I’ve always felt that Draco was one of the most complicated characters in Harry Potter and dealt a very rough hand. Privilege can be a double edged sword and I think you’ve summed things up really well.
Privilege? Privilege of wealth? Wealth can be the root of all kinds of evil. Better is a little with kindness and love than wealthy mansions with destruction. Privilege ? Or misfortune? He wasn't blessed like Harry Potter, Harry who had real genuine friends and people who care about him in Hogwarts.
Draco is actually a really good example of how societal pressure can make you into something you never want to be, and how painful the struggle must be for those caught in that trap.
Draco is a relatable character for a lot of kids and adults in rl who have gone through similar or the same thing. I can think of other characters in movies and on TV that are just like that, raised to be somebody that we hate but inside they’re just conflicted.
I really appreciated the way his character changes in the last two books, he's so vulnerable and it's finally revealed his true personality. Despite all the inconsistencies and some non-sense in the Cursed Child, I liked his character, the way he loves and misses his wife, the way he raises their son to be a better person
I would say that you are right when it came to Draco, he goes through a lot and realizes he doesn’t like what he’s doing. His father on the other hand while he was raised to believe in the same things he taught his son the difference between the two is Lucius never realized he was wrong. If anything he benefited from the system and didn’t see a problem with it until Voldemort stopped liking him. Great video by the way.
One minor detail about Draco that says a lot: His father’s wand core was dragon heart string and his wand core was unicorn hair. Dragon heartstrings are easy to turn to the dark side. Unicorn hair, not so much.
Draco is actually a kind of tragic character. I think Tom Felton did an excellent job portraying Draco's inner struggles, especially in the later movies.
Draco was definitely a victim of his upbringing. There was verbal abuse from his dad & I always wondered if there was physical abuse too, or threats of it at least, because it was shown Lucius physically abused his servant Dobby & had a bad temper when things didn't go his way! Any time he wasn't the absolute best at what he was doing he made his dad angry that he wasn't being that example of what the pureblood superiority ideas said. A moment I always notice in the 1st movie is when Draco offers his hand in friendship to Harry & says he'll show him who to associate with. When Harry refuses to shake his hand & rejects him, Draco has a flash of true hurt on his face. He doesn't understand how he could be rejected. I think that's a great bit of directing, having the actor do that. It shows there is another side to Draco right from the start. Even though the last couple books weren't written yet when filming of the 1st movie started, the director had a feeling that this kid raised racist & set up to be Harry's rival would at some point be faced with the truth about how bad pureblood ideals are & that he would in the end reject them. He felt there needed to be a human moment shown under that superior attitude. I actually loved that we get to see the end result of his change in The Cursed Child.
I think in the book Draco added "He'll kill my whole family". This is an important distinction that was omitted in the film. But HBP was the worst film, so we should be happy they even had Draco in the scene.
Draco and his mother both lied their asses off for Harry Potter because they knew it was the only way out. And even if Harry never did become his friend I'm reasonably certain he and Hermione did stick up for Draco after the battle of Hogwarts as a pivotal role Draco and his mother played in keeping Harry and the others alive during the worst days of The Wizarding War. They both lied straight to the Dark Lord's face. Draco was carrying his mother's wand by the time he arrived at the Battle of Hogwarts at all. Yet he gave this precious gift of protection from his mother, to Harry so that he could end the war. I kind of like how the movie depiction does it in this regard where Draco and his family run away as soon as that wand is in Harry's Hands. They have done all they can, they know that they cannot further influence the outcome of the battle and can only do what slytherins do best, save their own necks. They trust that they understand the kind of person Harry is and that he will have the sense to figure out that they were protecting him the best they could. He would vouch for them and they would never see the inside of Azkaban (again). The evil that Lucius had brought down on Ginny Weasley did not matter next to the sacrifices of Narcissa and Draco. I don't believe Harry ever forgave Lucius Malfoy but for the sake of his wife and son did not want to see him imprisoned again either. The loss of reputation and wealth from his part in The Wizarding War and the fact that he had been to Azkaban was enough. Without his money Lucius Malfoy was nothing... The one thing I actually like about that Abomination known as the cursed child, is the fact that showed Harry and Draco working together and not trying to keep their sons apart.
Even abominations like cursed child can do a couple of things right. Of course Harry would never forgive Lucius because he was responsible for all Ginny's suffering at her first grade. I suspect that thanks to Harry, Draco and Narcissa received full amnesty, Lucius in other hand received conditional freedom, with his movements being closely monitored.
It is interesting to me that so many of the Slytherin characters really seem to wrestle with the idea of “this is who society says I should be” vs “this is who I am” and I think Draco hits on that duality more than anyone else. I feel bad for him, that he was affected by generational attitudes and traumas and I’m glad that, like his aunt Andromeda, he was able to finally break free from that and that his descendants didn’t have to make the same choice as he did.
I usually try to avoid the Cursed Child when talking about the Harry Potter series, but there's one scene with Draco and Scorpius in the alternate timeline, which I feel is one of the most well written scenes of Draco Malfoy in the entire series. This is because all of his true motives and intentions were revealed, which included his love for Astoria and how brave it was to accept her appreciation of Muggles. Also, she was the light in Draco's life when the rest of his life was 'murky' and appreciates seeing those traits of her inside of Scorpius. There are several scenes throughout the series where you can see Draco's views shift, but I would argue this one scene shows the most on how Draco's early life was a lie (even in an alternate timeline where Voldemort won the battle).
I always felt like Draco's story was unfinished and not realized to its full potential. Like, 'the redemption arc' trope thing finished. The whole 2 seconds long deleted scene with him throwing wand to Potter? That was genius. Too bad it didn't make it into the movies. Well, at least the fanon goes a long way in exploring his character where the author didn't deliver 😅
I always had similar thoughts regarding Draco, he was just a kid conditioned by his environment and when he was old enough to have a mind of his own he started questioning many things. His loyalty also wavered when he saw first hand what being a death eater meant and he was caught between a rock and a hard place. He did not experience as much abuse, he did not lose as many loved ones at a young age as Harry but he is a victim too in the end.
I agree. It's one of the reasons I like Lucious as well. He too had no choice about the path he walked. We see him too get gaunt and sickly as he's abused and mistreated by Voldemort in his own home. The entire Malfoy family is very tragic.
