Our Favorite Characters From The Fantastic Beasts Movies

Get Tickets FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE opens April 15th
Just like the HARRY POTTER movies did more than a decade ago, the FANTASTIC BEASTS film franchise has given movie lovers some of the most interesting, complicated, and enchanting characters the Wizarding World has ever seen. From heroic leads like Newt Scamander to the complicated Leta Lestrange, and more than a dozen other memorable wizards, witches, and even muggles, there are plenty to choose from when coming up with your favorites.
With FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE set to be released Friday, April 15 in AMC Theatres nationwide, we felt now would be an absolutely brilliant time to break down some of our favorites thus far as well as a few we hope will shine in the franchise’s third installment. Let’s dive in...
Newt Scamander
Newt Scamander, played by Eddie Redmayne, serves as the audience’s eyes and ears as we experience the early 20th-century Wizarding World, a world we had only read about or seen brief glimpses of in the various HARRY POTTER movies. Starting with FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM, we spend a considerable amount of time with the kind-hearted yet socially awkward magizoologist as he goes from a quirky wizard embarking upon an extended trip to document all sorts of magical creatures to one of the most heroic characters in the franchise.
Whether it’s his boyish charm, inquisitive nature, or rich understanding of the fantastic beasts under his care, there is a lot to admire about Newt, but perhaps his best quality is optimism, which has no limits, even when facing off with someone as powerful and diabolical as Gellert Grindelwald.
Porpentina ‘Tina’ Goldstein
One of the most dynamic characters in the FANTASTIC BEASTS movies, Porpentina “Tina” Goldstein, portrayed by Katherine Wasterston, goes from a rather by-the-books witch working with the Magical Congress of the United States (MACUSA) whose life is forever changed upon encountering Newt Scamander. Over the course of the first two movies, this slow transformation is pulled off effectively and leads to some of the most poignant moments of the franchise.
Though initially reluctant to assist Newt in his journey, Tina becomes perhaps his most trusted ally as the pair take on Gellert Grindelwald in his various forms while also preventing disaster from falling upon both the Wizarding and human worlds on multiple occasions.
Jacob Kowalski
Jacob Kowalski, Newt Scamander’s muggle sidekick, played by Dan Fogler, is without a doubt the funniest character featured in the FANTASTIC BEASTS movies, whether he’s falling in love with Queenie Goldstein, making mouth-watering baked goods, or diving headfirst into a dangerous world in which he is severely outmatched by everyone and everything he encounters.
Despite this, Jacob never sees himself as anything less than capable of handling these situations and brings with him humor, optimism, and a fighting spirit. This optimism and hope are also what make the character such a treat and it’s impossible to not get excited whenever he, or his delectable baked goods, show up on the screen.
Leta Lestrange
Leta Lestrange, portrayed by Zoë Kravitz, is one of the most complicated and damaged characters in FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD, but also one you can’t help but love. The former classmate and love interest of Newt Scamander during their days at Hogwarts is at the center of one the movie’s key mysteries: the true identity of the powerful and dangerous Credence Barebone, which amounts to a discovery that adds a great deal of emotional weight to the story.
You also can’t help but become overwhelmed with sorrow for Leta and the way in which her life plays out, both in the current day story of the movie and the various flashbacks from her early childhood. Heartbreaking isn’t a strong enough word to describe her arc.
Minerva McGonagall
In addition to characters introduced or further fleshed out in the FANTASTIC BEASTS movies, several fan-favorites from the HARRY POTTER movies have also made appearances so far. And at the top of that list of beloved characters is Minerva McGonagall, the head of Gryffindor House and member of the Order of the Phoenix portrayed by Maggie Smith all those years ago.
Played by Fiona Glascott in FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD, Professor McGonagall looks to have a larger role in the franchise’s upcoming third installment, as seen in the trailer where she brings some news to Albus Dumbledore. A more detailed look at the character’s past is something all of us should be excited to explore.
Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen)
Gellert Grindelwald has already been portrayed by two different actors — Colin Farrell and Johnny Depp — at this point, but the portrayal of warmongering wizard by Mads Mikkelsen in FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE is something that we are just all too excited about, especially with the way the character appears in the various trailers.
The Wizarding World has seen its fair share of iconic villains over the years, ranging from ones you can’t help but love like Lord Voldemort and ones who just can’t hate enough like Dolores Umbridge. Grindelwald falls somewhere in the middle, and the more we learn about the character the more interesting he becomes. Sure, he’s a mad wizard hellbent on destroying muggles and anyone who gets in his way, but he looks so good doing it.
Aberforth Dumbledore
Aberforth Dumbledore proved to be an indispensable ally of Harry Potter and the students of Hogwarts during the Second Wizarding War, but the brother of Albus Dumbledore has failed to show up in the FANTASTIC BEASTS movies, until now anyway. Judging by the trailers for THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE, the estranged brother of the Hogwarts headmaster will have a consequential role in the latest installment, in which he is portrayed by Richard Coyle.
To see the brothers side-by-side in what looks to be a life-and-death situation against Gellert Grindelwald makes the upcoming wizarding film seem all the more exciting, especially if some long-buried truths rise to the surface like a phoenix in fire.
We will get a look at these fan-favorite characters and many others like Queenie Goldstein and Newt Scamader’s various magical creatures when FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE opens at AMC Theatres nationwide.
Get Tickets FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE opens April 15th