Quite obviously, Harry Potter is the story of none other than Harry Potter, the boy who lived and the only wizard capable of defeating who must not be named, Lord Voldemort. At the same time, Harry’s journeys are complemented by the many character around him. You’ll rarely find someone whose favorite character is Harry and for good reason: the other characters are way more interesting. This isn’t to say Harry isn’t a compelling character in his own right- he very much is- but that the supporting players around him ultimately are the ones who bring the Wizarding World to life.

Easily one of Harry’s most popular cohorts, Draco Malfoy has always been a fan favorite. Harry’s personal bully, Draco grows quite a bit over the course of the series, coming into his own and ending the series a good man… right? Well, not really, actually. In truth, Draco isn’t nearly as prominent as we’ve been led to believe. He shows up every book, but his roles aren’t exactly substantial in the grand scheme of things. The way Rowling writes Draco naturally leads to fans misinterpreting or misremembering details. As a result, Draco- while quite popular- is also one of the most misunderstood characters in the franchise.

25 Draco Barely Appears

Considering just how much Draco is mentioned in the books and how often his mere presence influences the narrative, it’s easy to misremember Draco’s exact role in the overarching narrative. He’s a mover and a shaker. Whenever Draco is involved, it’s bound to be a big deal.

At least his appearances are important. 

Except Draco isn’t involved all that often, at least not physically. As far as actual appearances go, Draco is mentioned far more than he is seen. His role in the story is less that of a present instigator and more someone who directs the action from the background. We always have him in mind because Harry constantly thinks about it, but he rarely appears.

24 Draco Isn’t As Hardened As He Lets On

Throughout the series, when Draco does actually appear, he puts on a hard, antagonistic front. Every interaction he has with Harry after their first meeting is coated in layers of resentment and general hatred. It gives off the impression that Draco really is nothing more than a schoolyard bully.

While this is true to some extent, especially in the earlier books, it’s worth considering how later revelations about Draco reframe these earlier interactions. He is someone clearly influenced by his parents and the expectations of being a Slytherin. Draco is forcing himself to act cold and aloof as per his role. Would a hardened boy cry his eyes out to Moaning Myrtle?

23 Draco Isn’t As Well Liked As Harry Lets On

Given that we rely on Harry’s perspective to really zone in on who Draco is as a character, we naturally get quite a few details mixed up or flat out wrong. This isn’t a flaw of Rowling’s writing, but a strength. Harry is an unintentional narrator, and his bias influences how we perceive any given text while creating a more nuanced experience.

It's easy to assume everyone likes your bully. 

As a result, where Harry sees a Draco who is well loved by his school and faculty, the sub-text offers the idea that Draco really is not all that liked. He barely has any friends, he more or less coasts through schools in non-Snape taught classes, and it seems like the Hogwarts populace ignores him more often than not.

22 Draco Genuinely Wanted To Be Harry’s Friend

The real villain of Draco’s and Harry’s dynamic isn’t Draco Malfoy, but his father, Lucius Malfoy. In their first meeting, Draco actually wanted to be friends with Harry. He clearly extends a hand out to him, wanting to connect. Had Harry been placed into Slytherin, the two would have likely become fast friends.

The problem is, even then, Lucius would have poisoned the well. Lucius’ dislike of Harry, per his loyalty to Voldemort, would have clouded Draco’s perception of the boy. That said, this doesn’t change the fact that, independent of Lucius’ presence, Draco’s first instinct was to befriend Harry.

21 Draco’s Arrogance Is A Front

In the same way that Draco is nowhere near as hardcore as he lets on, he’s also not nearly as arrogant. He is a boy with severe insecurities stemming from his background, home life, and perceived need to live up to his father’s legacy. Draco puts on an arrogant front because it is expected of him in every respect. What’s worse is that Draco actually needs to live up to his arrogance. He can’t just be cocky, he needs to prove he’s “allowed” to. It’s no wonder he spends the entire sixth year breaking down in an abandoned bathroom with a perverted ghost.

20 Draco Forced Himself To Close Off Emotionally

On the subject of Draco’s sixth year, his breakdowns stem precisely from the expectations forced on him to take Dumbledore’s life at the end of the year. Knowing that he’d need to slay his Headmaster sooner rather than later, he is forced to take Occlumency lessons with Bellatrix.