I 100 % agree with you Dean. And I always loved Draco too, and even before I was reading the books I saw something inside of him, I wasn't fooled by the costume because I felt it wasn't who he is. He never had the chance to choose to be someone else until the HBP Book and also shown in the movie. I believe he was crying in the bathroom not only because of the immense pressure he was under, but also for nearly killing Katie Bell because he was forced too but never believed in it. Or when facing Dumbledore he lowered his wand. And when he "didn't recognize" the trio in the Malfoy manor, all of those are signs that Draco is not a killer nor really evil, he is just a victim of racist ideology and stand up as the man he was expected to be. I really thought he will end up with his high school sweetheart Pansy Parkinson. If he would have stayed with Pansy he wouldn't lose her for a blood curse. I felt great sadness for him when Astoria died.
I know that many people think that Narcissa was a good person but we have to remember that she played a huge role in making Draco the person he was during his early Hogwarts years. She pampered and spoiled him and helped to convince him that he was the best thing ever. This contributed to his spoiled factor and while at Hogwarts she even sent him tons of sweets which further made him an entitled brat. Narcissa and Lucius deserve equal blame for making Draco what he was. A Full video on Narcissa can be found on my channel.
@@flowersandrainbows2839 Narcissa had a chance to be better just like Draco but sat idly by for years while Voldemort killed and tortured. She only stopped supporting Voldemort after he affected her family. Sirius, Andromeda, and Regulus still were able to see right from wrong despite being raised by that same family. Narcissa did not see right from wrong and would have continued supporting Voldemort until the end had he not punished Lucius and Draco.
@@lahavzaken6638 I agree with you but there is some points I want to say Narcissa had a chance yes but Voldemort fooled many people and told them he would make the wizarding world better place he promised many people with that and they trusted him she didn't knew his truth or his real face until he punished them she saw the real face of him so she stopped supporting him
Yes, I do believe his life was a lie. He was probably the least loyal Death Eater of all (even less so than Severus Snape)! He even discreetly saved Harry's life twice despite the grave danger of being caught doing so.
Yeah, you’re going to have to explain that. Absolutely no chance he ever directly saved Harry’s life, though Harry directly saved Draco’s life twice in the 7th book alone. The point is that Draco’s life was a lie, not that he was secretly a big hero.
@@samcotten2485 when harry was brought to malfoy manor ( in the books) granger shot him with a stinging curse that he was unrecognizable and lied about his name. Draco was brought forward and he lied saying he was wasnt sure if it was. And since the malfoy family was far from the top they couldnt risk it to be erong.
@@liquidsleepgames3661 furthermore, Bellatrix kept the Malfoy’s from calling Voldemort to the scene. They were almost certain it was Harry regardless, so I doubt that Draco really made the difference.
There are so many Harry Potter channels that I love watching but I think that you really understand Draco as a character and you always explain him so well. He's always been one of my favorite characters so its always fun to watch your videos about him,
That doesn’t change the fact that his father did a horrible job at parenting it really isn’t even Draco’s fault it’s his parents fault for not teaching him anything
Rough life Draco..the more I watched this video I realized that they’re real life people like young Mr Malfoy..people walking around here trying so hard to constantly be like their parents and please them till it’s not even funny in my opinion..have courage(bravery)/sense to know that not only should u be yourself but please just one person..u
Draco was, in the long run, badly screwed over, with the insidious twist that he was taught to do some of the worst "screwing" to himself, without realizing that he was doing it. The result left him tainted as badly as he was traumatized, and he could never really be whole.
Draco reminded me of Zuko of Avatar, trying to succeed in an impossible task to restore his honor. And that task becomes more impossible because he doesn't have it in him to kill someone, and Draco already knew that deep down, that's why he was struggling too much through the whole school year.
Oh yeah. Imagine if he was on Harry’s side. Unmanipulated and free to think for himself. He’s still probably be in Slytherin but I like to believe he would have sided with Harry and fought against his own father.
Yes I agree with you 100% He was so innocent and he has pure heart but his terrible attitude made people away from him and it's not his fault it's father's who raised him like that he needed true friends to help him to show him the right from wrong to support him instead of being lonely and he felt so lonely when he realized how everyone fooled him treated him as a subject or a doll to get what they want and throw him away he had never done anything for himself or spoken for himself or anything he had wished or wanted for himself only for his father to please him he never want any of it to happen he loved his family and it exhausts him and he wanted to have friends I understand him so well
Although Draco may have started out as a bully raised by pure-blood supremacists, it ultimately wasn’t in his nature to be a Death Eater that followed Voldemort’s orders without question.
I think Draco was, unfortunately, a slave to expectations. Everyone around him had certain expectations for him… i love Draco’s character. This video is great! 🫶🏻
one thing i would have to say is that his father pretty much set him up to fail, not just in his beliefs but in his attitude. his father was pretty much a coward. he lied about being a voldemort supporter to save his own ass, he blackmailed and bribed people, he used a little girl to do damage to the school. his father is a typical high school bully, big and bad when him and his buddies are around but a simpering little worm when they're all alone. this mentality pushed onto draco meant that he would also use similar tactics, sneaking in cursed necklace by using imperious on someone and poisoning a wine bottle. these tactics are the acts of a coward, not someone who is willing to stand and fight. draco never stood a chance because his own father couldnt even stand up for what he believed in.
I agree Draco had a rough hand dealt with him and that it was the same hand passed down from father to son for generations in the Malfoy line. While it is easy to dismiss all thoughts which came before Draco, it should be understood that this kind of brainwashing is tough to break free of, so yeah. At the same time, I, like many, do not excuse the actions of any of the Malfoys; I do have Sympathy enough to say the only one that can take 100% of the blame with no underlying sentiment is the Malfoy who started the Toxic Traditions in the first place.
