Harry Potter (character) in the context of "Daniel Radcliffe"

The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piece. The title of the work might consist solely of the title character's name – such as Michael Collins or Othello – or be a longer phrase or sentence – such as Alice's Adventures in Wonderland or The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. The title character is commonly – but not necessarily – the protagonist of the story. Narrative works routinely do not have a title character and there is some ambiguity in what qualifies as one.

Examples in various media include Figaro in the opera The Marriage of Figaro, Giselle in the ballet of the same name, the Doctor in the TV series Doctor Who, Dr. Gregory House of the TV series House, Mario and Luigi in the video game Super Mario Bros., Harry Potter in the series of novels and films, and Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet in the play Romeo and Juliet.

Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The main story arc concerns Harry's conflict with Lord Voldemort, a dark wizard who intends to become immortal, overthrow the wizard governing body known as the Ministry of Magic, and subjugate all wizards and Muggles (non-magical people).

The series was originally published in English by Bloomsbury in the United Kingdom and Scholastic Press in the United States. A series of many genres, including fantasy, drama, coming-of-age fiction, and the British school story (which includes elements of mystery, thriller, adventure, horror, and romance), the world of Harry Potter explores numerous themes and includes many cultural meanings and references. Major themes in the series include prejudice, corruption, madness, love, and death.

Harry Potter is a film series based on the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. The series was produced and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and consists of eight fantasy films, beginning with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) and culminating with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011). A spin-off prequel series started with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), marking the beginning of the Wizarding World shared media franchise.

A British and American co-production, the series was mainly produced by David Heyman, and stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson as the three leading characters: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, respectively. Four directors worked on the series: Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuarón, Mike Newell, and David Yates. Michael Goldenberg wrote the screenplay for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007), while the remaining films' screenplays were written by Steve Kloves. Production took place over ten years, with the main story arc following Harry's quest to overcome his arch-enemy Lord Voldemort.

Hermione Jean Granger (/hɜːrˈmaɪəni ˈɡreɪndʒər/ hur-MY-ə-nee GRAYN-jər) is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. She first appeared in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997), as a first-year student on her way to Hogwarts. She becomes friends with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley after they save her from a troll in the girls' bathroom. Hermione often uses her quick wit, deft recall, and encyclopaedic knowledge to help her friends in perilous situations. Rowling has stated that Hermione resembles herself as a young girl, sharing similar insecurity and fear of failure.

Hermione has been immensely popular. The version of the character portrayed by Emma Watson in all eight Harry Potter films was voted the best female character of all time in a 2016 poll of Hollywood professionals conducted by The Hollywood Reporter. Arabella Stanton portrays her in the upcoming television series.

Lord Voldemort (/ˈvoʊldəmɔːr/ VOHL-də-mor, /-mɔːrt/ -⁠mort in the films) is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. He first appears in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997) and returns either in person or in flashbacks in each novel in the series except the third, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, in which he is only mentioned.

Voldemort, an anagrammatic sobriquet for his birth name Tom Marvolo Riddle, is the archenemy of Harry Potter, who according to a prophecy has "the power to vanquish the Dark Lord". After killing Harry's parents, Lily and James Potter, he attempts to murder the boy, but instead leaves him with a scar on his forehead in the shape of a lightning bolt. Nearly every witch or wizard dares not utter his name and refers to him instead with such monikers as "You-Know-Who", "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named", or The Dark Lord. Voldemort's obsession with blood purity signifies his aim to rid the wizarding world of Muggle (non-magical) heritage and to conquer both worlds, Muggle and wizarding, to achieve pure-blood dominance. Through his mother's family, he is the last descendant of the wizard Salazar Slytherin, one of the four founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is the leader of the Death Eaters, a group of wizards and witches dedicated to ridding the Wizarding World of Muggles and establishing Voldemort as its supreme ruler.

Dominic McLaughlin (born c. 2013–2014) is a Scottish actor. He is known for being cast as Harry Potter in the upcoming HBO television adaptation. He currently plays the role of Martin in the CBBC series Gifted (2025–present). Before landing the role, McLaughlin trained at the Performance Academy Scotland and appeared in theatre, most notably in a production of Macbeth, and was cast in other screen projects including the film Grow (2025), his debut film appearance.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a play written by Jack Thorne from an original story by Thorne, J. K. Rowling, and John Tiffany. The plot occurs nineteen years after the events of Rowling's novel Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It follows Albus Severus Potter, the second son of Harry Potter, who is now Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic. When Albus arrives at Hogwarts to get sorted into Gryffindor, he gets officially sorted into Slytherin and fails to live up to his father's legacy, making him resentful of his father. Rowling has referred to the play as "the eighth Harry Potter story".

From its premiere, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has received mostly positive reviews from critics for its performances, story, illusions, and stage wizardry, though reception from the Harry Potter fandom was more polarized. The original West End production premiered at the Palace Theatre on 7 June 2016. It received a record-breaking eleven nominations and won another record-breaking nine awards, including Best New Play, at the 2017 Laurence Olivier Awards. A Broadway production opened at the Lyric Theatre on 22 April 2018. That production received ten nominations and won six awards, including Best Play at the 2018 Tony Awards. An Australian production opened at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne, on 23 February 2019. A second American production opened in San Francisco at the Curran Theatre on 1 December 2019. The first non-English production opened at the Mehr! Theater in Hamburg, Germany, on 5 December 2021. A Canadian production opened at the Ed Mirvish Theatre in Toronto, on 19 June 2022. A Japanese production opened at the TBS Akasaka ACT Theater on 8 July 2022. A North American Tour began in September 2024 in Chicago's James M. Nederlander Theatre. The Tour also included shows in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.. Across all its productions worldwide, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has sold over 6 million tickets.