friend to Harry, he sacrificed himself for Harry essentially in the chess game in PS, stuck by him when everyone was against him in COS and OOTP, with a broken leg he told Sirius he'd have to go through him in order to get to Harry in POA, he apologized to him GOF and then helped him train for all the following tasks, he followed him into the Department of Mysteries without a second thought and rescued Harry from drowning in DH. On top of that he essentially invites Harry INTO HIS FAMILY, a place where he is already overshadowed. He does all this knowing that he is just Harry's sidekick, that he won't get any credit and knowing he will only be known as "the Chosen One's" friend and, more to the point, he does it all the while cracking jokes and giving Harry some laughs (nine times out of ten.)

When in the books did Harry need to provide Ron that kind of support, when was he expected to?

Ron is a fantastic friend, yes he stumbles, but he's there when it really counts.

[Hannah]

Yes, I heartily agree. Hermione Granger was Harry's only one true friend and more.

[Hannah]

I also think Harry was kind of boring, as a side note.

[Hannah]

Mika wrote: "Laura wrote: "Mika wrote: "Laura wrote: "Kyle wrote: "I have never particularly cared for Ron as a character or as a friend to Harry. This may be because I have read so many other novels where frie..."

I agree. She should never have married him and this just adds to how they never have been right for each other in my eyes. I don't do Romione and never will.

[Hannah]

Carina wrote: "It is a bit of a difficult question. Ron was not my favourite character I found him rather annoying. To me, if someone is a true friend they will stand beside you even if they are jealous and Ron d..."

Yeah that was his major flaw. He was selfish and his insecurities made him jealous.

[S]

Gabri(Elle) wrote: "Ron Sucks!!!! Okay, he just never should have been there. I like the Weasleys except for him. Hermione + Harry= perfect.
Did you know: J.K Rowling thought about killing Ron off mid-series? i wish..."

Hermione and Harry would have just been too neat of a couple. They knew who each other liked and they knew that they would never be more then best friends, i thinks that is what bonded them as good friends. Ron and hermione were always bickering and awkward around each other, that is what showed them as a real couple. As for killing ron off mid series, where would harry be now...dead?? Ginny would not be a big part in the series and nothing would be the same. I think J.K. Rowling wrote this series to absolute perfecton.

[Russ]

For me, the most interesting thing about Harry Potter (the character)was precisely the people and friends around him. Ron was perhaps the most human of the characters and I liked him for that. Awkward, fallible, not so good even at being a wizard. If he'd been the one destined to save the world, I'd have been just fine with that.

[MakayK]

Are yah kidding me, I luhhh Ronnyyyy :p I agree with Russ here

[Hello]

Ron wasn't exactly my favorite character, but the story wouldn't have been a s enjoyable is he wasn't there.

[Shell]

Everyone keeps saying what a good friend he was, but that wasn't the point. Yes, he is loyal to harry, but as a person he is self-absorbed and unkind. Try to think of a time when he has proved his character when he had nothing to gain by it. I can't think of one either. Particularly in the later years, when he has authority and more opportunities to do good. He takes advantage of first-years, always cheats off other people's homework, makes fun of people like Eloise midgen, pouts about how pathetic he is when someone else achieves something, the list goes on and on. He follows his emotions and looks out for himself, and never really considers anyone else's feelings. Don't get me wrong, I love the series. I know Hermione and harry aren't flawless either, and I know he's young. But still. Never have I read a less inspiring character in children's literature. Great role model, really.

[Ruby]

Two things:
1. Was Ron a good friend?
2. Did you like him as a character?

These two are getting mixed up in this thread.
For me, I think that Ron was a good friend, albeit moody and a little whiny, who stayed by Harry's side for the most part and was loyal and kind.

OK. Did I like him as a character?
Yes, because he seemed like a real person and made jokes. I think I started to get annoyed with him in the sixth book because he started complaining all the time.

