Harry Potter star Tom Felton shares his thoughts on Draco Malfoy’s redemption. Felton’s character has long been one of the franchise’s most divisive figures. While Draco is often cruel to Harry and fond of going after “the little guy,” Draco’s parents are Death Eaters who force their evil ideologies onto him from a young age. As such, some fans have had sympathy for him since the early days of the franchise. With a new generation discovering Harry Potter and older fans often revisiting it, Draco and other seemingly villainous characters are constantly being reevaluated.
Speaking with Us Weekly, Felton reflected on Draco’s legacy and how his character has been viewed in a new light in recent years. He spoke about how the Harry Potter franchise has “so many different subtle arcs now that are being discovered“ by fans. Felton said:
As Felton points out, Draco didn’t have the easiest upbringing, which certainly contributes to his awful behavior toward Harry and his classmates. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that Harry also faced plenty of bullying growing up. The only difference is that it came from his cousin, aunt, and uncle, rather than his parents, like Draco. Despite their comparatively similar childhoods in that regard, as Felton notes, Harry still grew up to be a hero while Draco instead chose cruelty to others.
As Felton points out, Draco is far from a hero by the end of the franchise, but it’s fair to read him as an anti-hero rather than an outright villain. Particularly when looking at the events of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, it’s clear that Draco is often operating out of fear rather than outright malice. And by the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, it’s obvious the Malfoys genuinely care about each other and are unwilling to put Voldemort’s quest for power ahead of their family’s safety.
In the years since the final Harry Potter film was released, anti-heroes have become more popular than ever thanks to shows like Mad Men and Breaking Bad. While those sorts of stories make it clear that the main characters are capable of incredibly evil acts, they also explore what led them to that place, increasing audience empathy as a result. Through this lens, it makes sense that some are taking another look at Draco Malfoy.
Source: Us Weekly