While the Fantastic Beasts movies, including the recent Secrets of Dumbledore, have received mixed reviews regarding the plot, the series has introduced several characters who have become fast favorites among audiences. Newt Scamander is difficult not to love, and comic relief characters like Jacob Kowalski have also garnered praise.
Jacob's funny quotes are likely so popular because they are reminiscent of comical Harry Potter characters like Fred and George Weasley. In both the books and the movies, the twins were often there to put a lighthearted spin on the everyday dark situations at Hogwarts. Still, these two were far from perfect. Despite the fondness that fans on Reddit felt for the Weasley twins, they noticed that the pair were still due some fair criticism.
Fred And George Were Bad Brothers
Fred and George enjoy teasing anyone, but one Weasley siblings in Harry Potter. "They tormented their brother," they said, referring to how the pair had treated Ron over the years.
Lost in a sea of siblings, Ron had a difficult time standing out. He longed to prove himself, but Fred and George seemed determined to push him down around at every turn. A prime example is Ron's story about how Fred once turned his teddy bear into a spider, officially establishing the younger brother's life-long fear.
Fred And George Act Overly Superior
The twins and Hermione frequently find themselves at odds throughout the Harry Potter series. This is primarily due to the star student's struggles to understand Fred and George's lack of care for academics and her tendency to look down on them for it.
However, Redditor Pet_genius noticed that the Weasley twins validated their ambitions by looking down on people like Hermione and Percy, who aspired for traditional success. "They are very pleased in their own little superior world," this Redditor said, pointing out their difficulty in seeing outside of it.
Fred And George Lack Tact
As a family, the Weasleys are known to speak their mind. Ron is frequently lectured for being uncouth, and even Ginny proves that she has the forcefulness of all her siblings combined. But Fred and George take the cake for being the least tactful in the family, making them unpopular with some Harry Potter fans on Reddit.
When their friends or family are going through a hard time, they will try to lighten the mood with some jokes. Unfortunately, these are often in poor taste. An example given by Redditor NinjaMilez is when they go "the wrong way about cheering [Ginny] up" after her classmate becomes petrified. They jumped out at her from behind statues, pretending to be Slytherin's monster— definitely not the way to settle nerves.
Fred And George Don't Consider What People Will Do With Their Products
Fred and George proved they had an aptitude for inventing joke products, many of which Harry found useful. However, once they start mass producing these items in their store, they seem to lose sight of the dangerous ways their wares could be used.
Redditor Prewarpotato gave the powerful "love potions" as an example, which have the potential to put unsuspecting individuals into romances that they never consented to (like with Ron and Romilda Vane). Another example is the Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder, which Malfoy used to sneak Death Eaters into Hogwarts.
Fred And George's Pranks Were Dangerous
The phrase, "all fun and games until someone gets hurt," does not seem to apply to Fred and George. The duo is frequently seen taking part in pranks and mischief at Hogwarts, with little to no regard about who might become injured in the process.
Redditor Prewarpotato pointed out that the twins "nearly [killed] Montague," a Slytherin student whom they locked in a Vanishing Cabinet. The boy ended up stuck in the cabinet for several days and certainly could have died. But Fred and George only laughed it off and never drew attention to the fact that the boy was still missing days later.
Fed And George Are Overly Competitive
The rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin in Harry Potter has been going on since the first falling out between the original Hogwarts founders. The prideful nature of each house is similar, but with such different ideas of the acceptable means to an end, the students from these houses can rarely hope to get along.
This rivalry can easily be seen in the actions of Fred and George, whose competitiveness often causes them to act out. They boo at newly sorted Slytherins (even though these first years are just frightened children) and can be counted on to gain fouls in every Quidditch match against the rival house. "It doesn't make them bad people," said one Reddit , but it certainly presents cause for concern.
Fred And George Get Away With A Lot Just For Being Funny
In Philosopher's Stone, Harry quickly becomes unpopular when he and his friends lose Gryffindor 150 points overnight. While their classmates' wrath was understandable, Ron noted that Fred and George constantly lost Gryffindor points, but since they were funny, no one ever got mad at them.
This is why one Redditor couldn't help but feel that the Weasley twins "[get] away with a lot," all because they are funny. It's similar to James Potter's popularity for being a Quidditch star, despite being a bully. It doesn't matter how many points they lose or who gets hurt; Fred and George are loved by all— even most teachers.
Fred And George Don't Know When To Stop
Comedy is subjective, and not everyone is likely to find Fred and George funny. Redditor Curseofablacklion believes that the twins' humor is "for 10-year-olds" and that even when they are funny, they "don't know when they should stop."
While other Redditors might not have agreed about the quality of the twins' jokes, they had to it that the boys frequently cross limits. Even Harry would sometimes find himself tired of the teasing, such as in Chamber of Secrets when they would shout for everyone to "make way" for the Heir of Slytherin. It had stopped being funny to him, but Harry Potter by the fact that they just don't care.
Fred And George Were Inconsiderate Of Mrs. Weasley
Molly Weasley's many children cannot always be expected to get along, especially considering their various differences. This was the case with Fred, George, and Percy, whose clashing personalities always resulted in discord.
This is a frustration for Molly, but it grows even worse when Percy becomes estranged from the family. Redditor Much_Machingham felt that the twins were "relentlessly cruel" about Percy without considering how their comments would hurt their mother. On Christmas in Half-Blood Prince, they even ruined their mother's joy at Percy turning up for dinner by splattering him with mashed parsnip. The older brother stormed out, leaving Mrs. Weasley crying for days.
Fred And George Were Bullies
The Harry Potter movies saw Fred and George standing up for first-year students, but they did no such thing in the books. Ultimately, between the dangerous pranks and unkind words, it's hard to deny that they were a little cruel.
Sure, the Weasley twins didn't relish hurting the weak or take an interest in Dark magic, but Redditor InquisitorCOC says they "definitely qualify as bullies." They seem more or less oblivious to the long-term effects of their pranks, but they are still violent nonetheless.
