# True or False- Harry Potter is the most famous literary character in the last 50 years? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 24, 2010, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-false-harry-potter-is-the-most-famous-literary-character-in-the-last-50-years/537238 "2010-04-24T20:53:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![parthenokinesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/cc9497/32.png) [@parthenokinesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/parthenokinesis)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-false-harry-potter-is-the-most-famous-literary-character-in-the-last-50-years/537238/81 "2010-04-26T23:38:15Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > **Charlie Bucket** from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; Screw Charlie, Willy Wonka has a way higher recognition factor what with the candy and all, but still nothin’ like Mr. Potter I reckon ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-false-harry-potter-is-the-most-famous-literary-character-in-the-last-50-years/537238/82 "2010-04-26T23:54:32Z")
How would we determine a winner? Name recognition poll or something I suppose. I am guessing that Harry Potter would win, Darth Vader a close seond, although I would not be suprised if ended up turned around. Other than those two I don’t think anybody comes close. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-false-harry-potter-is-the-most-famous-literary-character-in-the-last-50-years/537238/83 "2010-04-27T00:00:00Z")
Frankly, I don’t think there’s anyone I know who is ignorant of either Darth Vader or Harry Potter. So it’s hard for me to say anything about who else such a person might know of. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-false-harry-potter-is-the-most-famous-literary-character-in-the-last-50-years/537238/84 "2010-04-27T00:07:50Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > **M_A_S\*H** by Robert Hooker was published in 1968 and in other media became quite popular; I probably know more **M_A_S\*H** trivia than **Harry Potter** trivia. Hawkeye and Hot Lips Houlihan are universally known characters. No they aren’t, not by a long shot. I doubt they’re particularly well-known internationally, especially in non-English speaking countries, and they aren’t well-known by children even in the US. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-false-harry-potter-is-the-most-famous-literary-character-in-the-last-50-years/537238/85 "2010-04-27T00:27:52Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > **M_A_S\*H** by Robert Hooker was published in 1968 and in other media became quite popular; I probably know more **M_A_S\*H** trivia than **Harry Potter** trivia. Hawkeye and Hot Lips Houlihan are universally known characters. Not many people under 25 know what M_A_S\*H is. And that’s in America. I don’t know if Spidey would win even if you allowed him. I remember reading articles about clerics in the Middle East denouncing Potter because of the witchcraft. And HP would certainly be extremely popular in all the Commonwealth nations. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-false-harry-potter-is-the-most-famous-literary-character-in-the-last-50-years/537238/86 "2010-04-27T00:56:03Z")
Darth Vader is not a literary character. He’s a movie character, who has also appeared in some books. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-false-harry-potter-is-the-most-famous-literary-character-in-the-last-50-years/537238/87 "2010-04-27T01:10:24Z")
> [@magnusblitz](#): > > But ask the converse… are there a significant number of people who know who Harry Potter is, but not Darth Vader? I’m not sure. I would think most kids these days know who Darth Vader is, but… I admit I’m not really sure how popular Star Wars is with kids under the age of, say, 15. Immensely, ridiculously popular. If Darth Vader counted, he’d take it by a mile. Because not only are most kids familiar with him, but so are most adults. And while most adults know of Harry Potter, Vader has a much bigger recognition factor due to being 35 years olds. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-false-harry-potter-is-the-most-famous-literary-character-in-the-last-50-years/537238/88 "2010-04-27T01:12:33Z")