When you aren't even allowed to feel, you know you're in trouble. 

It is strongly suggested that the intensity of said lessons force Draco to close himself off emotionally so that he may eventually slay Dumbledore. Unfortunately for Draco, the weight is too much for him and, while he’s able to put up a front for the Death Eaters, he if forced to unload on Myrtle.

19 Draco Is Bad At Duelling As A Kid

You can tell how much of an unreliable narrator Harry is actually is based off just how sincerely he takes Draco’s duelling skills at face value when the sub-text implies Draco isn’t all that impressive. Despite being considered a competent duellist, Draco is consistently defeated in duels throughout the series. Pretty much every major duel Draco participates in during the course of his Hogwarts career ends with him either beaten or humiliated. He’s still considered a competent duellist in-universe, but this is more because of who he grows into.

18 But Fantastic As An Adult

In the decades following his time at Hogwarts, Draco really improved his duelling abilities. As an adult, Draco is able to duel Harry, who is considered to be the greatest duellist alive at the time of The Play Who Shall Not Be Named, to a straight draw. Draco, who struggled to duel as a child, is able to push back the greatest wizard alive. Think about that for just a second. It’s almost inexplicable in a sense, but perhaps Draco just thrives when he’s no longer living in the shadow of his parents.

17 Draco Is Not Wholly Bad

Which actually does speak volumes to who Draco is as a person in the context of the Wizard World. When it comes down to it, he’s not necessarily a bad man. He certainly acts spoiled and bratty while also actively helping Voldemort attack Hogwarts, but, and this is a big but, he doesn’t want to be doing any of this. The fact of the matter is, Draco would not act the way he does in the series if he had any sort of agency. Of all the major characters in the books, Draco is the only one who exclusively acts on the wills of others, and it’s all because of one key reason.

16 Draco Is A Coward

Draco Malfoy is a coward. Draco Malfoy does not know how to say “no.” Draco Malfoy does not know how to stand up for himself or assert himself. Draco was perfectly comfortable letting himself get roped into a plot to assassinate his Headmaster- who he actually did seem to like- all because of his fear of saying no. In Draco’s defense, saying “no” to Voldemort is quite a bad idea, but it does speak volumes to who Draco is as a character. He is a scared boy who doesn’t have the courage to do what he knows is right.

15 Draco Wasn’t Going To Hurt Dumbledore

Except for in one pivotal moment: Dumbledore’s assassination. The reason Snape has to step in isn’t so that he can save Draco’s innocence, but because he knows that Draco would never truly hurt Dumbledore. When push comes to shove, Draco’s agency isn’t found through action, but inaction.

How could he? Draco was just a boy. 

Of course, not slaying Dumbledore would have ruined Voldemort’s entire plan and risked the lives of his parents, but Draco doesn’t necessarily need to be a rational character. He’s just a boy, and he couldn’t hurt Dumbledore even if he actually, sincerely wanted to. Snape saved his innocence, sure, but he also saved Draco’s life.

14 Draco Genuinely Did Want To Be A Death Eater

Even though we’ve established Draco as a nuanced character with complex motivations thus far, we shouldn’t let him off the hook entirely. When it comes down to it, Draco genuinely did want to be a Death Eater at some point in the story. The younger Draco is, the more sincere he is in his villainy.

Living in the shadow of his parents, Draco blatantly wanted to be a Death Eater and support Voldemort early on. This doesn’t mean he wasn’t insecure or just putting on a show, but that he did believe in the philosophy of the Death Eaters at some point. Unfortunately, the way he ends up joining their forces likely soured his perception of them.

13 Draco Was Forced Into Becoming A Death Eater

Following Lucius’ blunder at the Ministry of Magic in the fifth book, Draco is forced to take his father’s role as a Death Eater and is then coaxed into becoming the key player in the plot to assassinate Dumbledore. As we see in the sixth book, this takes a massive toll on Draco’s sanity, breaking him to the point where his only true moment of agency is in refusing to hurt Dumbledore, only to need to carry that burden anyways when Snape finishes the job for him. Draco wanted to be a Death Eater, but he never really understood what that meant until he was forced to become one.

