Breakdown: James Potter! | Role, Bully or not?, Weaknesses, More!

In this episode we break down the character of James Potter. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:
·      1:52 James’s role in the story. First off, who is he? Unfortunately, this entire episode is here to answer that question. We can say that James was Harry’s dad. He was also part of the Order of the Phoenix. Overall his was a major character, but he didn’t have an absolutely huge effect on the story. He also had a positive effect, but he was more negative for the story that one might assume.

·      8:14 Strengths. He is sensible, at the end of the day. This might be hard to see because of his past, but it is there. When they sent Snape down to see the werewolf that was Lupin, James realized what a bad idea it was and stopped Snape from doing it. Additionally, James is quite brave, being a true Gryffindor at heart for how he stood up against Voldemort when he came to kill the three Potters.

·       15:04 Weaknesses. As sensible and brave as a person can be, there are also weaknesses. One of which are his over confidence. He was a quidditch star and had a group of popular friends. He was on top of the world and felt like he owned Hogwarts. This led to another bad trait of him being a bully. When Snape refused to bow down, James practically tortured Snape in front of the entire school.

·      20:24 What would the story be like without him? Let’s say James is actually John Smith, an accountant. Harry is much less of a strong character. It was the love he had for his father and the strength of the symbol of the stag that drove many storylines. Many things from Harry’s hair to playing quidditch come from James. Also, Harry would have a much better and less complicated relationship with Snape. Snape wouldn’t automatically hate Harry for his father and they might get along better from the beginning. However, it took them being enemies to grow even closer at the end, so they wouldn’t have that moment in the Shrieking Shack. 

·      25:23 So who is he really? Still, we can’t put a label on him, but we can get closer. He is a Gryffindor at heart, that much is clear. He is brave, noble, and sensible. He is also a bully, but not because he hates people or he wants to see them suffer, but because he wants to seem strong. He is a protector, and seeming like someone who doesn’t shy away from a fight is a great way to do that.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 1:52 James’s role in the story
• 8:14 Strengths
• 15:04 Weaknesses
• 20:24 What would the story be like without him?
• 25:23 So who is he really?