after unsuccessfully looking for q-score rankings for cartoons online, i submit interesting, but not really helpful sites: [http://www.whoismorefamous.com/](http://www.whoismorefamous.com/) which claims that Spiderman\>Vader\>Charlie Brown. This list is clearly flawed since neither micky mouse nor harry potter or even Jesus is on the list, but it’s a step in the right direction of finding a factual answer. [http://www.fictional100.com/sitemap.html](http://www.fictional100.com/sitemap.html) 100 most influential fictional characters on the human psyche as written by a PhD!!! she really toots her own doctorate, and it is certainly a diverse sampling though i did find it a little lazy that romeo/juliet, brothers k, tristan/isolde, etc. are counted as separate entries. also, was playing around with msn hotlist and google zeitgeist, but those aren’t the same as recognizability. however, it was worth noting that the baseline interest in spiderman vs hello kitt… hello kitty kicks the shit out of spiderman [http://www.google.com/insights/search/#cat=3&q=Hello%20kitty&cmpt=q](http://www.google.com/insights/search/#cat=3&q=Hello%20kitty&cmpt=q) [http://www.google.com/insights/search/#cat=3&q=spiderman&cmpt=q](http://www.google.com/insights/search/#cat=3&q=spiderman&cmpt=q) and that harry potter’s baseline is a smidge above darth vader. [http://www.google.com/insights/search/#cat=3&q=harry%20potter&cmpt=q](http://www.google.com/insights/search/#cat=3&q=harry%20potter&cmpt=q) [http://www.google.com/insights/search/#cat=3&q=darth%20vader&cmpt=q](http://www.google.com/insights/search/#cat=3&q=darth%20vader&cmpt=q) and that pokemon is trending up steadily, whereas digimon took a hit but is surging up again [http://www.google.com/insights/search/#cat=3&q=pokemon&cmpt=q](http://www.google.com/insights/search/#cat=3&q=pokemon&cmpt=q) [http://www.google.com/insights/search/#cat=3&q=digimon&cmpt=q](http://www.google.com/insights/search/#cat=3&q=digimon&cmpt=q) also, twilight is way more popular than percy jackson, transformers, and iron man zeitgeist-wise [http://www.google.com/insights/search/#cat=3&q=twilight&cmpt=q](http://www.google.com/insights/search/#cat=3&q=twilight&cmpt=q) [http://www.google.com/insights/search/#cat=3&q=percy%20jackson&cmpt=q](http://www.google.com/insights/search/#cat=3&q=percy%20jackson&cmpt=q) [http://www.google.com/insights/search/#cat=3&q=transformers&cmpt=q](http://www.google.com/insights/search/#cat=3&q=transformers&cmpt=q) [http://www.google.com/insights/search/#cat=3&q=iron%20man&cmpt=q](http://www.google.com/insights/search/#cat=3&q=iron%20man&cmpt=q) … someone find a q-score list for fictional characters! ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-false-harry-potter-is-the-most-famous-literary-character-in-the-last-50-years/537238/89 "2010-04-27T01:28:39Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > someone find a q-score list for fictional characters! Who wants to pass the hat? Its behind a pay wall. > **[QScore-Home-Page](https://www.qscores.com)** And here’s a direct link to buy the study: [http://www.qscores.com/pages/Template1/site11/45/default.aspx?itemID=2](http://www.qscores.com/pages/Template1/site11/45/default.aspx?itemID=2) ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-false-harry-potter-is-the-most-famous-literary-character-in-the-last-50-years/537238/90 "2010-04-27T11:32:23Z")
James Bond is famous in most of the non English speaking world, he gets my vote. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-false-harry-potter-is-the-most-famous-literary-character-in-the-last-50-years/537238/91 "2010-04-27T11:40:53Z")
> [@Lust4Life](#): > > James Bond is famous in most of the non English speaking world, he gets my vote. I think he should. While the books have been around since the mid 50s, he’s primarily famous from the films, about a decade later. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-false-harry-potter-is-the-most-famous-literary-character-in-the-last-50-years/537238/92 "2010-04-27T12:25:23Z")
> [@JoelUpchurch](#): > > I never read any of the Harry Potter books and I suspect most adults haven’t either. I think you’ve forgotten that some adults have children. The first HP book came out in 1997 and the last one came out ten years later. That’s a lot of time for kids to reach reading age and get interested in those books, and many of them would have read them with help from their parents. And there were definitely some adults without kids who read the books on their own. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-false-harry-potter-is-the-most-famous-literary-character-in-the-last-50-years/537238/93 "2010-04-27T12:31:34Z")