Yes, real people complain and get tired! The thing is, I don't want to read about Ron's problems all day! I like the character, but his moodiness and the way he brought down a scene in DH while wearing the locket was annoying. (ex: "this is impossible, this is so hard, I'm hungry, we're never going to break this locket, you're a bad leader, I'm hungry...")

[Abhishek]

All right I spent 2 good hours search on RON/DRACO.... I want to say something to fanfiction guys.... HARRY was not bloodline from gryffindor/slytherin/merlin etc.... he was just a boy who owned up to voldemort and defeated him for it....

JK Rowling put the pureblood hypocrisy in bad side of story and yet fanfiction guys convert harry into the same aristrocratic pureblood.. trust me has happened in at least half......(all superpowerful harry stuff)

He is just a normal person like you and me with normal issues who does not runs away from his friends... he could have chose not to come back at all in book 7... he did... and the horcrux showed how it manipulated him.... I would like to see someone getting out of that manipulation.... he offered himself to die in PS... went with harry all the way to chambers and stood infront of sirius... yes he had an explosive love/hate equation with hermione.. but hermione also used her ways to spite him... remember Cormac Maclaggern in book 6 in slug club christmas party...

He loved Hermione and we do stupid mistakes in love...

So Why do you hate him?? Simple he is just a normal uy like you... how dare he have so awesome friends.. and Weasleys are poor people.. with no high contacts with power-changing high-positioned people....

Now Why I am saying this?? Simple because had been cruel been the reason Draco would not have been the fan fave.. now why he was so.... because he was taught fake mannerisms and had money. thus he could be a bad boy.. although i still have to see one act of bravery from him..

Want to know a difference between them... Draco is afraid of Voldy so is Ron( they dont take his name).. Yet Draco never stops to follow voldemorts oreder in front of him.... In last chapter voldemort says Harry tried to run Ron defyingly says "He beat You" Ron has issues yes, he gets affected by them but also he fights them and defeats them... Let me say this way " How had you felt if the statement"weasleys cant get more children hurt" would have been because lets say "fred & george" may have died due to some reason....
Horcrux used Ron fear for his family... and while he was not there... in Harry's own words he made up for his absesnce by leading and cheering up them for next three months when harry was all down in thoughts and confusions due to horcruxes and hallows....

and before you forget it the gryffindor sword presented itself to ron, only harry and neville being the other.

People forget he got same OWLs as harry except for Defence Where he got 'E'... only harry got 'O' there...

[Izzy]

I enjoyed Ron very much throughout this series. He was a very interesting character. I loved his attitude. He seemed like a normal person. People get scared over a lot of things, and he's pretty much the only one who gets scared a lot. I felt like he was a lot more relatable than "I saved the world," Harry and "I'm the smartest person" Hermione.

[Francesca]

Ron has always been my favourite out of the trio so I obviously have the opposite view.

Ron was an incredibly complicated person and sometimes he let his emotions get the better of him but he always came through and he was so loyal and caring to his friends. He had moments where he was quite self-centred and selfish but a) most teenagers are at points in their life and b) I can't really blame him. He went from being in the shadow of all his older brothers that were always seen by others as better than him for one reason or another and that had all achieved more than him, he was also overlooked for the youngest because Ginny was the only girl, so Ron was basically the one in the family that got the worst of everything. Nothing he owned was new, all of it was passed down from his brothers, he was the one that was mostly ignored (obviously not on purpose but this does sometimes happen in large families with lots of kids). Then when he goes to school he ends up becoming friends with the most famous kid in the world so naturally he ends up in his shadow too. Then when Hermione joins the trio, he remains in her shadow because of how smart she is. I think him getting a bit envious from time to time is expected and only natural. He's a very insecure person and therefore struggles when he feels like people like everyone else more than him or think everyone else is better than him, that's probably partly why he makes jokes all the time as a way to feel like he contributes something. He handles his insecurity badly sometimes but I imagine most people do. The most important thing about him, though, is the fact that even though he gets jealous of Harry from time to time (for silly reasons sometimes) he still stands by his side through all of it. This is the kid that stayed at school over Christmas so that Harry wouldn't be alone, this is the kid that invited Harry over to stay at his house in every summer holiday and break so that Harry could have fun and spend time with a family that actually cared about him, this is the kid that basically made Harry become one of the family even despite the fact that Ron was already massively overlooked at home as well as at school. For all of Ron's faults and flaws, he had many more incredible qualities and that's why I always loved his character.