Draco was the victim of his upbringing, as children we believe what we are taught and when we are very young we don’t Question it. Children even young people think what they have been taught is normal until your old enough to see that’s something isn’t normal and do something about it. He was nasty because his father was nasty to him despite his mum showing him love. But I believe before Voldemort’s return to power Narcissa forgot or failed to see how psychopathic and evil Voldemort was as due to her being Lucius’s wife and him being one of Voldemort’s 2nd in command she wasn’t on the receiving end of him. Am not saying Narcissa was nasty like her husband I don’t believe that but I do honestly think that the Malfoy‘s saw what they wanted to see and not Beyond that. And it wasn’t until when their son was being used and being taken advantage of by Voldemort that it brought it home to them and to Draco just how dangerous Voldemort was. So therefore when Draco was younger and wasn’t effected at school whatsoever by the actions of Voldemort, he was nasty and a bully just like his father because that was his normal but as soon as he realised that his family’s and Voldemort’s views were starting to effect him and the people around him that I believe he secretly admired even liked but He felt he couldn’t be open about it, including Harry Ron and Hermione because think about it by the time they were at his manner house he had seen and been forced to do so many things that deep down was not in his nature and he knew the Reality of Voldemort’s intentions. He also knew at that point it wasn’t normal what Voldemort was trying to do. So therefore he didn’t give them away and in the only way he could, he protected them by not giving them away.
I felt so bad for Draco I wanted him to be redeemed in the end tbh he was more like his mother, but he was trying so hard to be his father and it just wasn't working for him
It's not unlike in real life children in rich families are brought up in most elitest mindsets and ended up having massive identity crises when they are facing society.
This is going to sound off topic but it will make sense. Have ever heard your parents ask you: "If everyone you believe is your friend jumped of the Brooklyn Bridge, would you jump as well?" The reason my parents asked was to prove two points. One was don't always trust people. Second, question the actions of others when they make harmful choices. Narcissa and Draco both have these qualities. Even though they care about people in sketchy situations, they can think and realize "Wait a minute, this isn't safe/useful/good!" It's incredibly painful watching people you truly love be an idiot. But, you don't challenge them. Both Narcissa and Draco were struggling with this private battle making them more innocent than others would believe!! Thank you, Dean for another great video!!
Thanks for the great content. When I read the Harry Potter books I never took notice of how each of characters had a melancholy life. Its totally reminiscent into the battle of daily life.
Up until Riddle's return, Draco was happy to be a bully. He had all the friends he could want, and his family was well off enough financially and socially that he never needed to fear any kind of retaliation or betrayal. Draco, however, is intensely jealous of Harry Potter. Where Draco must constantly apply leverage and manipulation to keep his friends, Harry seems to attract friends like bees to a field of flowers. At the end of book 4 is the turning point. Riddle's return. Examine the change in Draco during Book 5 and especially Book 6. With Riddle's return, Lucius would become a tyrant. Up until this point, he would have barely cared if his wife and son were a bit soft-hearted. The entire wizarding world was besotted with protecting both half-bloods and muggleborns, so it could be explained away as "keeping cover" if Lucius himself retained an extreme dislike but "allowed" his wife and son more leeway. After Riddle's return, Lucius would have felt that he was under intense scrutiny for any weakness, and that scrutiny would extend to his wife and son. If weakness was found, Lucius knew that he and his family would be made to watch their lives crumble and beg for scraps from even the lowest Death Eaters. Also, up to this point, Draco's family was mostly untouchable. Lucius has manipulated the events of Riddle's first defeat to place his family above question and in a position of leverage. With Riddle's return, that position evaporates as those that Lucius crossed turn to take revenge. Likewise, their children do much the same at Hogwarts, and Draco finds many of his "friends" turning away. Draco saw Riddle's assignment as his opportunity to replace his father and reassert his family's lost dominance. Draco KNEW that he was no match for Dumbledore, so he attempted to manipulate others into doing the job through subtle and, as we see, ineffective means. When Draco is presented the opportunity to escape his predicament, his jealousy flares and he attacks Harry, rather than turn and ask for help. Draco is a textbook case of someone who has a pathological NEED to be validated by others because they have been taught that self-validation is worthless. And that, in and of itself, makes Draco one of the characters that I really enjoyed and kept cheering on to turn away from the darkness.
Absolutely Spot On Dean. You Can See That Change in Draco as the Series Progresses. His UpBringing was Very Typical in Many Ways. We Are Not BORN To Hate... That's ALLWAYS, ALLWAYS a Learned Familial "Curse" if You Will. Draco Actually Became the Generational CurseBreaker of His Family.
I bet, if you’re really into it, you could use evanescence song “hello, “in a slideshow of Draco Malfoy‘s life. I think I understand what that song means now, according to this video. Thanks for sharing.
He could of if he had any thought what his parents were doing was wrong((As in he ever thought that)) If he was able to question things, he could of done something or at least be subtle about it and maybe tell the trio he's not as much as an asshole as they think he is. Its a weird thing about some bullies, act all tough but when big consequences come they are paralyzed and yeah Voldemort is super scary, no shit but most of us aren't acting like we're tough little shits. I have a hard time feeling bad for Draco cause of his actions. Yeah his parents failed him but it doesn't justify his actions sadly. Its another reason to really appreciate your parents/guardian if they treat you the opposite way the Malfoy's handle their children.
At the end of it all it really felt that he had realized that the whole pureblood thing was just nonsense, clearly he didn't stretched out those views to his son if his son really developed a crush on a Weasly.
This topic is the reason I actually like The Cursed Child. It continues Draco's story in a way, it fills in those details about him as we follow his son Scorpius' journey. JK never properly redeemed him, but then again, that also leaves more space to tell his tale. 🐍💚
No one is born a racist, it is taught by your parents/mentors/caretakers. He probably still felt he was superior, in himself but he realized he didn't like being bullied by Vorty. He didn't like that his parents were bullied either.
Do you mean if they're cast at the same time? Then no. If the killing curse is unblockable the spells would pass through the other resulting in the deaths of both duelists.
why didn't someone use avada kedavra on voldemort surely someone in the order of the phoenix would be willing to do that deed and if someone used it on him when he had horcrux's what would happen?
That's already explained in the books. His own killing curse rebouned upon him in the first book. His body was destroyed but the remaining part of his soul existed as a spirit and took refuge in Albania. After a decade he possessed Quirinus Quirrell and set out to return physically. That failed and Peter Pettigrew fashioned Voldemort a rudimentary body (the child) as a vessel. Then Peter helped the Dark Lord come back fully with another potion and ritual - bone of father, flesh of servent, blood of enemy. The horcruxes bind him to the mortal realm. Whenever he is killed, however he is killed, Lord Voldement would eventually find a way back.