> [@JoelUpchurch](#): > > The best selling book in the series sold 44 million. 400 million includes books on Quidditch and such. The total number of people that have read a book in the Harry Potter series undoubtedly greater than 44 million, but greater than 80 million? Not a doubt in my mind. I’m surprised there’s even a debate here; Harry Potter is unquestionably a more famous character than Robert Langdon, and it’s not a close call. More Potter books have been sold, the movies have sold more tickets, and there’s more tie-in stuff. You didn’t see giant, thousands-of-fans read-ins for Robert Langdon books. And as has been pointed out, as a CHARACTER, Langdon barely exists anyway. If we counted Darth Vader - which I don’t think we should - he’d probably beat the Boy Who Lived, but what’s for sure is Robert Langdon’s an also-ran in this race. +++ Oh, and throw me in with those who have no idea whatsoever who Percy Jackson is. I easily recognize every other fictional character named in this thread, but have honestly never heard of this Percy guy. I had to look it up… and had never heard of the books. And wow, do they ever sound like a Harry Potter ripoff. Seriously, it’s the Potter concept lifted clean and slapped onto another mythos. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-false-harry-potter-is-the-most-famous-literary-character-in-the-last-50-years/537238/94 "2010-04-27T14:39:32Z")
Yeah the only time I had ever heard the name Percy Jackson was when the movie came out a few months ago. And the only reason I noticed it was because of the length of the title. It looked like a Potter ripoff with bad effects, I had no idea it even came from a book. ---
**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-false-harry-potter-is-the-most-famous-literary-character-in-the-last-50-years/537238/95 "2010-04-27T15:50:06Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Immensely, ridiculously popular. If Darth Vader counted, he’d take it by a mile. Because not only are most kids familiar with him, but so are most adults. > > And while most adults know of Harry Potter, Vader has a much bigger recognition factor due to being 35 years olds. I think you’re fooling yourself. I would reask my question, find someone who knows who Vader is but does not know who Potter is. As for the converse, I think I would have no trouble finding enough young girls and religously shletered with an awareness of Potter and no idea of who Vader is. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-false-harry-potter-is-the-most-famous-literary-character-in-the-last-50-years/537238/96 "2010-04-27T15:59:07Z")
> [@](#): > > 100 most influential fictional characters on the human psyche as written by a PhD!!! she really toots her own doctorate, and it is certainly a diverse sampling though i did find it a little lazy that romeo/juliet, brothers k, tristan/isolde, etc. are counted as separate entries. There’s also a book titled _The 101 Most Influential People Who Never Lived_ by Allan Lazar, Dan Karlan, and Jeremy Salter. Without looking it up, guess who they picked as the most influential fictional character of all time? Wrong, guess again. Wrong again, take three more guesses. Still wrong, try ten guesses. You still haven’t got it. Try a hundred guesses. Nope, you still didn’t get it. Their pick for the most influential historical character in the history of the world isThe Marlboro Man. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-false-harry-potter-is-the-most-famous-literary-character-in-the-last-50-years/537238/97 "2010-04-27T17:24:08Z")
is #5 Joe Camel? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-false-harry-potter-is-the-most-famous-literary-character-in-the-last-50-years/537238/98 "2010-04-27T17:58:36Z")
> [@whole\_bean](#): > > I think you’re fooling yourself. I would reask my question, find someone who knows who Vader is but does not know who Potter is. As for the converse, I think I would have no trouble finding enough young girls and religously shletered with an awareness of Potter and no idea of who Vader is. At the library I work at, the requests from kids follow a very specific pattern: #1 Whatever is the kid favorite du jour #2 STAR WARS! #3 Harry Potter And the best part is, if they’re young enough they think that Star Wars is this amazing brand new thing that _they_ just discovered. ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-false-harry-potter-is-the-most-famous-literary-character-in-the-last-50-years/537238/99 "2010-04-27T18:41:53Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > Plus, the first Harry Potter book came out in 1997. Someone who read that at the age of, oh, I’ll go with eleven, back then, is today an adult. You didn’t neet to tell me that. {sulks off and feels old} ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-false-harry-potter-is-the-most-famous-literary-character-in-the-last-50-years/537238/100 "2010-04-27T18:51:21Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > If it wasn’t for the time constraint I’m pretty sure the answer would be Jesus. Does fiction based on a true story count, though? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-false-harry-potter-is-the-most-famous-literary-character-in-the-last-50-years/537238.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-or-false-harry-potter-is-the-most-famous-literary-character-in-the-last-50-years/537238.md?page=6)