[Francesca]

Kujo wrote: "Ron is one of the best characters of the series. JK Rowling had a terrible view of his character and he still came out great. First of all, Ron never uses Harry to get fame, Ron never gets any spec..."

I completely agree with everything you wrote here! I think Ron is probably one of the most underrated characters ever written. It bugs me, too, that a lot of people that dislike him seem to focus solely on his bad qualities and basically ignore all of Hermione and Harry's, both of which did have some. I also felt that Ron was relatable and realistic much more than the other two were.

[Francesca]

Rachel Caroline wrote: "Can I just say that I love Harry as a character I truly do but, as someone else pointed out, he does think of himself as better than Ron, several times he mentions this, yet no one gets angry at hi..."

Yes! All of this! Harry is definitely shown as thinking he's better than Ron many times. A prime example is when Ron was made Prefect and Harry got pissed off because he thought he should get it basically for the sole reason of 'because he's Harry'. I like Harry, I really do, but he wasn't perfect and this is one of the things that pissed me off about him. Also, people keep saying that Ron put Hermione down all the time but Hermione was just as bad to him. Ron may have teased her a bit (and most of the time it was basically just the kind of harmless teasing that you would do to a friend) but she put him down a lot. Again, when he was given Prefect Hermione didn't even try to hide her surprise and basically showed him that she didn't think he was good enough to be one and she obviously thought Harry was going to be the other Prefect. Ron may have also been quite blunt to people many times but Hermione was also incredibly rude sometimes, particularly in the first book, and particularly to Ron. I really like Hermione but to act like she was always completely perfect just isn't true and, if anything, is an insult to her character who is supposed to be just as flawed and complex as Harry and Ron.

[Ruby]

I think that Ron gets a lot of bad rap at times. Mostly I think this is because he is one of the three main characters, and if we compare him to Harry (the main character) and Hermione (The brainiac), then he doesn't look particularly awesome or gifted, etc.

However, I do think that Ron was important. Yes, at times he was rude/insensitive or whiny, but that doesn't mean he was a bad friend or not a central character.

Ron, though it doesn't always seem like, has always been Harry's backbone. Hermione's a girl and is interested in different things than Harry sometimes; Harry isn't as close with her as he is with Ron. Ron's always been there for Harry, never gawked at him, supported him and believed him when others didn't in the fifth one, and so on.

As for Ron as a person, I think that he had some flaws. He went from being in the shadow of his older brothers to being in the shadow of the smartest girl in school and the Boy Who Lived. I disliked how in DH when the others were scrambling and trying to find a way to defeat Voldemort, Ron was the complainer. I understand his reasons for making the environment moody or tense, but he doesn't have justification. Harry and Hermione are just as stressed as he is; why should he get to complain?

Harry and Hermione are much better under pressure than Ron. Yet I would say that as a friend, Ron is Harry's backbone and imperative to Harry's happiness. Whenever they fought, Harry did worse- he had bad days and he felt lonely. Ron is important and a good person even if he isn't great under pressure.

[[deleted user]]

So I've looked back on some of my previous comments (I had forgotten how critical I could be at times), and after some re-reading and thinking I've come to an understanding.

Ron's was a character with personality, one who goes through quite the arch throughout the series. I liked him with Hermione- even though the whole "opposites attract" ship can often prove dangerous in a book series, the way it was built up worked rather well.

