There’s a moment in Half Blood Prince when Ron and Harry, standing in the hallways of Hogwarts, enjoy the chaos caused by a teeming mass of young witches and wizards. This isn’t as significant a moment as Ron sacrificing himself in a game of wizard-chess or Harry saving Ron with a bezoar. This is rather a delicate moment that captures the shared joy and innocence of growing up. If it wasn’t for McGonagall ensuring that the two attend Slughorn’s potions class, we could have seen the two loiter the day away deriving pleasure from the surrounding chaos. After all, isn’t their friendship their biggest weapon against the surrounding chaos caused by Voldemort at the end of each story?
This moment captures the essence of what I think is the greatest friendship in cinematic history. Firstly, they are confined in British boarding schools. Secondly, we see them grow up over the course of eight epic movies, right from when they met on Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters to the concluding Battle of Hogwarts. Thirdly, and most importantly, they share the burden and the subsequent traumas caused by their fight against the dark lord. The proximity, intense attachment, unbreakable trust, and magnitude of shared experiences – all combine to give rise to the most compelling and meaningful relationship in the series.
This is not to discount the relationships the two share with the third member of the golden trio – Hermione; if anything, she only adds to the dynamic and enriches the bond shared by Ron and Harry. She is often the sensible, rational one in the trio; it is only with her that they become a formidable unit as she adds the most intelligent and disciplined perspective in the trio. The only reason the duo feels slightly more special is because they met first. It is in her absence that we see the silliest moments the two share – like entering transfigurations class late while mocking McGonagall or nearly blowing up their tent after Ron returns to kill a horcrux. This enhances the friendship with humor and lightheartedness, which is underrated in any friendship, especially one on-screen.
The most underrated aspect of their friendship, however, is that despite Harry’s position as the ‘chosen one’ in the fantasy world, he never looks like the alpha in the duo. Unlike Circuit to Munna or Robin to Batman, Ron never feels like just a sidekick. Despite the story being told from Harry’s perspective, Ron gets several significant storylines dedicated to him and has his character arc clearly defined. Moreover, Ron is never submissive to Harry in their friendship, despite the latter’s powers or higher popularity. Ron is just as likely to do or sacrifice something for Harry as Harry is for Ron. This gives them equal footing in their dynamic, making it unique and reducing the possibility of conflict – which makes sense because they only fight twice in the entire series despite the tremendous turmoil they suffer on their journey.
Above all, what could be a better exemplification of their bond than when Harry must rescue Ron for the second Triwizard task. That Ron is the person most valuable to Harry also reveals just how alone Harry is without his friends. We also know this from Harry’s reflection of his parents in the Mirror of Erised, which shows us “nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts”. While Harry lost his parents and lived with his abrasive cousin, Ron grew up with a large, kind-hearted family. Ron therefore represents everything Harry missed growing up. In some way, he helps fulfill the deepest psychological void in Harry’s life. Ron completes Harry, just as Harry completes Ron, as they grow and evolve over the course of eight movies.