Alright, I feel like people here are just making excuses to redeem Draco more. Draco was raised a certain way, but he still followed it. He still listened and made the choice to listen even as he got older. It wasn’t until his life was on the line that he wanted to stop. That’s not noble. That’s not heroic. He grew up like a normal human being should, but let’s not act like he was a saint. Also, you have a choice to behave a certain way. Harry was beaten and abused for years, and he didn’t become the bully his cousin was. Nor did he become like his aunt and uncle. Being raised a certain way is one thing. But being weak enough to follow suit for years and years is not some heroic deed. And since when did Narcissa have a soft side? She still believed in the pure blood ways after it all. She still wanted Scorpius to be raised a pure blood bigot. She stood by while Hermione was tortured by her sister, not because of fear, but because she was ok with it. I’m the book, it literally says she lied for Harry because she needed Voldemort to March into the castle so she could get Draco. She was self serving, arrogant pureblood supremacist till the day she died. In the end, I think Draco’s story ended right. He realized he made some mistakes, but he also knows he will never erase the things he did. He wasn’t a hero. He was a well written character, with a good story, but I can’t stand all these comments acting like he is the next coming of Jesus Christ and deserved better.
Look, no one said he's the next coming of Jesus Christ. It's true that he was a bully, but that's all he knew. That's the environment he grew up in: a place where half-bloods and muggle-borns were treated like skum. That's what his parents taught him, so he ended up believing it without question. They are the ones to blame. I assure you that were you in his position you would have been exactly the same. And let's be real here for a second: he did take a great risk by not betraying the trio, by stopping Crabbe from cursing them and especially by not completing his mission, and in the end he redeemed himself. He wasn't a hero, but he was still a tragic character. He didn't deserve to suffer all that. He didn't deserve to be indoctrinated with idiotic ideas about "pure-blood supremacy". And in some instances in the movies you can even see how hard his father is on him. That means that if he tried to be a nice guy to muggle-borns and half-bloods he would be severely punished by his father, and sadly he had no one to show him the way to the light, no one to tell him what was right and what was wrong. He had no real friends and no one he could really open up to and tell what he was going through. The only two "friends" he ever had turned on him as soon as they saw his vulnerable conflicted side and decided it wasn't convenient to them to stand by his side. You still think he's all bad? I sure don't! Actually I feel really sorry for him. He was literally alone. I get where he's coming from. Long story short he didn't have a choice: he was bad because that's how he was taught to be, that's all he knew and unlike Harry he had no real friends to open his eyes to what's good and bad.
You can sympathize what a person goes through, but they are always responsible for what they do. Just following orders is never an excuse. Pain comes from desire and expectations. Know thyself and to thyself always be true.
You lost me at "poor little rich boy". Then you make some statements which aren't part of the story: - Draco did have his mother's soft heart. Nowhere in the books does Narcissa Malfoy have a soft heart. Nor in the movies. She was an elistest, selfish, cruel bigot and remained so from Book 1 to Book 7. Though she wasn't a Death Eater, Narcissa wholeheartedly belived in Voldement's ideologies and methods. She was even given a seat at the table. She simply loved her family; not all that impressive. "But she lied to Voldemort and saved Harry in the forest!" No. Narcissa lied not because it was the right thing to do, she lied ONLY because it served her purpose - return to the castle and get Draco. She even made a point to hurt Harry a little by digging her nails into his chest after asking him whether Draco was still alive. From The Deathly Hallows: "Still feigning death on the ground, [Harry] understood. Narcissa knew that the only way she would be permitted to enter Hogwarts, and find her son, was as part of the conquering army. She no longer cared whether Voldemort won." - It was only when things got complicated, with Voldemort's return, that we see Draco buckle as he battles his conscience. Draco buckled under the immense pressure of a do-or-die mission where he was set up for failure. He, like all the of-age Slytherin students, fought for Voldemort in the Battle of Hogwarts. (Side note: Slytherin house kind of disappeared after escaping from the dungeons in the movies, in the books they remained to fight along side Death Eaters.) - I believe Draco got dealt one of the worst hands in the series. (Good qualification.) Harry was dealt the worst hand in the series. His life situation was integral to the saga. It was also a major part of his character and influenced how he interacted with others and the magical world.
Draco was a racist little bugger and if his family and his life wasn’t threatened he would have been that way for the remainder if he was told to kill harry I doubt he would have flinched but he was to to kill dumbledore one of the most powerful wizards alive of course he was scared out of his mind it was a death sentence. Harry could have been a completely different person being raised by the Dursleys but he wasn’t Draco doesn’t just get off because of how his family was for another example maybe a better one look at Harry’s godfather from the noble house of black.
I’ve always felt that Draco was one of the most complicated characters in Harry Potter and dealt a very rough hand. Privilege can be a double edged sword and I think you’ve summed things up really well.
Privilege? Privilege of wealth? Wealth can be the root of all kinds of evil.
Better is a little with kindness and love than wealthy mansions with destruction. Privilege ? Or misfortune? He wasn't blessed like Harry Potter, Harry who had real genuine friends and people who care about him in Hogwarts.
Draco is actually a really good example of how societal pressure can make you into something you never want to be, and how painful the struggle must be for those caught in that trap.
I wouldn’t be surprised if many of the characters who went through the battle of Hogwarts, especially Draco and Harry, struggled with ptsd
So true
Yes, Draco most of all. Poor guy! 😢
Draco is a relatable character for a lot of kids and adults in rl who have gone through similar or the same thing. I can think of other characters in movies and on TV that are just like that, raised to be somebody that we hate but inside they’re just conflicted.
I really appreciated the way his character changes in the last two books, he's so vulnerable and it's finally revealed his true personality. Despite all the inconsistencies and some non-sense in the Cursed Child, I liked his character, the way he loves and misses his wife, the way he raises their son to be a better person
That idiotic book played Harry and Hermione so dirty, Cursed Child Ron is not worth mentioning.
I would say that you are right when it came to Draco, he goes through a lot and realizes he doesn’t like what he’s doing. His father on the other hand while he was raised to believe in the same things he taught his son the difference between the two is Lucius never realized he was wrong. If anything he benefited from the system and didn’t see a problem with it until Voldemort stopped liking him. Great video by the way.
it’s not that he never realised he was wrong, Lucius was doing what he saw as right and never considered Draco wouldn’t have the same opinions as him
One minor detail about Draco that says a lot:
His father’s wand core was dragon heart string and his wand core was unicorn hair.
Dragon heartstrings are easy to turn to the dark side.
Unicorn hair, not so much.