Ultimately, if Harry and Neville had switched places, with Neville as the chosen one, Ron might have learned to approach situations differently, growing up with a different personality as a friend. In some cases, Ron didn't do so well under pressure, yet in other instances he kept a more level head. For me, it's not Ron who lacks character- it's Harry.

Ron was rarely seen at his best throughout the series, but the moments he stood up for himself really counted. I think he was only at his worst in the fourth book, which for a fourteen-year-old might have simply been a bad year for him (having to wear a dress and all).

Sure, you could find more immediately likable characters in the series, but Ron is ultimately a good character when complemented by the right people.

[BubblesTheMonkey]

I thought Ron was fine but I honestly didn't like Hagrid too much... Ok well not "not like" but just thought he was quite boring and a bit of an idiot sometimes.

[Ruby]

J wrote: "So I've looked back on some of my previous comments (I had forgotten how critical I could be at times), and after some re-reading and thinking I've come to an understanding.

Ron's was a character..."

I agree that Harry lacked character. Of course when I read it I didn't really notice, but it seemed to me like all the other characters had much more interesting flaws and conflicts and dynamics with others than Harry. That's not the same thinking as liking Ron better (for me), but I would say that as a character, Ron is more rich than Harry- Harry has his past and his conflict with Voldy and Malfoy + girl problems, but Ron has problems with jealousy, determination, friendship, and much more interesting writing material. I think that actually out of the three, Hermione has the least rich problems.

[Danielle]

Ron Weasley is simply unnecessary. Besides the chess game in first year he was completely useless in the story. Everything Ron did someone more likeable (Neville) could have done. And that person probably wouldn't have abandoned his so called best friends twice.

[Lexi]

Ooo, hard question. I'd have to say I'm kinda in between. Sometimes I love him, sometimes I hate him.

[[deleted user]]

His acts of good towards Harry could chill you to the bone!

It gives me thrills to think of it, and now I'm craving scones!

When it comes to loyalty, Ron's colors often shone,

Although upon occasion, his temperament was blown.

Sorry for the poetry, I just felt like rhyming.

Perhaps for some lucky reader, this comment makes good timing!

[Abhishek]

ok, I went through pretty good comments.. Book 7, After Ron walked out, he came back to same spot after getting free of the Snatchers.. coming back to the spot was the 1st thing he did..... but Harry and Hermione had left after waiting for him.. What happened was a angry reaction to a fight in moment of weakness... If you have a fight with a friend you will know.... He came back after he was in his senses and left no chance to come back once he got it...

Oh and someone said Ginny played no part!! Dude she handled DA with Neville and Luna.. and if getting against Umbrige was necessary.. consider how important it was to stand up against someone like the Carrows....

[Francesca]

True, but arguing with someone doesn't always mean anything. Especially when it's someone that you know you care for an enormous amount and when they know how much you do care about them. I mean, people argue with their parents or their siblings but it doesn't mean you love or care about them any less.

[Ruby]

It's not the loyal things he's done that's the problem- when you're someone's friend, you're supposed to support them and whatnot. My only note is all of the times Ron walked out on Harry because he was simply jealous or in a bad mood. I still think he's a good friend, but I'm saying here that the fact he's done nice things doesn't cancel out the childish, jealous things he did.

[Francesca]

Oh, I'm aware of all the childish things he's done out of jealousy. I just don't think they should cancel out all the good things he's done. People don't use Harry or Hermione's flaws against the characters as much as they use Ron's against him. A lot of people tend to focus on all of Hermione and Harry's good traits but focus on all of Ron's bad traits.

[Drush76]

What exactly did he do in the 7th book? Leave after his raging fight with Harry, with whom he was feeling great frustration? Be the perfect friend and not worry about his family, who must have been tagged as "Public Enemies Number One" by the Death Eaters? Ron was supposed to think more about Harry than his family? Or do people (including Rowling) tend to forget that Ron was under the influence of the locket that was carrying one of Voldemort's horcruxes?

Why was Ron expected to regard Harry as the center of his world?