All 7 Harry Potter Books Ranked by Importance

Back in 2012, David Cameron, the Prime Minister of Britain at the time, declared May 2nd as International Harry Potter Day, picked because it’s the day Harry Potter kills Voldemort at the end of the book series. This year marks the 18th year since the release of the final book of the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Today, the series remains popular, especially with fans who grew up reading the books. Of course, in the past few years, its fame has taken a massive hit since JK Rowling, the author of the series, has revealed opinions considered problematic by many. That said, it’s hard to not take note of the cultural importance of the series. Not all of the books were created equally, though, and some of them are more relevant and important to the overarching plot than others. Below is a list of each of the books, ranked by order of their importance to the plot:

7) The Chamber of Secrets

While The Chamber of Secrets builds on the mysteries and themes introduced in the first book, it has low importance plot-wise. Of course, readers don’t initially know that this is where they first encounter a Horcrux in the form of Tom Riddle’s diary. That aside, it doesn’t have much else going on that has a lot of impact on the overall story. Despite that, it does make for an enjoyable read. The entire mystery regarding the basilisk is as terrifying as it is fascinating. We see Hermione’s brilliant brain at work as she strives to solve the mystery behind the attacks.

6) The Philosopher’s Stone

Known as The Sorcerer’s Stone stateside, this is the foundational book and, thus, important when it comes to introducing the basic plot and the main characters. It is when readers begin slowly learning about the wizarding world and, perhaps more importantly, Hogwarts. Along with Harry, we learn how the magic system works in this universe. We meet some of the central figures, from Ron, Hermione, and Draco to Snape and Dumbledore, and learn the basics of what went down on that fateful Halloween night that turned Harry into the most famous orphan in the wizarding world. Harry and Voldemort are two sides of the same coin, a concept that is explored in detail later in the series. We witness the first bit of that connection when Harry gets a wand that’s basically the twin of the one that belongs to the Dark Lord, again something that has massive consequences later in the series.

5) The Half Blood Prince

This is the book where Voldemort truly returns to power. As the wizarding world has to accept the implications, Death Eaters and Dementors run free, terrorizing even the human world. But perhaps the most critical event that changes the course of the narrative is the death of Dumbledore and the fall of Hogwarts. Snape is the one who fulfills Dumbledore’s wish to die, except no one knows what truly drives him, which sows seeds of discord and suspicion among the characters. Another critical subplot explores Draco’s moral dilemma, reminding readers that it is not all as black and white as it seems, and both sides have ones who ended up where they did because they had no choice.

4) The Prisoner of Azkaban

If there is one book that can challenge the position of The Order of Phoenix as the most well-written, it is perhaps The Prisoner of Azkaban. After all, it gave us Sirius Black, the loss of whom would change Harry as a person in the long run, and also Remus Lupin, who represents the other, the alienated; but we are getting ahead of ourselves here. This is also the first time we encounter the dementors, i.e., the physical embodiment of the despair of this long war. 

3) The Goblet of Fire

After much ado, this book is where the Dark Lord truly returns. No more whispering from notebooks and shrieking from the backs of people’s heads. Thus, begins a tale that will finally lead us to the epic Battle of Hogwarts, where Voldemort finally faces his nemesis and anti-thesis. This is where we witness the first loss of a young life, as Voldemort disposes of Cedric with a casual flick of his wand. It shows how war takes no prisoners, children or not. 

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2) The Deathly Hallows

Considering it’s the epic culmination of the series, the events of this book are important enough that the movies had to split in two parts so they could truly delve into the many details of the narrative. The biggest moment, of course, has to be the defeat and death of Voldemort. Whatever JK Rowling’s ideals may be, she is undoubtedly a good storyteller and this book proves it all over again. The events begin and end with goodbyes, but not before the narrative sends the trio on an epic adventure, hunting horcruxes, solving riddles, and riding dragons out of enemy territories. 

1) The Order of the Phoenix

Hands down the best and most well-written book of the series, The Order of the Phoenix is also undoubtedly the most important in terms of plot and character development. In this book, we get to dive deep into the psyche of the main characters. It also lets us witness the rebellion from the inside, while exploring the lives and minds of those who make up the front line in this war. It explores the Ministry’s stand in this war, as it resorts to active repression of any kind of rebellious ideas. Of course, one cannot help but mention the irredeemable Dolores Umbridge here. She shows readers the many sides of evil that exist in this war, and what forces Harry must take on to emerge victorious.