An Original Harry Potter Villain Just Became Way More Important to Millions of People

In what seems extremely bizarre, one of Harry Potter’s original villains has become an important icon to millions of people. There were several villains throughout the Harry Potter franchise. Of course, the main villain was Lord Voldemort, whom Harry was fated to defeat in a final battle at the end of the story. However, along the way, there were also deadly villains such as Bellatrix Lestrange, Dolores Umbridge, Barty Crouch Jr., and Fenrir Greyback. These villains almost all appeared later in the series. In the first movie, Harry had two seeming antagonists: his cruel professor, Severus Snape, and his childhood bully, Draco Malfoy.

It was Harry Potter’s first-ever villain, Draco Malfoy, who received a distinctive honor in China. CNN reports that Draco is the face of the New Year for China. The reasoning is literal, but the fact that China is using Draco’s face (Tom Felton as a child from the first Harry Potter movies) seems strange. “Malfoy” is transliterated as “Ma Er Fu” in Mandarin. The first word, “Ma,” means “horse,” and the third refers to “good fortune.” This means “Malfoy” could be used to mean “horses bringing good luck.”

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The idea is that Chinese homes are putting up posters with well-wishing phrases, and as the Year of the Horse, many are using a young Tom Felton’s face, which represents “Malfoy.” The Year of the Horse starts on February 17, and with it comes Draco Malfoy’s face. However, what is ironic is that he would have been a better fit last year, since that was the Year of the Snake. Draco was a member of Slytherin, which is represented by a snake. However, this honor is just based on the sound of his name and doesn’t have anything to do with his character’s actions.

Of course, China knows about the Harry Potter franchise, as it was a massive hit in that country just like it was in the United States. Before Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was released in China, the country had sold almost 10 million translated copies of the J.K. Rowling books. While Harry Potter movies made $2.89 billion at the box office domestically, they made another $6.69 billion in other countries. Before its return to Chinese theaters in 2024, the franchise had made 1.26 billion yuan ($178 million) from the Chinese mainland.

Tom Felton remains connected to the Harry Potter franchise as well, as he has returned to the role of Draco Malfoy for the stage show Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Felton starred in the Broadway show from November 11, 2025, through May 10, 2026. This was his Broadway debut. Felton’s thoughts on the Chinese honor remain unknown. CNN reported that he posted a photo of the banner on his Instagram, but that photo is no longer showing on his account. There are also reports of merchants selling stickers and magnets with Draco Malfoy on them, which raises questions concerning copyright issues.

Draco Malfoy will also return in the upcoming Harry Potter television series on HBO Max. Interestingly, there will be several scenes with Draco Malfoy at home in Season 1 of the upcoming series, which is a huge difference from what the movies showed. Young actor Lox Pratt, who next appears in the BBC adaptation of Lord of the Flies, plays Draco in the Harry Potter remake.

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