Draco having a unicorn hair wand always struck me as interesting. Like Ron, he was loyal - just not to the right people.
@@Jenifer_R_
He really wasn’t raised right.
@@brettlarch8050 True. A child has to be taught to hate.
Draco is actually a kind of tragic character. I think Tom Felton did an excellent job portraying Draco's inner struggles, especially in the later movies.
Draco was definitely a victim of his upbringing. There was verbal abuse from his dad & I always wondered if there was physical abuse too, or threats of it at least, because it was shown Lucius physically abused his servant Dobby & had a bad temper when things didn't go his way! Any time he wasn't the absolute best at what he was doing he made his dad angry that he wasn't being that example of what the pureblood superiority ideas said.
A moment I always notice in the 1st movie is when Draco offers his hand in friendship to Harry & says he'll show him who to associate with. When Harry refuses to shake his hand & rejects him, Draco has a flash of true hurt on his face. He doesn't understand how he could be rejected. I think that's a great bit of directing, having the actor do that. It shows there is another side to Draco right from the start. Even though the last couple books weren't written yet when filming of the 1st movie started, the director had a feeling that this kid raised racist & set up to be Harry's rival would at some point be faced with the truth about how bad pureblood ideals are & that he would in the end reject them. He felt there needed to be a human moment shown under that superior attitude.
I actually loved that we get to see the end result of his change in The Cursed Child.
Man, he really did have a rough life. I definitely have way more respect for Draco.
Me too
@@laevateintechnology5634 😊
I agree, he didn't had much choice, he needs some sympathy.
I think in the book Draco added "He'll kill my whole family". This is an important distinction that was omitted in the film. But HBP was the worst film, so we should be happy they even had Draco in the scene.
Draco and his mother both lied their asses off for Harry Potter because they knew it was the only way out. And even if Harry never did become his friend I'm reasonably certain he and Hermione did stick up for Draco after the battle of Hogwarts as a pivotal role Draco and his mother played in keeping Harry and the others alive during the worst days of The Wizarding War. They both lied straight to the Dark Lord's face. Draco was carrying his mother's wand by the time he arrived at the Battle of Hogwarts at all. Yet he gave this precious gift of protection from his mother, to Harry so that he could end the war. I kind of like how the movie depiction does it in this regard where Draco and his family run away as soon as that wand is in Harry's Hands. They have done all they can, they know that they cannot further influence the outcome of the battle and can only do what slytherins do best, save their own necks.
They trust that they understand the kind of person Harry is and that he will have the sense to figure out that they were protecting him the best they could. He would vouch for them and they would never see the inside of Azkaban (again).
The evil that Lucius had brought down on Ginny Weasley did not matter next to the sacrifices of Narcissa and Draco.
I don't believe Harry ever forgave Lucius Malfoy but for the sake of his wife and son did not want to see him imprisoned again either. The loss of reputation and wealth from his part in The Wizarding War and the fact that he had been to Azkaban was enough. Without his money Lucius Malfoy was nothing...
The one thing I actually like about that Abomination known as the cursed child, is the fact that showed Harry and Draco working together and not trying to keep their sons apart.
Even abominations like cursed child can do a couple of things right.
Of course Harry would never forgive Lucius because he was responsible for all Ginny's suffering at her first grade.
I suspect that thanks to Harry, Draco and Narcissa received full amnesty, Lucius in other hand received conditional freedom, with his movements being closely monitored.
It is interesting to me that so many of the Slytherin characters really seem to wrestle with the idea of “this is who society says I should be” vs “this is who I am” and I think Draco hits on that duality more than anyone else. I feel bad for him, that he was affected by generational attitudes and traumas and I’m glad that, like his aunt Andromeda, he was able to finally break free from that and that his descendants didn’t have to make the same choice as he did.
I usually try to avoid the Cursed Child when talking about the Harry Potter series, but there's one scene with Draco and Scorpius in the alternate timeline, which I feel is one of the most well written scenes of Draco Malfoy in the entire series. This is because all of his true motives and intentions were revealed, which included his love for Astoria and how brave it was to accept her appreciation of Muggles. Also, she was the light in Draco's life when the rest of his life was 'murky' and appreciates seeing those traits of her inside of Scorpius. There are several scenes throughout the series where you can see Draco's views shift, but I would argue this one scene shows the most on how Draco's early life was a lie (even in an alternate timeline where Voldemort won the battle).
I always felt like Draco's story was unfinished and not realized to its full potential. Like, 'the redemption arc' trope thing finished. The whole 2 seconds long deleted scene with him throwing wand to Potter? That was genius. Too bad it didn't make it into the movies.
Well, at least the fanon goes a long way in exploring his character where the author didn't deliver 😅
I always had similar thoughts regarding Draco, he was just a kid conditioned by his environment and when he was old enough to have a mind of his own he started questioning many things. His loyalty also wavered when he saw first hand what being a death eater meant and he was caught between a rock and a hard place. He did not experience as much abuse, he did not lose as many loved ones at a young age as Harry but he is a victim too in the end.
I agree. It's one of the reasons I like Lucious as well. He too had no choice about the path he walked. We see him too get gaunt and sickly as he's abused and mistreated by Voldemort in his own home. The entire Malfoy family is very tragic.
Is not our blood make us who we are. Is the relationship we choose to have and our choices make you.
I 100 % agree with you Dean. And I always loved Draco too, and even before I was reading the books I saw something inside of him, I wasn't fooled by the costume because I felt it wasn't who he is. He never had the chance to choose to be someone else until the HBP Book and also shown in the movie. I believe he was crying in the bathroom not only because of the immense pressure he was under, but also for nearly killing Katie Bell because he was forced too but never believed in it. Or when facing Dumbledore he lowered his wand. And when he "didn't recognize" the trio in the Malfoy manor, all of those are signs that Draco is not a killer nor really evil, he is just a victim of racist ideology and stand up as the man he was expected to be. I really thought he will end up with his high school sweetheart Pansy Parkinson. If he would have stayed with Pansy he wouldn't lose her for a blood curse. I felt great sadness for him when Astoria died.
Great one, Dean! I always thought so. Children and animals (especially dogs and cats) are not born hating; it is tought.
