Sirius Black was an absolutely wild, devil may care kind of guy. He did what he wanted when he wanted to, and he attempted things and succeeded at things that the vast majority of witches and wizards in the world wouldn’t even conceive of. He was the very first wizard to break out of Azkaban prison, for god’s sake. He truly earned the name Marauder, and it’s hard to imagine anyone being bolder or brasher than he was.
However, there honestly were quite a few characters in the Harry Potterseries that actually were more reckless and wild than Sirius Black was. He’s a tough guy to beat, but extreme circumstances bring out extreme behaviors in people, and the wizarding war made a lot of people act in ways that they probably never imagined they could. They all took risks in different ways, but here are 10 characters in Harry Potter who were even more reckless than Sirius Black.
Albus Dumbledore
Although Albus Dumbledore is undoubtedly an extremely intelligent man, it isn’t acknowledged enough that pure dumb luck helped him out more often than not when it came to his insane ideas.
Dumbledore does have a deep understanding of the reality that you can’t make an omelet without cracking some eggs, and he proved himself as more than willing to risk his life or the lives of others for the greater good. But often times his risks had just as much of a chance at failing as they did at succeeding, and risking the entire wizarding world on a maybe was insanely reckless.
Rubeus Hagrid
In fairness to Hagrid, he is really someone who only knowingly risked his own behind. Although often times his decisions and behaviors did put a ton of people at risk, he never made those decisions with the intention or understanding of how much danger he was potentially putting other people in.
It’s sort of in Hagrid’s nature to do very dangerous and reckless things, but it’s not because he’s some untamed wild child, it’s because of his unwavering faith in all things good in this world. He’s not hatching dragons and smuggling Hippogriffs out of the castle because he wants to put people in danger, but because he genuinely believes there is no danger.
Seamus Finnigan
Despite the fact that Seamus Finnigan is one of the more minor characters in the Harry Potter film and book series, he doesn’t get nearly the credit he’s due for being such an insanely bold and reckless boy.
Yes, he’s not running around fighting Voldemort and his cronies like the golden trio is, but frankly if any normal human being did something where they regularly blew themselves or other people and things up, they would probably stop doing it. Not Seamus though. No matter time he burnt half of his face off, he got up again the next day and did it all over.
Ron Weasley
Ron’s insecurities when it comes to being the best friend of the boy who lived and the brightest witch of her age are painfully clear, but he should really give himself a break sometimes. He doesn’t have all of the qualities that Harry and Hermione have, but one thing that does set him apart from the crowd is his insane lack of fear when it comes to risking his life for his friends.
Harry just wants to beat Voldemort, Hermione likes to play things safe, but Ron is typically the one who is encouraging his friends to be more daring or who is just being more daring himself.
Harry Potter
It’s no surprise that Sirius Black treated his godson more like his new best friend, because frankly there is a lot about Harry’s natural disposition that Sirius would adore and admire. Sirius is definitely a risk taker, but Harry takes daring behavior and recklessness to an entire new level.
Yes, Harry really has no choice when it comes to fighting Voldemort, but the fact that a tweenage and teenage boy is so ready and willing to go to war with the most powerful dark wizard who ever lived just goes to show how bold and brave Harry Potter truly is.
Peter Pettigrew
Peter Pettigrew is notoriously one of the most craven and cowardly wizards who ever lived, and that reputation was well earned. But he actually does have some Marauder spirit in him after all, and a lot of the things that he’s done are actually insanely ballsy when you think about it.
Defecting to Lord Voldemort obviously had it’s benefits for Peter, but pulling that switch was something that a lot of people would have been scared to do. Plus, faking his death, maiming himself, and transforming into a rat to hide in plain sight for years? It’s definitely a bold move.
Bellatrix Lestrange
There’s a cruel kind of irony in the fact that the cousin who killed him is actually even more reckless than he is, but it’s hard to deny that Bellatrix Lestrange is even more wild and hard to control than Sirius Black is.
Sirius is someone who is reckless by choice, but he likes to push the boundaries that he acknowledges exist, and that he ultimately does live inside of. Bellatrix, on the other hand, has no boundaries. She spits on the limits that other people enforce on themselves, and she is purely driven by her own impulses and manic, cruel joy.
Regulus Black
Sirius Black never even knew it, but the little brother that he loathed was actually bolder and more daring than he was. No one would have ever suspected it, because Regulus was such an enthusiastic participant in all of the worst Black family traditions. However when things got real, Regulus did what almost no person in the world would have been capable of.
He realized he was wrong, decided to change, and did everything in his power to undo whatever horrors he had inflicted on the world. Sirius stood up against Lord Voldemort from afar, but Regulus stood up against him when he had been standing with him.
Dobby
Sweet, angelic little Dobby. House elves are always overlooked, their position in wizarding society is designed that way, but Dobby managed to buck every tradition and expectation that was placed on house elves and distinguish himself as one of the boldest and bravest creatures who ever lived.
From the start Dobby was wild, he sneaked away from his masters and messed with Harry Potter in his efforts to save him, and once Dobby became a free elf he did things that most humans wouldn’t even dare think of. Dobby lived and died a hero, because he never let himself be limited by the limitations others put on him.
Voldemort
So many things about Lord Voldemort are completely paradoxical, so it’s easy to overlook that he truly was one reckless lunatic. Yes, everything he did seemed to be purely driven by the fear of death, however let’s not forget that ripping your soul into seven pieces is absolutely insane.
It’s unlikely that any wizard had ever even attempted it before, and almost every wizard would be too terrified to do it even once. Even aside from that, Voldemort not only wanted to rule the wizarding world, but he was one of the very few who actually had the stones to make a play for it.
