Like every good fantasy story involving the battle between good and evil, deaths are expected, and Harry Potter didn’t skimp on sad losses, from Sirius Black’s surreal death to Snape’s significant final breath. Although Harry Potter was part of the childhood of many fans, the franchise grew increasingly darker as the story progressed, but the producers knew they had to remain faithful to their PG or PG-13 rating, often taking it to extremes, such as in Cedric’s harrowing death scene.
On the other hand, other major character deaths from Harry Potter weren’t shown onscreen, for better or for worse, but remained significantly impactful to the overall story; some of them still haunt fans even years after the story came to an end.
The brutal off-screen deaths in the franchise did justice to the characters without relying on shock value, quite often providing viewers with an even more shocking moment: the tragedy in the Great Hall scene in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 says it all. The look on Harry’s face as he walks along the pile of corpses and injured bodies is deeply upsetting and, to this day, one of the most memorable scenes from the movies.
8 Barty Crouch Sr.
Barty Crouch first appeared in Harry Potter and The Goblet Of Fire, representing a highly important member of the British Ministry Of Magic and one of the key characters behind Barty Crouch Junior’s escape from Azkaban. While the movies don’t go into details about this twisted father-and-son relationship, Crouch Sr. allowed his wife to trade places with Barty Jr. with the Polyjuice Potion because it was Mrs. Crouch’s final wish.
Barty Crouch Sr. Was Killed By His Own Son
In contrast to his bleak off-screen death at the hands of his own son (only implied in the movies), Crouch was known as a ruthless man who would often resort to questionably brutal methods to fight criminals and evil wizards. His lifeless body is found in the hazy grounds of the Forbidden Forest by Harry.
7 James Potter
Although many flashes of Lily Potter’s death are scattered throughout the movies, including the very moment Voldemort unleashes the deadly spell on her, James Potter’s death happens off-screen. Even though his death is just as heartbreaking as Lily’s, fans only get a glimpse of his lifeless body in one of Snape’s memories.
James Potter Died Shortly Before Harry’s Mother
It does make sense from a narrative standpoint, considering viewers are witnessing those tragic events through either the eyes of Harry’s shattered childhood memory or Snape’s late visit, but considering the many scenes in which Harry sees important recollections from Voldemort due to their bond, showing James Potter’s death at some point had the potential to amp up the story’s emotional appeal.
6 Aragog
Aragog was one of the scariest creatures introduced in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Hagrid was fascinated with terrifying creatures from an early age, which caused him to be expelled from Hogwarts after being caught with the Acromantula on school grounds, a severe breach of rules, especially in the times of “The Monster of Slytherin”.
Aragog Was Hagrid’s Oldest Friend
Despite the catastrophic consequences of their friendship, Hagrid and Aragog remained close friends throughout the years, and the giant spider’s death hit the old man hard. His death is shown off-screen, but viewers witness the creature’s funeral when Harry Potter comes by to express his condolences.
5 Alastor Moody
After the successful, yet intense battle of the seven Potters, Harry is heartbroken to realize that not only his close companion, Hedwig, was killed, but also one of his dearest mentors. Moody’s divisive death is still the target of heated debates because what was supposed to be one of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 most impactful deaths was condensed to just a few stuttering words by Remus and Bill, who were unable to find his body.
One of the Most Surprising Deaths in the Seventh Movie
The higher importance of Alastor Moody’s character in the books indicates he deserved more time onscreen in the movies, but at least his death was faithful to what was written by J.K. Rowling: it isn’t clear whether he died due to a killing curse or because he fell from a great height.
4 Fred Weasley
Fred’s death is arguably the one that hits the hardest in the final Harry Potter movie, yet it isn’t shown onscreen. As Harry walks through a desolate Great Hall, filled with corpses and injured wizards, the sight of the Weasleys mourning Fred’s death immediately removes him from his numbness.
The Death That Hits the Hardest
What makes it even worse is knowing that Fred took a huge chunk of George’s soul with him. The twins orchestrated many of the franchise’s funniest moments, such as the iconic firework prank in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and they completed each other. The fact that George had to carry on without his brother is truly heartbreaking.
3 Colin Creevey
Colin Creevey was one of the major characters in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, always stealing the show with his obsession with taking pictures and his almost childlike fascination with the figure of Harry Potter.
An Innocent Death
A sweet and good-hearted character, he faced a tough path ahead, falling victim to the loose basilisk from the Chamber of Secrets in the second film and eventually dying at the hands of Death Eaters in the Battle of Hogwarts. Colin’s death isn’t shown onscreen, ensuring his innocent smile will remain the first memory to pop up in the fans’ minds when they think of him.
2 Remus Lupin
After losing Sirius and Dumbledore, Lupin was arguably the closest thing to a father figure Harry had left. Though tormented by a terrifying werewolf curse, Remus was crucial to the boy’s growth as a wizard in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, teaching Harry Potter the valuable Patronus charm and closely inspecting the boy’s safety when Dementors overwhelmed him from all sides.
Harry Lost Almost All of His Mentors
Lupin’s importance grows as the Order Of The Phoenix is introduced, and seeing him lying dead alongside the woman he loves definitely fueled Harry with a sense of justice in his final confrontation against Voldemort.
1 Nymphadora Tonks
Tonks was one of the most distinctive Harry Potter characters given she was a Metamorphmagus, which makes her relationship with Remus Lupin all the more interesting, considering his lycanthropy condition. The death of the couple throws back the death of Lily and James Potter, almost as if the battle sadly came full circle, given they also left a child behind.
The Couple Fought Side-by-Side
Tonks was introduced in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and her death hits just as hard as Lupin’s since the couple’s lifeless bodies are found lying next to each other. There’s no solid confirmation in the movies whether Lupin and Tonks died side by side in battle or not, but to think they only got to reunite in death is upsetting.
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This story originally appeared on Movieweb