Hi I love your videos so much and poor Draco 😢
I know that many people think that Narcissa was a good person but we have to remember that she played a huge role in making Draco the person he was during his early Hogwarts years. She pampered and spoiled him and helped to convince him that he was the best thing ever. This contributed to his spoiled factor and while at Hogwarts she even sent him tons of sweets which further made him an entitled brat. Narcissa and Lucius deserve equal blame for making Draco what he was. A Full video on Narcissa can be found on my channel.
I agree.
I understand what do you mean but you can't blame Narcissa too blame her parents who raised her liked that so she would raise her son the same way
@@flowersandrainbows2839 Narcissa had a chance to be better just like Draco but sat idly by for years while Voldemort killed and tortured. She only stopped supporting Voldemort after he affected her family. Sirius, Andromeda, and Regulus still were able to see right from wrong despite being raised by that same family. Narcissa did not see right from wrong and would have continued supporting Voldemort until the end had he not punished Lucius and Draco.
@@lahavzaken6638 I agree with you but there is some points I want to say Narcissa had a chance yes but Voldemort fooled many people and told them he would make the wizarding world better place he promised many people with that and they trusted him she didn't knew his truth or his real face until he punished them she saw the real face of him so she stopped supporting him
Yes, I do believe his life was a lie. He was probably the least loyal Death Eater of all (even less so than Severus Snape)! He even discreetly saved Harry's life twice despite the grave danger of being caught doing so.
Yeah, you’re going to have to explain that. Absolutely no chance he ever directly saved Harry’s life, though Harry directly saved Draco’s life twice in the 7th book alone. The point is that Draco’s life was a lie, not that he was secretly a big hero.
@@samcotten2485 when harry was brought to malfoy manor ( in the books) granger shot him with a stinging curse that he was unrecognizable and lied about his name.
Draco was brought forward and he lied saying he was wasnt sure if it was. And since the malfoy family was far from the top they couldnt risk it to be erong.
@@liquidsleepgames3661 it was a noble act, but does anybody honestly believe that’s the only reason Harry survived?
@@liquidsleepgames3661 furthermore, Bellatrix kept the Malfoy’s from calling Voldemort to the scene. They were almost certain it was Harry regardless, so I doubt that Draco really made the difference.
@@samcotten2485 ugh… yeah, i mean how would they have gotten out of that situation if Draco had snitched?
There are so many Harry Potter channels that I love watching but I think that you really understand Draco as a character and you always explain him so well. He's always been one of my favorite characters so its always fun to watch your videos about him,
He was trying to please his dad in my opinion
That doesn’t change the fact that his father did a horrible job at parenting it really isn’t even Draco’s fault it’s his parents fault for not teaching him anything
I never gave Draco a second thought and your argument is compelling.
Rough life Draco..the more I watched this video I realized that they’re real life people like young Mr Malfoy..people walking around here trying so hard to constantly be like their parents and please them till it’s not even funny in my opinion..have courage(bravery)/sense to know that not only should u be yourself but please just one person..u
Draco was, in the long run, badly screwed over, with the insidious twist that he was taught to do some of the worst "screwing" to himself, without realizing that he was doing it. The result left him tainted as badly as he was traumatized, and he could never really be whole.
I love your voice on Harry Potter recaps and examination.
Draco reminded me of Zuko of Avatar, trying to succeed in an impossible task to restore his honor. And that task becomes more impossible because he doesn't have it in him to kill someone, and Draco already knew that deep down, that's why he was struggling too much through the whole school year.
Oh yeah. Imagine if he was on Harry’s side. Unmanipulated and free to think for himself. He’s still probably be in Slytherin but I like to believe he would have sided with Harry and fought against his own father.
Another great and detailed video!!
Great analysis!
Keep doing the hard work with Harry Potter! 😁
I agree 😊
They never worked together though-
Yes I agree with you 100%
He was so innocent and he has pure heart but his terrible attitude made people away from him and it's not his fault it's father's who raised him like that he needed true friends to help him to show him the right from wrong to support him instead of being lonely and he felt so lonely when he realized how everyone fooled him treated him as a subject or a doll to get what they want and throw him away he had never done anything for himself or spoken for himself or anything he had wished or wanted for himself only for his father to please him he never want any of it to happen he loved his family and it exhausts him and he wanted to have friends I understand him so well
Thank you for the video Dean, great as always!
Although Draco may have started out as a bully raised by pure-blood supremacists, it ultimately wasn’t in his nature to be a Death Eater that followed Voldemort’s orders without question.
I felt sorry for Draco it was not easy living I would love to see a Dracos side of Harry Potter films
His life was a lie because he never got to be who he was supposed to be. Dang that hit hard. So true!!!
Video idea: can the marauders map see people who have traveled back in time using a time turner
I truly enjoy the acting in that scene! Amazing
Glad I got here early!
This video has wonderful insight, Dean. Your videos help uplift my soul.
Well said. A very well thought out analysis.
I think Draco was, unfortunately, a slave to expectations. Everyone around him had certain expectations for him… i love Draco’s character. This video is great! 🫶🏻
I love your videos. Thank you for your work.
one thing i would have to say is that his father pretty much set him up to fail, not just in his beliefs but in his attitude. his father was pretty much a coward. he lied about being a voldemort supporter to save his own ass, he blackmailed and bribed people, he used a little girl to do damage to the school. his father is a typical high school bully, big and bad when him and his buddies are around but a simpering little worm when they're all alone. this mentality pushed onto draco meant that he would also use similar tactics, sneaking in cursed necklace by using imperious on someone and poisoning a wine bottle. these tactics are the acts of a coward, not someone who is willing to stand and fight. draco never stood a chance because his own father couldnt even stand up for what he believed in.
Definitely love your analysis of Lucius some bad behaviour that pushes to Draco after his era.
hey dean, we all love ya mate. awesome video and keep up the great work
I agree Draco had a rough hand dealt with him and that it was the same hand passed down from father to son for generations in the Malfoy line. While it is easy to dismiss all thoughts which came before Draco, it should be understood that this kind of brainwashing is tough to break free of, so yeah. At the same time, I, like many, do not excuse the actions of any of the Malfoys; I do have Sympathy enough to say the only one that can take 100% of the blame with no underlying sentiment is the Malfoy who started the Toxic Traditions in the first place.
