Books

7 Reasons Hermione Is The Best Character Ever

by Amy Sachs

There's really no shortage of reasons to love Hermione Granger. She's smart, endlessly brave, and sassy when you least expect her to be. If you're a Harry Potter fan, you probably already know beyond any doubt that Hermione is one of the best fictional characters of all time. This was true even before we knew Emma Watson would become a living embodiment of everything her character stood for. This was before the movies and the end of the series and our collective childhoods.

From the moment she entered Harry and Ron's carriage on the Hogwarts Express on that fateful first day at King's Cross, Hermione changed the Harry Potter series for the better from the very beginning.

If you ask most die-hard Harry Potter fans for their favorite character, they are probably torn initially, but most people tend to pick Hermione. Even over Harry Potter himself, the basis of the series, Hermione is the favorite. BuzzFeed actually held a poll about this at the beginning of the summer, and Hermione came out on top by a landslide.

For anyone still left on the fence, here are seven reasons why Hermione Granger is hands-down the best female character of all time.

She Was The Most Loyal Friend You Could Ask For

Hermione was there for Harry when Ron walked away in Deathly Hallows. She was there for both of them when they got in that terrible fight in Goblet of Fire. She was ready with her knowledge, girl power, and detail oriented brain to defend them all, no matter the situation that arose. After all, "Books! And Cleverness! There are more important things! Friendship, and bravery!" She had her priorities in order all along.

She Was Never Afraid To Speak Her Mind

Even if what she was saying got her made fun of, or people thought she was strange, Hermione always said what she thought. She was first to raise her hand in class, knows that it's Levi-OH-sa, and was quick to (lovingly) reprimand Harry and Ron for their lack of reading.

She Always Stood Up For Herself

Whether she was punching Malfoy in the nose or explaining that she was a Mudblood and proud of it, thank you very much, Hermione didn't let anyone push her around. She didn't even let time itself get in her way. The message was clear from the beginning: Don't mess with Hermione Granger.

She Was The Brightest Witch Of Her Age

Enough said.

She Was A Feminist

With someone like J.K. Rowling behind her, how could she not be? She was the perfect example of the age old "girls can do anything boys can do" saying, and often did them better than anyone.

She Was An Amazing Activist

Hermione couldn't bear to let Buckbeak die in Prisoner of Azkaban, she started S.P.E.W. for the benefit of magical creatures, and even though there's that small detail of letting Rita Skeeter live as a beetle in a jar for a while, Hermione was always looking out for the best interest of the people and creatures around her.

She Was A Bookworm

Hermione was constantly in the library, and always eager to learn something new. She came to Hogwarts already having read most of the First Year textbooks. She's nothing if not well-read, and as fellow bookworms ourselves, we loved that about her.

Image: Warner Bros.; Giphy (7)