12 Draco Is Only As Bad As His Parents

We’ve mentioned Draco’s parents quite a lot up to this point and not without good reason. Draco Malfoy very much tries to live up to the “Malfoy” part of his name even if he needs to take drastic measures. In living under Lucius Malfoy’s roof, Dracoy has been conditioned to live by his example and no one else’s.

It’s worth noting that Narcissa is a far better parents, but still by no means perfect, actively supporting her husband’s transgressions. Draco’s worst deeds are intimately linked to his his parents are and what they expect of him. In many respects, Draco has been indoctrinated by his parents by the time the first book properly begins.

11 Draco Recognizes What He Does Is Wrong

What’s most interesting about Draco’s many Myrtle related breakdowns in the sixth book isn’t that it shows us a more vulnerable Draco, but that it shows us a Draco who recognizes his actions for what they are. Draco is not so aloof and lost in his father’s shadow that he does not realize that being a Death Eater is not a good thing.

He feels deep remorse and, by the last book, deep regret. He doesn’t like that he’s walked down this path in life and clearly wants to step away from it. He can’t, though, not while Voldemort still stands. Any attempt to step away would hurt his family, however, so Draco is forced to endure a life he knows isn’t right.

10 Draco Is Better At Quidditch Than Harry

For as flawed as Draco is, he isn’t without his own few strengths. While Harry erroneously believes Draco to be a skilled duellist, he misses out on the fact that Draco, on a whole, is a better Quidditch player than Harry. When Gryffindor loses Harry, they’re able to recover rather easily. When Slytherin loses Draco, they never recover.

One of Draco's few genuine claims to fame. 

Draco was such a skilled Quidditch player that he was able to elevate Slytherin to insanely high heights, almost consistently playing top tier from year to year carried by a single player. Draco perhaps wasn’t as good a Seeker as Harry, but he was a better player on a whole, needing to fill in many roles to carry his team.

9 Draco Doesn’t Have A Patronus

For as much emphasis as the series places on Patronuses after they’re formally introduced in the third book, not every wizard is guaranteed to have a Patronus. They’re clearly meant to be wizarding spirit animals, but not every wizard has a strong enough will to produce one. Unfortunately, Draco is one such wizard.

In a series where Draco never lags behind Harry for too long, an attempt is never made to so much as comment on Draco’s lack of a Patronus. He simply does not have one as confirmed by Rowling herself. You would think that his struggles would inevitably produce one for him, but Draco just doesn’t have it in him.

8 Draco’s Bark Is Bigger Than His Bite

Arguably Draco’s worst quality is his incessant need to constantly be the center of the conversation. He will goad, antagonize, and mock others just to place the attention on himself while asserting dominance over others. While he brings quite the verbal game typical for a school bully, he never does much worse than that. Draco doesn’t pick battles he can’t win. He doesn’t bully anyone he knows he’ll have to prove himself against. Every time someone decides to fight back against Draco, he’s made a fool of. Draco can talk the talk, but he’s never been able to walk the walk.

7 Draco Was Never A Real Threat To Harry

Of all the antagonists in the original series, Draco is the only one who, at no point in the series, poised a serious threat to Harry. Draco was, at his worst, always just a school bully. Every other major villain tried to at least destroy Harry’s livelihood or straight up take his life. Draco tried to embarrass Harry in front of his friends. This isn’t to say Draco didn’t do plenty wrong while at Hogwarts and actively antagonize Harry, but that his own actions were never a real threat to Harry himself.

6 Almost All Of Draco’s Actions Are Manipulated

Although that’s mainly due to the fact that just about everything Draco does in the series is thanks to the world more or less manipulating him at every step. Why is he mean to Harry? Because of Lucius. Why does he help the Death Eaters invade Hogwarts? Because of Voldemort. The only time Draco truly acts out of his own agency is when it’s time to slay Dumbledore as previously mentioned. Even then, though, that in itself is just an action of Bellatrix’s manipulation to get Draco up to that point. When we said Draco had no agency, we meant it in every respect.