Tom Felton made me like Draco Malfoy,understand his underlined sadness
Draco was the victim of his upbringing, as children we believe what we are taught and when we are very young we don’t Question it. Children even young people think what they have been taught is normal until your old enough to see that’s something isn’t normal and do something about it. He was nasty because his father was nasty to him despite his mum showing him love. But I believe before Voldemort’s return to power Narcissa forgot or failed to see how psychopathic and evil Voldemort was as due to her being Lucius’s wife and him being one of Voldemort’s 2nd in command she wasn’t on the receiving end of him. Am not saying Narcissa was nasty like her husband I don’t believe that but I do honestly think that the Malfoy‘s saw what they wanted to see and not Beyond that. And it wasn’t until when their son was being used and being taken advantage of by Voldemort that it brought it home to them and to Draco just how dangerous Voldemort was. So therefore when Draco was younger and wasn’t effected at school whatsoever by the actions of Voldemort, he was nasty and a bully just like his father because that was his normal but as soon as he realised that his family’s and Voldemort’s views were starting to effect him and the people around him that I believe he secretly admired even liked but He felt he couldn’t be open about it, including Harry Ron and Hermione because think about it by the time they were at his manner house he had seen and been forced to do so many things that deep down was not in his nature and he knew the Reality of Voldemort’s intentions. He also knew at that point it wasn’t normal what Voldemort was trying to do. So therefore he didn’t give them away and in the only way he could, he protected them by not giving them away.
I felt so bad for Draco I wanted him to be redeemed in the end tbh he was more like his mother, but he was trying so hard to be his father and it just wasn't working for him
It's not unlike in real life children in rich families are brought up in most elitest mindsets and ended up having massive identity crises when they are facing society.
This is going to sound off topic but it will make sense.
Have ever heard your parents ask you:
"If everyone you believe is your friend jumped of the Brooklyn Bridge, would you jump as well?"
The reason my parents asked was to prove two points. One was don't always trust people. Second, question the actions of others when they make harmful choices.
Narcissa and Draco both have these qualities. Even though they care about people in sketchy situations, they can think and realize "Wait a minute, this isn't safe/useful/good!" It's incredibly painful watching people you truly love be an idiot. But, you don't challenge them. Both Narcissa and Draco were struggling with this private battle making them more innocent than others would believe!!
Thank you, Dean for another great video!!
Thanks for the great content. When I read the Harry Potter books I never took notice of how each of characters had a melancholy life. Its totally reminiscent into the battle of daily life.
Draco was simply a mere product of his enviorment, which is to blame for most villains in both fiction and real life.
Always love your videos!! =] =] =]
Up until Riddle's return, Draco was happy to be a bully.
He had all the friends he could want, and his family was well off enough financially and socially that he never needed to fear any kind of retaliation or betrayal.
Draco, however, is intensely jealous of Harry Potter. Where Draco must constantly apply leverage and manipulation to keep his friends, Harry seems to attract friends like bees to a field of flowers.
At the end of book 4 is the turning point. Riddle's return.
Examine the change in Draco during Book 5 and especially Book 6.
With Riddle's return, Lucius would become a tyrant.
Up until this point, he would have barely cared if his wife and son were a bit soft-hearted. The entire wizarding world was besotted with protecting both half-bloods and muggleborns, so it could be explained away as "keeping cover" if Lucius himself retained an extreme dislike but "allowed" his wife and son more leeway. After Riddle's return, Lucius would have felt that he was under intense scrutiny for any weakness, and that scrutiny would extend to his wife and son. If weakness was found, Lucius knew that he and his family would be made to watch their lives crumble and beg for scraps from even the lowest Death Eaters.
Also, up to this point, Draco's family was mostly untouchable. Lucius has manipulated the events of Riddle's first defeat to place his family above question and in a position of leverage. With Riddle's return, that position evaporates as those that Lucius crossed turn to take revenge. Likewise, their children do much the same at Hogwarts, and Draco finds many of his "friends" turning away.
Draco saw Riddle's assignment as his opportunity to replace his father and reassert his family's lost dominance.
Draco KNEW that he was no match for Dumbledore, so he attempted to manipulate others into doing the job through subtle and, as we see, ineffective means.
When Draco is presented the opportunity to escape his predicament, his jealousy flares and he attacks Harry, rather than turn and ask for help.
Draco is a textbook case of someone who has a pathological NEED to be validated by others because they have been taught that self-validation is worthless.
And that, in and of itself, makes Draco one of the characters that I really enjoyed and kept cheering on to turn away from the darkness.
The last paragraph is really awesome I truly appreciate it.
Absolutely Spot On Dean. You Can See That Change in Draco as the Series Progresses. His UpBringing was Very Typical in Many Ways. We Are Not BORN To Hate... That's ALLWAYS, ALLWAYS a Learned Familial "Curse" if You Will. Draco Actually Became the Generational CurseBreaker of His Family.
Awesome video as always
I bet, if you’re really into it, you could use evanescence song “hello, “in a slideshow of Draco Malfoy‘s life. I think I understand what that song means now, according to this video. Thanks for sharing.
I will always hate Malfoy for being a bully to Neville, but I do feel sorry for him. He had an awful upbringing.
He could of if he had any thought what his parents were doing was wrong((As in he ever thought that)) If he was able to question things, he could of done something or at least be subtle about it and maybe tell the trio he's not as much as an asshole as they think he is. Its a weird thing about some bullies, act all tough but when big consequences come they are paralyzed and yeah Voldemort is super scary, no shit but most of us aren't acting like we're tough little shits. I have a hard time feeling bad for Draco cause of his actions. Yeah his parents failed him but it doesn't justify his actions sadly.
Its another reason to really appreciate your parents/guardian if they treat you the opposite way the Malfoy's handle their children.
At the end of it all it really felt that he had realized that the whole pureblood thing was just nonsense, clearly he didn't stretched out those views to his son if his son really developed a crush on a Weasly.
I agree. I fell bad for him.
Let us hope that Scorpius Malfoy did not inherit his mother's family Blood Curse and possibly pass that onto his future children.
so, basically generational trauma.
Draco in Books 1-5: *Arrogant and Cocky Arse*
Draco in Books 6-7: *Conflicted and Human Character*
This topic is the reason I actually like The Cursed Child. It continues Draco's story in a way, it fills in those details about him as we follow his son Scorpius' journey. JK never properly redeemed him, but then again, that also leaves more space to tell his tale. 🐍💚
This is amazing
No one is born a racist, it is taught by your parents/mentors/caretakers. He probably still felt he was superior, in himself but he realized he didn't like being bullied by Vorty. He didn't like that his parents were bullied either.
