Ron, the youngest Weasley son and best friend of Harry Potter provides the reader with some much needed comic relief, especially during the later books and films. Ron is a clumsy, loveable boy next door, a character adored throughout the Potter fandom. You only have to do a quick search on social media sites, such as Instagram and Twitter to find the many pages dedicated to Ronald Bilious Weasley.
The best friend of the chosen one is a hard role to fulfil, and whilst perhaps in the first three books, Ron loves being Potter’s sidekick and getting involved in all the adventures that brings, it is glaringly obvious come the fourth book that there are some underlying issues going on.
Ron is the brother that Dudley should have been for Harry. He also leads Potter into the magical world, helping him adapt and teaching him what it is like to be a magical child. Though these moments are few and far between with Voldermort returning and then later hunting down Potter and his friends, you never forget that Ron and the rest of his family welcomed Harry with open arms as one of their own.
The Youngest Weasley son makes a lot of poor decisions throughout the series. The first being the ridiculing of Hermione. “She’s a nightmare, No wonder she doesn’t have any friends” is this classic 11 year old playground behaviour, or is this the first sign that Ron has a crush and doesn’t know how to deal with his feelings? We’ll never know. As the series grows, and so do the characters, the decisions that Ron makes get bigger too especially when turning his back on his so called best friend. Harry is chosen to compete in the Tri-Wizard Cup and although Ron initially comes across as jealous of Harry’s success, he soon tries to make things better in his most clumsiest boisterous ways. This is shown both in the book, and the film and for me is a real ‘Ron moment’. He doesn’t have a way with his words, sometimes he does think before he speaks and most of all he really does lack self confidence, and just wants to be liked for being him. Not the younger Weasley brother, and not just “Harry Potter’s Best Friend.”
In my opinion the biggest character growth in Ron, was during Deathly Hallows, he struggles to hide his affection for Hermione, and really wears his heart on his sleeve during this time. Whereas Harry is the strong sometimes independent one with a mission to complete. Hermione is crucial in assisting with the mission and adding her logic and expertise. It is easily forgotten that Ron is the one who has had to flee his family home. Doing this he is leaving the Weasley’s behind to most likely be interrogated and tortured just for being friends with Harry and Hermione. Throw in, being injured, wearing a Horcrux for 12 hours a day, and being cold and hungry, it is no surprise that he feels the need to walk away. The best bit of his character is that he comes back, he realises his mistake and he returns, because he needs them as much as they need him.
I believe that we all have a bit of Ron within us. He makes mistakes, he sometimes over reacts, but he realises this and tries to fix things in the most Ron Like way. He has a heart of gold, and is loyal until the end. In the words of Ron, BLOODY HELL, what a character.
You Are Just As Sane As I Am 