5 Most Hated Harry Potter Characters That Honestly Deserve Nothing Else

But who are the most hated Harry Potter characters? Today, we're taking a look at them. Hopefully, this will help you find out more about the different characters and what they do (and why so many people hate them!)

The following five picks commonly come up when discussing this topic with other Harry Potter fans.

#5 Percy Weasley

Starting off this list is Percy Weasley, a character who is originally introduced at the start of the series. He's never portrayed as a particularly likeable guy, being pompous and self-righteous for most of the series, but he goes on to betray his family and Harry as the books progress, siding instead with the Ministry.

While Percy never joins the dark side and Voldemort, his behavior and flippant disregard for his family's concerns make him instantly hated. However, he eventually reforms during the Battle for Hogwarts – immediately before his brother, Fred, is killed while laughing at a joke Percy made. It's a cruelly ironic ending for Percy's tale.

#4 Lucius Malfoy

He's malicious, cruel, and cold, abusing Dobby the house elf, and his own son, Draco, throughout the film. Lucius Malfoy was also the person to plant Tom Riddle's diary on Ginny Weasley in the Chamber of Secrets, putting her life in very real danger – showing his lack of total empathy for other people. He actively belittles the Weasleys at every turn for their poverty, too, and slates them being pureblooded wizards who empathise with muggles, too.

#3 Peter Pettigrew

While Lucius Malfoy might have been an incredibly cowardly and weak-willed individual, he was always at least loyal to his family, who meant everything to him (even if he didn't show it well). However, one character who can't even claim this is Peter Pettigrew – whose cowardice would eventually prove to be his downfall.

Of course, Pettigrew's most hated action was betraying Lily and James Potter to Voldemort, who then used the information to murder them. Not only this, but Pettigrew then faked his own death to ensure that blame for the betrayal fell to another of his old best friends, Sirius Black. We can't forgive him for this repeated betrayal, especially since he is the individual to restore Lord Voldemort to a body, too.

After cutting off his hand as part of the ritual to restore Voldemort's body, he is bestowed an enchanted silver hand to replace the lost limb. At the end of the franchise (something you may have missed if you only watched the films), Pettigrew momentarily shows a flash of remorse and consideration to become good. However, the silver hand turned out to actually be cursed and killed him as soon as he began to consider betraying Voldemort. A fitting end for someone who showed no loyalty throughout the franchise.

#2 Lord Voldemort

Surprised to see Lord Voldemort only coming in at second? You wouldn't be alone, as many people assume that Lord Voldemort (the franchise's main antagonist) ought to be the most hated character. However, just because Voldemort isn't quite in the top spot in terms of the most hated characters, that's not to say he's nice in the slightest. Indeed, Voldemort's despicable plans to eradicate muggle-borns from the wizarding world, and his obsession with blood purity, are irrefutably heinous crimes.

Even more ironic is that Voldemort isn't even a pure-blooded wizard. While Voldemort's mother, Merope Gaunt, was from one of the oldest pureblooded wizarding families, his father was a muggle. As such, in an odd twist – and something that many of his followers didn't even know – Voldemort himself is a half-blood, just like Harry.

#1 Dolores Umbridge

Finally, we get to the most hated Harry Potter character – and few people get more hatred than Dolores Umbridge. On walking into her Hogwarts office, you'd be forgiven for thinking she was a sweet and gentle character. Her love for kittens and pale pink really make her seem quite angelic – but, in reality, she is a truly twisted individual with a particular hatred for children. Her use of torture devices on young students is perhaps what makes so many people despise her.

As such, by the end of the book (or film, depending on how you're enjoying the series), there really isn't very much sympathy left for her. And, while her final fate at the end of Order of the Phoenix is left unclear (and we know she survives, as she returns briefly in the Deathly Hallows), she is dragged away by the centaurs in a fitting twist of events – magical creatures she considers to be of lower intelligence than wizards and witches themselves.

In many cases, it's not clear who the most hated Harry Potter characters might be. Indeed, most of us assume that the number one most hated person would be Voldemort. But, in reality, Dolores Umbridge often takes the winning card here, with people despising her for her overall sickly sweet dynamic that doesn't match her despicable schemes.