Whether it's Dorothy Gale, Charlie Bucket, Katniss Everdeen, or Ferris Bueller, there have been countless iconic kid characters featured in movies dating back to the dawn of the art form. While some belong to standalone films, the most popular among them tend to come from beloved movie franchises that allow them to evolve over the course of multiple movies. Indeed, the more familiar a kid character is over time, the more lovable they often become.
To get a pulse on some of the most beloved child movie characters ever, the cinema lovers at Ranker have weighed in and curated a versatile mixture of famous youngsters who continue to gain fans everywhere.
10 Neville Longbottom - Harry Potter
With seven mega-popular movies of top-tier entertainment geared specifically at young viewers, it comes as a little surprise to see Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis) named as one of the most adored child characters. The bumbling herbologist supports Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) at all costs, slowly gaining confidence once he joins' Dumbledore's Army. He's cute, funny, and becomes more formidable over time.
The transformation Neville undergoes from a shy youngster who serves as comic relief to a confident wizard able to help defeat Lord Voldemort by destroying the Nagini Horcrux is extremely satisfying, proving to be one of Harry's closest friends of all time.
9 Luke Skywalker - Star Wars
Whether on Earth or in a galaxy far, far away, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) will likely always be among the most beloved young movie heroes. Whether he's working on the farm, battling the Rebel Alliance in outer space, or confronting the true identity of his evil father, teenage Luke personifies the mythology of the hero's journey like very few others in the annals of cinema.
The longevity of the character mixed with the enormous viewership of the entire series as a merchandise-based blockbuster changed the entire economy of movie marketing and promotion, allowing Luke Skywalker to be on lunchboxes, Happy Meals, and featured in toylines that increased his popularity among children first and foremost.
8 Ronald Weasley - Harry Potter
After Neville, Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) is the most beloved young Harry Potter character in the long-running fantasy series. Armed with humor, charm, and a taste for good food, Harry's right-hand man-boy who tends to slack off always steps up at the right time to protect his closest friends.
Despite his immature ways, Ron's background as the only main character raised in a magical society allows him to provide Harry and Hermione (Emma Watson) with key bits of knowledge at the most opportune times. Funny, vulnerable, and often overlooked as a misunderstood lackey, Ron rising to the occasion is extremely heartening.
7 Marty McFly - Back To The Future
Whether he's avoiding Biff, giving Mr. Strickland a hard time, hanging out with Doc Brown, or traveling through the 4th dimension in the badass DeLorean, Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) will always be an all-time iconic teenage movie character. Portrayed thrice in the mega-popular Back to the Future trilogy, Marty is cool, daring, adventurous, and very easy to identify with.
Given his youthful appearance, many fans may not know that Fox was 24 when he filmed Back to the Future, in which he played McFly as a 17-year-old. It's a testament to Robert Zemeckis' brilliant vision and Fox's comedic acting chops that the character still resonates after 35 years. Even the Back to the Future sequels hold up well today, which only makes Marty more popular.
6 Wednesday Addams - The Addams Family Franchise
The Addams Family marked the third feature film for Christina Ricci, who stepped into the role and delivered a memorably macabre performance as Wednesday Addams. Ricci reprising one of her best movie roles in The Addams Family Values two years later increased the visibility of the character and surely expanded her popularity, as did the built-in fanbase of the 60s TV show.
Living with her eerily eccentric family, Wednesday is a 13-year-old girl obsessed with death who rarely smiles or exudes joy and subjects her brother to sinister experiments. The mix of childhood innocence and horrific tendencies make Wednesday lovably wicked.
5 Kevin McCallister - The Home Alone Franchise
Played by Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone and the somewhat nonsensical Home Alone 2: Lost In New York, the witty and precocious Kevin McCallister is a character every kid wanted to be after watching the runaway hit family films. The classic underdog overcomes his fears of being left alone on Christmas to become a hilarious hero who thwarts the thieving Wet and Sticky Bandits. What's not to love?
According to Box Office Mojo, the two Home Alone films combined to earn nearly a billion dollars worldwide, indicating a popularity level rarely matched. Far beyond his years, Kevin is funny, capable, and wildly inventive in the way he lays those traps to stop the bandits in their tracks.
4 Matilda Wormwood - Matilda
After a decade-long break from acting between 2000 to 2011, Mara Wilson returned to the profession and continues to work to this day. However, title her role in the beloved Matilda remains her most famous role to date, and one of the most cherished kid characters in the eyes of Ranker voters.
Adapted from the Roald Dahl children's story, Matilda Wormwood is an enchanting little girl who discovers magical telekinetic powers, which she uses to navigate her wicked family members and take on her cruel school principal. Charming, delightful, and full of hope, Matilda is as spellbinding as kid characters get.
3 Luna Lovegood - The Harry Potter Franchise
With a name like Luna Lovegood, the overwhelming adoration of the notorious Harry Potter character only makes sense. Played by Evanna Lynch, the quirky and quixotic character is, in many ways the opposite of Hermione, which gives her a unique personality in the Wizarding World.
Whether Luna challenges Hermione's views, speaks with blunt honesty to Harry, expresses her happy-go-lucky attitude, or finds immense strength after witnessing her mother's death as a child, Luna evolved to become a huge fan favorite and oftentimes comes across as the best character in Harry Potter.
2 Harry Potter - Harry Potter
In somewhat of a surprise shakeup, Harry Potter is not the first but the second most beloved kid movie character in the eyes of Ranker voters. Evolving from a little boy and reluctant hero to a confident young mage over the course of 10 years and seven enormously popular movies, the wonderful wizard encapsulates childlike imagination and grown-up heroism like very few characters ever captured on celluloid.
According to Mashable, the entire Harry Potter franchise runs 1,178 minutes long, meaning very few kid characters have enjoyed much screentime and public exposure as the titular wizard. The longevity is one thing, the number of viewers is another, and when combined with Radcliffe's unparalleled charm, only one other kid character is more celebrated than Harry Potter.
1 Hermione Granger - Harry Potter
The greatest kid character in movie history, according to Ranker, is Hermione Granger from the well-represented Harry Potter series. As Harry's intelligent, logical, and studious best friend, Hermione relies on her book smarts to boss Harry and Ron around and gain key intel on Voldemort and his henchmen. For her part, Emma Watson plays the role to perfection.
Moreover, Hermione has evolved over time to become an iconic inspiration. A role model in the classic sense, it's easy to see why Hermione is received so favorably after all these years.
Comments
Post a Comment