Can u please make a video of the royals of England and the wizard inc world?? I would LOVE to hear something about that
What does the British royal family have to do with any of this? Please don't mix reality with fiction. It just makes no sense.
Super early
Yes 👍 I believed Dracos life lol 😂 was a very lie!
He was living a lie
The actor is a good type of lie! Off camera, Tom Felton was good friends with the main cast!!
if avada kendavra was unblock able then could someone actually use the same spell to cancel it out or block it?
Do you mean if they're cast at the same time? Then no. If the killing curse is unblockable the spells would pass through the other resulting in the deaths of both duelists.
So is Draco’s mom good or bad?
Draco I thought, was a little prick!
why didn't someone use avada kedavra on voldemort surely someone in the order of the phoenix would be willing to do that deed and if someone used it on him when he had horcrux's what would happen?
That's already explained in the books. His own killing curse rebouned upon him in the first book. His body was destroyed but the remaining part of his soul existed as a spirit and took refuge in Albania. After a decade he possessed Quirinus Quirrell and set out to return physically. That failed and Peter Pettigrew fashioned Voldemort a rudimentary body (the child) as a vessel. Then Peter helped the Dark Lord come back fully with another potion and ritual - bone of father, flesh of servent, blood of enemy.
The horcruxes bind him to the mortal realm. Whenever he is killed, however he is killed, Lord Voldement would eventually find a way back.
Alright, I feel like people here are just making excuses to redeem Draco more. Draco was raised a certain way, but he still followed it. He still listened and made the choice to listen even as he got older. It wasn’t until his life was on the line that he wanted to stop. That’s not noble. That’s not heroic. He grew up like a normal human being should, but let’s not act like he was a saint.
Also, you have a choice to behave a certain way. Harry was beaten and abused for years, and he didn’t become the bully his cousin was. Nor did he become like his aunt and uncle. Being raised a certain way is one thing. But being weak enough to follow suit for years and years is not some heroic deed.
And since when did Narcissa have a soft side? She still believed in the pure blood ways after it all. She still wanted Scorpius to be raised a pure blood bigot. She stood by while Hermione was tortured by her sister, not because of fear, but because she was ok with it. I’m the book, it literally says she lied for Harry because she needed Voldemort to March into the castle so she could get Draco. She was self serving, arrogant pureblood supremacist till the day she died.
In the end, I think Draco’s story ended right. He realized he made some mistakes, but he also knows he will never erase the things he did. He wasn’t a hero. He was a well written character, with a good story, but I can’t stand all these comments acting like he is the next coming of Jesus Christ and deserved better.
Look, no one said he's the next coming of Jesus Christ. It's true that he was a bully, but that's all he knew. That's the environment he grew up in: a place where half-bloods and muggle-borns were treated like skum. That's what his parents taught him, so he ended up believing it without question. They are the ones to blame. I assure you that were you in his position you would have been exactly the same. And let's be real here for a second: he did take a great risk by not betraying the trio, by stopping Crabbe from cursing them and especially by not completing his mission, and in the end he redeemed himself. He wasn't a hero, but he was still a tragic character. He didn't deserve to suffer all that. He didn't deserve to be indoctrinated with idiotic ideas about "pure-blood supremacy". And in some instances in the movies you can even see how hard his father is on him. That means that if he tried to be a nice guy to muggle-borns and half-bloods he would be severely punished by his father, and sadly he had no one to show him the way to the light, no one to tell him what was right and what was wrong. He had no real friends and no one he could really open up to and tell what he was going through. The only two "friends" he ever had turned on him as soon as they saw his vulnerable conflicted side and decided it wasn't convenient to them to stand by his side. You still think he's all bad? I sure don't! Actually I feel really sorry for him. He was literally alone. I get where he's coming from. Long story short he didn't have a choice: he was bad because that's how he was taught to be, that's all he knew and unlike Harry he had no real friends to open his eyes to what's good and bad.
Okay, the video itself don't deserve the thumbs down, just Draco Malfoy.
And oh...the movie...that hug. Ew.
Leis
He was cake, then. Ok
You can sympathize what a person goes through, but they are always responsible for what they do. Just following orders is never an excuse. Pain comes from desire and expectations. Know thyself and to thyself always be true.
I'm sure it's true, but I still don't like him
You lost me at "poor little rich boy". Then you make some statements which aren't part of the story:
- Draco did have his mother's soft heart.
Nowhere in the books does Narcissa Malfoy have a soft heart. Nor in the movies. She was an elistest, selfish, cruel bigot and remained so from Book 1 to Book 7. Though she wasn't a Death Eater, Narcissa wholeheartedly belived in Voldement's ideologies and methods. She was even given a seat at the table. She simply loved her family; not all that impressive. "But she lied to Voldemort and saved Harry in the forest!" No. Narcissa lied not because it was the right thing to do, she lied ONLY because it served her purpose - return to the castle and get Draco. She even made a point to hurt Harry a little by digging her nails into his chest after asking him whether Draco was still alive.
From The Deathly Hallows: "Still feigning death on the ground, [Harry] understood. Narcissa knew that the only way she would be permitted to enter Hogwarts, and find her son, was as part of the conquering army. She no longer cared whether Voldemort won."
- It was only when things got complicated, with Voldemort's return, that we see Draco buckle as he battles his conscience.
Draco buckled under the immense pressure of a do-or-die mission where he was set up for failure. He, like all the of-age Slytherin students, fought for Voldemort in the Battle of Hogwarts. (Side note: Slytherin house kind of disappeared after escaping from the dungeons in the movies, in the books they remained to fight along side Death Eaters.)
- I believe Draco got dealt one of the worst hands in the series. (Good qualification.)
Harry was dealt the worst hand in the series. His life situation was integral to the saga. It was also a major part of his character and influenced how he interacted with others and the magical world.
I'm writing a story very similar except it's based in America not England
I don't feel bad for him really.
Draco was a racist little bugger and if his family and his life wasn’t threatened he would have been that way for the remainder if he was told to kill harry I doubt he would have flinched but he was to to kill dumbledore one of the most powerful wizards alive of course he was scared out of his mind it was a death sentence. Harry could have been a completely different person being raised by the Dursleys but he wasn’t Draco doesn’t just get off because of how his family was for another example maybe a better one look at Harry’s godfather from the noble house of black.