5 Harry Potter Characters that Make You Wonder if JK Rowling Was Just Phoning It In

In fact, some of them were downright disappointing, making us wonder if J.K. Rowling was really a master of character development.

5. Nymphadora "Dora" Tonks

In the Harry Potter epic, all of the House of Black sisters marry pure-blood wizards. However, the exception is Andromeda who elects to get engaged to the Muggle-born Ted Tonks.

For this reason, Andromeda and Tonks are disowned by the powerful family and give birth to one child, Nymphadora Tonks.

Later in the story, Dora Tonks joins the Ministry of Magic and trains to become an Auror. She becomes a member of the second Order of the Phoenix and is infamously murdered by Bellatrix Lestrange at the Battle of Hogwarts.

The death didn't sit well with many readers who felt the character was underdeveloped despite obtaining a cult following. After all, it was easy to root for Dora and the Order of the Phoenix.

In the end, it just felt like Rowling designed her to get married and die a tragic death. It didn't help that Dora left a son behind, making the death even more unpopular.

4. Stan Shunpike

Stan Shunpike appears erratically in Harry Potter. First, he is installed mostly for comic relief. As a result, many found the character shallow and lacking any type of depth. That was, of course, until Stan seemed to know everything.

Stan transitions from being a clueless knucklehead that gets arrested and sent to Azkaban to suddenly knowing everything.

For example, he's the primary whistleblower regarding the corruption inside the Ministry. Furthermore, he's the only character that appears to understand Harry's true weakness.

3. Gregory Goyle

There are many characters in Harry Potter that are well-conceived. Author J.K. Rowling clearly resonated with audiences even if she hasn't been very popular of late. Nevertheless, there are some characters in the magical fantasy epic that lacked substance.

Gregory Goyle, for example, was not developed enough according to many readers. Goyle, along with his fellow goon Vincent Crabbe, periodically appears throughout the book series.

The pure-blood wizard attends Hogwarts the same year as Potter portraying your typical bully/villain.

Goyle is part of the dumb muscle that mindlessly follows the orders of Draco Malfoy. The dimwitted Goyle is one of the many stereotypical kids you would see at a school. Later, this moron transforms into a vicious murderer, making him even less popular.

2. Vincent Crabbe

Vincent Crabbe, the other goon in Draco Malfoy's entourage, is also very unlikeable. Moreover, he is just as shallowly entered into the plot as his buddy Goyle. Yes, J.K. Rowling did need to have a couple of showy brats at Hogwarts.

Regardless, it just felt like they could have had a little more depth given the length of the book series. The reality is every novel series features some stock bullies that are usually designed to foil the plans of the protagonist.

It's no surprise that many of the most poorly written Harry Potter characters are also among the most unpopular. Some of the villains are purposely shallow while others genuinely lack substance.

1. Lily Evans

There are more debates about Lily Evans than perhaps any other character in Harry Potter. Lily eventually becomes Harry's mother yet much of her life in the book series is chronicled beforehand. And, that is where a lot of the disgruntlement begins.

For starters, it's well documented that Harry's father (James) is not exactly the best guy around. He has some serious flaws despite Lily being madly in love with him.

Then, there is the complex love triangle that pits another admirer – Severus Snape – as the rival. Lily is trapped and subjected by men most of the story and never really gets to evolve on her own.

Readers only know Lily as a caring mother and faithful lover. She's often presented in a flat, one-dimensional way that fails to demonstrate any flaws or personality outside the role of a stereotypical "good" mother.